Jay Hook
| Jay Hook | |
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| Pitcher | |
| Born: November 18, 1936 Waukegan , Illinois , United States 
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| Strikes: Left | Throws: Right |
| Debut in Major League Baseball | |
| September 3, 1957 with the Cincinnati Redlegs | |
| Last MLB assignment | |
| May 3, 1964 with the New York Mets | |
| MLB statistics (until end of career) |
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| Win-loss | 29-62 |
| ERA | 5.23 |
| Strikeouts | 394 |
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James Wesley "Jay" Hook (born November 18, 1936 in Waukegan , Illinois ) is a retired American baseball player in Major League Baseball (MLB). Hook came as a pitcher in the years 1957 to 1964 to a total of 160 missions for the Cincinnati Redlegs or Reds and the New York Mets . He is the first pitcher in the history of the Mets to win the franchise .
Career
Jay Hook was hired by the Cincinnati Redlegs in August 1957 as a so-called bonus baby straight from his amateur free agent status and came to three more missions in the current season. In 1958, Hook was only considered once, pitching three innings. In the 1959 season he was then used more often at the club, which has now been renamed Reds, and celebrated his first career win against the Chicago Cubs on July 18 . In 1960, Hook became a permanent part of the Reds' starting rotation. In 36 games he reached his career best in ERA (4.50), but with 31 home runs he allowed most of all pitchers in the MLB this season. In the 1961 season he was rarely used as a starter and was mainly used as a reliever.
In the course of the Expansion Draft in 1961, Jay Hook was drafted by the New York Mets and was used from 1962 for the newly founded franchise. On April 23, 1962, Hook pitched a full game in a 9-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates . It was the first win in Mets history and made Jay Hook the first ever Mets pitcher to win. With a total of 34 games started, the first season in New York was Hook's season with the most starts. In the 1963 season, Hook was used 41 times, his personal record, but he was only allowed to start in just under half of the games.
At the. May 8, 1964 Hook was given in exchange with Roy McMillan to the Milwaukee Braves , where he was no longer considered in the MLB squad.
After the career
Hook, who completed his master's degree in thermodynamics in 1964 , ended his baseball career in favor of a position as a product developer at Chrysler , followed by management positions at Masco Corporation . Jay Hook retired in 1992, is married with four children. He and his wife live in Maple City .
Web links
- Player information and statistics from MLB or Baseball Reference or Baseball Reference (Minor League) (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ New York Mets at Pittsburgh Pirates Box Score, April 23, 1962. baseball-reference.com, accessed June 10, 2020 .
- ↑ April 23, 1962: Jay Hook leads Mets to franchise's first victory. Society For American Baseball Research, 2018, accessed June 10, 2020 .
- ↑ Jay Hook. Society For American Baseball Research, 2018, accessed June 10, 2020 .
| personal data | |
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| SURNAME | Hook, Jay |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Hook, James Wesley (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American baseball player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 18, 1936 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Waukegan , Illinois |