Jason Marquis

Jason Marquis
Chicago Cubs – No. 21
Starting pitcher
Bats: Left Throws: Right
debut
June 6, 2000, for the Atlanta Braves
Career statistics (through September 30, 2008)
Win-Loss	79-70
Earned run average	4.55
Strikeouts	752
Teams
Atlanta Braves (2000-2003) St. Louis Cardinals (2004-2006) Chicago Cubs (2007-present)

Jason Scott Marquis (Template:PronEng) (born August 21, 1978), is an American Major League Baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.

Marquis is one of only 7 ballplayers who pitched in the NL in 2007 who won at least 12 games in each year from 2004-07, the others being Carlos Zambrano, Greg Maddux, Roy Oswalt, Tim Hudson, Derek Lowe, and Jeff Suppan.

Through 2007, in games that were late and close Marquis held batters to a .229 batting average.

Early life

Marquis, who is Jewish, was born in Manhasset, New York. He grew up in Staten Island, New York's Arden Heights neighborhood, where he attended Paulo Intermediate School 75. He played Little League Baseball on the South Shore Little League that finished third in the Little League World Series in 1991. He is one of 25 Little League World Series players to have reached the major leagues.

Marquis pitched the Tottenville High School Pirates to two consecutive New York City Public Schools Athletic League titles in 1995 and 1996, at Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium. He also played basketball there and was a member of the National Honor Society.

The right-hander originally signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Miami, but opted out after he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the first round of the 1996 free agent draft after having graduated from high school. He was the 35th selection overall.

Minor league career

Stats

Season	Team	Level	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	W	L	ERA
1996	Danville Braves	Rookie	7	4	0	0	23.1	30	18	12	0	7	24	1	1	4.63
1997	Macon Braves	A	28	28	0	0	141.2	156	78	69	10	55	121	14	10	4.38
1998	Danville Braves	A	22	22	1	0	114.2	120	65	62	3	41	135	2	12	4.87
1999	Myrtle Beach Pelicans	A	6	6	0	0	32.0	22	2	1	0	17	41	3	0	0.28
1999	Greenville Braves	AA	12	12	1	0	55.0	52	33	28	7	29	35	3	4	4.58
2000	Greenville Braves	AA	11	11	0	0	68.0	68	35	27	10	23	49	4	2	3.57
2000	Richmond Braves	AAA	6	6	0	0	20.0	26	21	20	2	13	18	0	3	9.00
2002	Richmond Braves	AAA	1	1	0	0	5.0	5	2	2	0	1	6	0	1	3.60
2003	Richmond Braves	AAA	15	15	3	1	94.0	93	40	35	5	34	75	8	4	3.35

Marquis tied for most wins (14) in the South Atlantic League in 1997.

Major league career

Pitching Stats

Current as of September 27, 2008.

Season	Team	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	W	L	ERA
2000	Atlanta Braves	15	0	0	0	23.1	23	16	13	4	12	17	1	0	5.01
2001	Atlanta Braves	38	16	0	0	129.1	113	62	50	14	59	98	5	6	3.48
2002	Atlanta Braves	22	22	0	0	114.1	127	66	64	19	49	84	8	9	5.04
2003	Atlanta Braves	21	2	0	0	40.2	43	27	25	3	18	19	0	0	5.53
2004	St. Louis Cardinals	32	32	0	0	201.1	215	90	83	26	70	138	15	7	3.71
2005	St. Louis Cardinals	33	32	3	1	207.0	206	110	95	29	69	100	13	14	4.13
2006	St. Louis Cardinals	33	33	0	0	194.1	221	136	130	35	75	96	14	16	6.02
2007	Chicago Cubs	34	33	1	1	191.2	190	111	98	22	76	109	12	9	4.60
2008	Chicago Cubs	29	28	0	0	167.0	172	87	84	15	70	91	11	9	4.53

Hitting Stats

Current as of Saturday, September 27, 2008.

Season	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	TB	BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG
2000	Atlanta Braves	13	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000
2001	Atlanta Braves	37	31	3	1	0	0	0	0	1	2	10	0	0	.091	.032	.032
2002	Atlanta Braves	28	38	6	5	0	0	1	1	8	0	16	0	0	.132	.211	.132
2003	Atlanta Braves	21	2	0	1	1	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	.500	1.000	.500
2004	St. Louis Cardinals	34	72	6	21	6	0	0	9	27	1	17	1	0	.297	.375	.292
2005	St. Louis Cardinals	43	87	10	27	8	1	1	10	40	2	11	0	0	.326	.460	.310
2006	St. Louis Cardinals	45	78	8	14	4	1	0	5	20	2	14	0	0	.210	.256	.179
2007	Chicago Cubs	39	72	9	10	3	0	1	4	16	1	24	0	0	.151	.222	.139
2008	Chicago Cubs	38	59	8	12	3	0	2	10	21	3	17	0	0	.242	.356	.203

Atlanta Braves (2000-03)

Marquis was called up to the majors by the Braves in June 2000, at the age of 21, after the Braves demoted struggling closer John Rocker. He made his debut on June 6, 2000, in relief against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was later sent back down to AAA Richmond, but was recalled again in September. During the 2000 season he appeared strictly in relief, finishing 7 games in his 15 appearances, and winning 1.

