Jason Bay News: Pro Sports Daily

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November 20

Boston Globe

"The talks have been going on all season. But suddenly, as of midnight, things are different. Now it's not only the Red Sox who can discuss contract numbers with free agent left fielder Jason Bay - every team can. The Sox have been conversing with Bay about a new contract for the better part of a year, with the talks twice ending abruptly - once in spring training and once after the All-Star break. There has been no agreement between the sides, and last night the deadline for the Sox' negotiating exclusivity came and went. So Bay becomes a true free agent, able to be wooed by any team out there. Several clubs have expressed interest in him in what is a down market for upper-level talent."

OF Jason Bay reaches open market

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November 20

Boston Herald

"That sound at midnight last night was the window closing shut on the Red Sox' best shot at a preemptive re-signing of Jason Bay. At 12:01 a.m., all 171 free agents, including six from the Red Sox, received the green light to begin negotiations with all 30 teams. The Red Sox and Bay knew reaching a deal before last night's deadline was unlikely. This is his first stab at free agency, and, along with fellow outfielder Matt Holliday and right-hander John Lackey, he's one of the top names on this year's list. Bay likely will have substantive discussions with at least a half-dozen teams. The Mets, Cardinals, Giants, Blue Jays, Angels and Mariners all are believed to be interested. Meanwhile, ..."

For Angels, Bay, Lackey and Figgins are all in play

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November 20

Los Angeles Times

"Matt Holliday is not coming. Jason Bay might be coming. John Lackey and Chone Figgins are not coming back -- not together, anyway. Those were the highlights of the state of the Angels address delivered by owner Arte Moreno on Thursday, after baseball's owners concluded their meetings here. The free-agent shopping season opens today, with owners citing an uncertain economic forecast in suggesting players might linger on the market well into the winter. Yet Moreno left one thing absolutely certain: The Angels have no interest in outfielder Matt Holliday, perhaps the best position player available in free agency. "He is not going to be an Angel," Moreno said. "We are not looking at Holliday ..."

Sabean: Bay and Holliday unlikely

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November 20

San Francisco Chronicle

"Tim Lincecum's live press conference just ended. Afterward, we talked to GM Brian Sabean, who said he has not contacted agents for the two big hitters on the free-agent market, Matt Holliday or Jason Bay, and does not expect to either. I'll have the direct quotes later, but Sabean essentially said he refuses to be a "stalking horse" for any player who is just using the Giants to get more money elsewhere, and that the Giants will talk only to free agents who have a genuine interest in coming to San Francisco."

Angels owner: Bay, not Holliday, a possible pursuit

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November 19

Foxsports.com

"Angels owner Arte Moreno said today that he could envision his team pursuing Jason Bay — but not Matt Holliday — in the event that his team's prominent free agents sign elsewhere. Moreno said he would like to bring back John Lackey, Chone Figgins and Vladimir Guerrero but acknowledged that it's unlikely the Angels can afford all three."

Bay declines Boston's initial offer, heading to full free agency

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November 19

SI.com

"Star free agent outfielder Jason Bay has declined Boston's initial contract offer and will head to full free agency, SI.com has learned. Boston's offer to Bay was believed to be for four years and "close to $60 million,'' according to sources. Bay thus will join star outfielder Matt Holliday and ace pitcher John Lackey as the biggest free agents on this year's market. The exclusive period for incumbent teams expires Friday at 12:01 a.m., when free agents can begin negotiating with other teams. "Nothing will happen by day's end, but we'll keep talking,'' Bay's agent Joe Urbon said. "It's not a surprise that a player that's gone this far wants to see what's out there,'' Red Sox GM Theo ..."

Holliday, Bay, Lackey top Mets' shopping list

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November 19

New York Post

"The Mets have talked a good game about spending money and retooling this offseason. Now it's time to back it all up. With free agency at hand starting at 12:01 tomorrow morning, all eyes will be on the Wilpons and general manager Omar Minaya to see if they follow through on their public vow to be major players in the market this winter. Coming off this year's 70-92 disaster, the Mets have a pressing need for more power and openings that include a left fielder, a No. 2 starter, a veteran catcher, a platoon first baseman and a setup man for All-Star closer Francisco Rodriguez. The Mets have identified Matt Holliday and Jason Bay as top candidates to fill the power void in left, John Lackey ..."

Cards say Bay is not priority

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November 18

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"The Cardinals see left fielder Matt Holliday as a unique talent within this year's free agent pool, and they apparently do not envision themselves as bidders for the market's presumptive second choice should Holliday defect. General manager John Mozeliak confirmed Tuesday that the Cardinals' priority signing would shift away from offense if Holliday proves too pricey for the club to retain. "We'll see how the market develops," Mozeliak said. "Is (Jason Bay) a possibility? Sure. But right now it's fair to say he's not one of our top priorities." The Cardinals have yet to submit a formal bid to Holliday's agent, Scott Boras, and are unlikely to do so until free agents can begin accepting ..."

Similar studs top free-agent outfield crop

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November 16

MLB.com

"Every free-agent market has a focal point, and in this one, the bull's-eye falls on a pair of outfielders who are strikingly similar. Matt Holliday and Jason Bay provoked the most anticipation, and are expected to generate the most attention and dollars. Both are powerful right-handed hitters of comparable age, with Bay one year older at 31. Both are modest, soft-spoken individuals much better at playing a good game than at talking it. So, fittingly, both are being led into the free-agent wilderness by outspoken, opinionated agents. The selling by Scott Boras, Holliday's man, and Joe Urbon, Bay's guy, is already under way. Urbon: "I think the most important thing about Jason Bay is that ..."

