Jason Rees (baseball)
Jason Rees (born 5 April 1984 in Newcastle, Australia) is a former baseball player who was signed by the New York Yankees in 2008.[1][2] He played outfield for the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox of the Israel Baseball League. Rees bats and throws right handed.
Baseball career
Rees attended college at Cloud County Community College in Concordia, Kansas, USA,[1] where he played baseball for two years and tied the school record of games played with 104. Rees also went to Fort Hays State University,[1] where he received conference and regional honors.
Rees played semi-professional baseball in Australia for the Central Coast Marlins before he joined the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox for the 2007 season. In his season with the Blue Sox, Rees hit .362 with 17 home runs (leading the league), 50 runs batted in, 14 stolen bases, and 47 hits in 42 games.[1] He was named the league's Co-Defensive Outfielder of the Year and was named to the IBL South All-Star team.[1]
Rees played an enormous part in the inaugural season of the Israel Baseball League - he led the league in home runs and runs batted in, and helped lead the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox to a championship.
The New York Yankees announced in October 2007 that they had signed Rees to a minor league contract.[1]
In 2009 Rees signed for the Dutch Hoofdklasse club HCAW. He made his debut on 11 April 2009 at the opening of the Dutch major league season with an impressive series of hits including a home run. In his second and third game he again hit home runs. After two years he returned to Australia and ended his baseball career.
Israel Baseball League statistics
| Year | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Bet Shemesh Blue Sox | 42 | 130 | 38 | 47 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 50 | 14 | 22 | .362 | .455 | .808 |