He became a starting pitcher in 2001, joining a celebrated staff with Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and Kevin Millwood. In his first year as a starter, Marquis held batters to a .145 batting average when runners were in scoring position, with 2 out. He maintained a spot on the rotation again in 2002 as the fifth starter, behind Maddux, Glavine, Millwood, and Damian Moss.

In 2003, the Braves revamped their starting rotation with the acquisitions of Mike Hampton, Russ Ortiz, Shane Reynolds, and the promotion of Horacio Ramírez from AA. Marquis was sent to the bullpen, making only 2 starts in 21 appearances. He was upset about being sent to the bullpen, and requested to be sent to the minors where he could be a starting pitcher, and observed by scouts from other organizations. On December 13, 2003, Marquis was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals along with relief pitcher Ray King and rookie prospect Adam Wainwright for outfielder J. D. Drew and catcher Eli Marrero.

St. Louis Cardinals (2004-06)

Marquis became a full-time starter in 2004 with the Cardinals, and posted a career-best 15-9 record, with a 3.71 earned run average and a career-high 138 strikeouts, for the National League champions. His 15 wins and .682 won-lost percentage were both 9th in the league. He held batters to a .198 Batting Average with Runners in Scoring Position. He stole a base against the Chicago Cubs off teammate and former mentor Greg Maddux, who also stole a base in the same game. It marked the first time since 1950 that opposing pitchers stole a base in the same game. Manager Tony La Russa tabbed Marquis to start Game 4 of the 2004 World Series. He turned in the best performance of any Cardinals starter in the series, pitching 6 innings and giving up 3 runs. He was bested, however, by Boston pitcher Derek Lowe, who threw shutout ball for 7 innings to win the series for the Red Sox.

Marquis had an up and down season in 2005. Although he started the season strong, he slid into a personal 7-game losing streak. It ended on August 27, 2005, when Marquis pitched a 2-hit shutout at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC against the Washington Nationals, for his first career shutout. Overall Marquis posted a 13-14 record, with an 4.13 earned run average in 207 innings pitched. He appeared in 33 games, starting 32, and completing 3 (6th in the NL). He gave up the second lowest percentage of line drives in the NL (17.3%).

Uncharacteristically for a pitcher, Marquis is a very good hitter. He constantly hits off the tee in batting cages. In 2005 he had 27 hits, posting a .310 batting average with 1 home run and 10 RBIs in 87 at-bats. He was the first pitcher to bat over .300 since Mike Hampton batted .344 in 2002 (minimum of 50 at-bats). For his excellent work at the plate, Marquis won the Silver Slugger Award. His hitting ability along with his athleticism makes him a valuable player, in that he is sometimes called on to pinch-hit or pinch-run.

In January 2006, Marquis and the Cardinals agreed to a 1-year contract, avoiding salary arbitration, for $5.15 million dollars. Marquis, however, followed by having the worst season of his career, and one of the worst in Cardinals history. Pitching in the starting rotation all year, Marquis finished with a 6.02 ERA, the 2nd-worst in baseball among players who qualified for the ERA title (Joel Piñeiro, of the Seattle Mariners, finished last with a 6.36). He led the majors in runs allowed (136), and led the NL in losses (16) and home runs allowed (35). He also had the two worst game scores in the NL, a game against the White Sox on June 21st in which he gave up 13 earned runs in 5 innings, and one against the Atlanta Braves 3 weeks later in which he gave up 12 earned runs in 5 innings. On the other hand, in games that were late and close, he held batters to a .188 batting average.

Marquis was on the Cardinals roster for their 1st-round playoff matchup against the San Diego Padres, but did not make an appearance in the Series and was not included on the roster for the NLCS against the Mets, or for the 2006 World Series against Detroit, which the Cardinals won.

Chicago Cubs (2007-present)

In December 2006 Marquis signed a 3-year contract with the Chicago Cubs worth $21 million. With the Cubs, he wears # 21, the same number as former Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa, who in fact hit his 600th home run against Marquis. This has caused some concern, due to Sosa's accomplishments with the Cubs -- he is the Cubs' all-time home run leader.

On May 9th, Marquis completed a three-hit shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates, defeating them 1-0. He had a perfect game going into the 6th inning, retiring the first 16 batters he faced, but Pirates shortstop Don Kelly broke it up with a single. The game only took 2 hours and 6 minutes. Marquis struck out 5, and needed only 109 pitches to complete the game. The win improved Marquis' record to 5-1, and dropped his ERA to 1.70, 3rd best in the NL. After the game, Marquis highlighted his consistency as being the key to his turnaround. "My delivery is as consistent as it's ever been. I feel like I'm repeating the same delivery over and over again and that's the reason, I really believe, for the success."

Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement, was September 21st, and Marquis was glad to be slated to pitch the day prior in a day game, as he expected to be done before sundown. "I look at it that religion is an important part of my life, but so is family and baseball," Marquis said. "To me, family takes precedent over all aspects of my life. Baseball and religion fall into place, and I try not to make one more important than the other." Marquis did have to pitch on the holiday when he was with the Braves. It was his turn, and he didn't want to throw the rotation out of order. "I pitched, went to temple the next morning," Marquis said. "It was a day game. Bobby [Cox, Atlanta manager] allowed me to show up late. It turned out well."[1] Even though, he got tagged with 7 earned runs in 2.2 inning while striking out 1, and walking 1 batter.

In 2007 Marquis had the 5th-lowest batting average in the NL of balls hit into play against him (.280), and the 8th-highest ground ball percentage (49.5%). He was 12-9, with a 4.60 ERA. He was tied for second in the league in shutouts (1), and was 5th in the league in hit batsmen (13). He kept batters to a .229 batting average in games that were late and close.

On March 24, 2008, it was announced he would be the Cubs fifth starter for the 2008 season. Historically, Marquis' numbers during the second half of the season have been less desirable than during the first half, but thanks to smart managing by Lou Piniella, Marquis and Rich Harden, newly-acquired from the Oakland Athletics on July 8, rotated their starts for a time, and Marquis posted a winning month of August, going 3-1 with a 3.90 ERA. It was his second-lowest ERA after a 3.81 ERA in July.

On September 26, 2008, the Cubs postseason roster was announced. Marquis, with exceptional numbers on the season, was granted a spot on the roster as a reliever.

Pitching style

Marquis relies mostly on his sinker and slider. Even though he throws his sinker harder than most, he gets plenty of movement on the pitch. Marquis also throws a four-seam fastball when in trouble and will sometimes throw an occasional curve ball.

Batting

In 382 at bats through 2007 Marquis had a .207 lifetime batting average, with 22 doubles, 2 triples, 3 home runs, 42 runs scored, 30 RBIs, and 19 sacrifice hits. He had a .292 career batting average, in 49 plate appearances, with 2 outs and runners in scoring position. In 24 at bats as a pinch hitter, he had a .250 batting average.

In a game on May 19, 2007 against the Chicago White Sox at Wrigley Field, Marquis connected on a 3-2 pitch from Javier Vazquez for a two-run home run, his first as a Cub, and his third career homer.

During the 2008 season, he belted his fourth on September 6, against Cincinnati's Gary Majewski at the Great American Ballpark, giving the Cubs their tenth run of the game. They would go on to win by a score of 14 to 9. On September 22, he was credited with his first career grand slam, hit off of New York Mets rookie Jonathan Niese at Shea Stadium. That night he was also credited with five RBI - four of which came with his grand slam - in a career-high performance.

Fielding

Marquis has exhibited a better range factor at pitcher than the league average every year of his career, through 2007.

Miscellaneous

• Marquis attended Hebrew school, and had a bar mitzvah. “My mother was stricter with our Jewish upbringing, given that her parents were Holocaust survivors."

• Officials of the Israel Baseball League, for which Dan Duquette is director of player development, hope to compete in the 2009 World Baseball Classic with Marquis.

• He is 6th all-time of all Jewish major leaguer pitchers in strikeouts and 7th in wins, trailing among others Sandy Koufax, Ken Holtzman, and Steve Stone in both categories. In 2007 he became only the 6th Jewish pitcher to notch at least 10 victories in four consecutive seasons. The others are Koufax, Holtzman, Stone, Dave Roberts, and Barney Pelty.

• He grew up as a Yankee fan.

• Marquis attended Tottenville High School with Chicago Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs
• Jews in Sports bio
• "The boys of summer and seder: Baseball, Passover share openers," 3/12/07
• Jewish Major League career leaders
• "Warming up for the Jewish Boys of Summer," 3/5/08