Bay in contact with other clubs, but still prefers Boston

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November 14

Providence Journal

"It's the calm before the storm for Jason Bay and the Red Sox. The 31-year-old outfielder will be one of the most sought-after free agents this offseason. It's also a strong possibility he will return to Boston once he tests the market for the first time in his career. For now, the Sox still have exclusive rights to negotiate with Bay until Nov. 20. But Bay's agent, Joe Urbon, says that he has been in contact with other clubs about Bay, although they're not allowed to talk contracts until the 20th. It's unlikely the Red Sox and Bay will finalize a deal before then, given the fact this is his first opportunity to test the free-agent market, and he's said in the past he's interested in ..."

Minaya going after, well, everybody

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November 11

Foxsports.com

"The Mets plan to pursue virtually every big name on the free-agent and trade markets, from Roy Halladay and John Lackey to Jason Bay and Matt Holliday. Agents and rival executives, however, are skeptical that the Mets actually will land any of those players, believing that the team ultimately will settle for second-tier talent. Mets general manager Omar Minaya loves to play at the top of the market. And the Mets, coming off a 92-loss season, are not about to tell their fans that they will aim low. Still, the Mets' needs are significant enough that one or two major additions might not put the team in contention. Minaya says he wants to add at least one starting pitcher. The Mets also need ..."

Holliday, Bay bidding may surpass Mets' appetite

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November 10

New York Daily News

"Omar Minaya arrived at the GM Meetings at the O'Hare Hilton on Monday night maintaining it was his obligation to investigate the price tags of top-tier free agents. However, a team insider told the Daily News he expected that the salary demands of outfielders Matt Holliday and Jason Bay would exceed the organization's comfort level. Instead, the Mets expect to sign a left fielder from the second tier group of free agents, or acquire one via trade, a team source said. Picking up a power bat in left field would allow the Mets to follow through with their intention of using Daniel Murphy as the primary first baseman next season. One report listed Mike Cameron as a potential target for left ..."

Jason Bay among three to hit free agency

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November 6

Boston Herald

"Three former Red Sox players - outfielders Jason Bay and Rocco Baldelli and reliever Billy Wagner - officially filed for free agency yesterday, the first possible day they could do so. As many as six others could file in the coming days. The stakes are high for both Bay and the Red Sox. Left field is an obvious hole for the club next season, and Bay's worth in his year-and-a-half here - 45 home runs, 156 RBI - was both proven and substantial. The Red Sox now have a 15-day exclusivity window in negotiations with Bay, who can't talk with other teams about financial terms of a deal during that span. If the Sox want to sweep the outfielder off his feet with a rich, multiyear offer, this is the ..."

Mets not interested in Lackey or Bradley; Holliday tops their list

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October 26

SI.com

(scroll down)

"The Mets don't seem inclined to pursue top free-agent pitcher John Lackey, who will surely shoot for a $100 million-plus contract in light of A.J. Burnett's $82.5 million deal. They do want to add a solid starting pitcher (they may try a do-over on Randy Wolf), but their big-ticket target is most likely going to be a left fielder. Matt Holliday is believed to top their list, though Jason Bay will certainly suffice. Bobby Abreu is another top free-agent outfielder, while Carl Crawford could be available in trade. The Mets have no interest in taking on Milton Bradley's problems."

Bay watch to be revealing

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October 18

Boston Herald

"How the Red Sox really view Jason Bay's worth and how they approach contract negotiations with him in the coming weeks will be one of the more revealing chapters of the offseason. Talks are not expected to get under way until after the World Series, plenty of time for the Red Sox to weigh the costs and benefits of: a) hitching their wagon to Bay; b) paying Matt Holliday more over a longer term; or c) going short-term with somebody for a couple of years before a homegrown talent such as Ryan Westmoreland, Ryan Kalish or Josh Reddick is ready. With the notable exception of the eight-year offer they made last year to Mark Teixeira, the Red Sox in recent history have been very hesitant to go ..."

Left with work to do

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October 14

Boston Herald

columnist Sean McAdam

"Until at least the middle of November, potential free agent Jason Bay can't sign with anybody else except the Red Sox [team stats]. But given that Bay and the Red Sox already have had plenty of opportunities to work out a contract extension for the outfielder, how meaningful will those next five weeks be? "It's very unusual for a player not to take the opportunity to at least listen, if he's come this far, to what other teams have to say," general manager Theo Epstein said Monday. Indeed, if the Sox couldn't get Bay signed in March, and again at the All-Star break, why should the next month or so be any different? Industry sources suggest Bay and the Sox are quite far apart - both in terms ..."

Jason Bay waxes nostalgic

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October 12

Boston Herald

"The similarities were striking. The Red Sox had just been swept in the Division Series, and now a star outfielder was standing in front of his locker in the Fenway Park clubhouse, wondering if he had just played his last game in a Boston uniform. Only this time it was not 2005, and it was not Johnny Damon talking with reporters after the Red Sox had been broomed out of the Division Series by the Chicago White Sox. This time it was Jason Bay and it was late yesterday afternoon, the left fielder speaking words eerily similar to Damon's following the Red Sox' 7-6 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in Game 3 of the Division Series. Damon, a free agent, wound up signing with the New York Yankees. ..."

Bay overlooked member of elite group

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October 7

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Hit 30 home runs. Drive in 100 runs. Score 100. That's a very strong year, and rarer than most think. Only three players have managed it in four of the past five years: Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Bay. Almost everyone would guess the first two, but that third guy? Nobody guesses "Jason Bay." A year ago this month, when the question was who had done the 30-100-100 feat in three of the past four seasons, I was in a bar on Long Island with my brother. I asked a crowd the question as an American League playoff game was on the TV behind the bar."

He's no Manny Ramirez

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October 6

Boston Herald

"The symbolism was too delicious to ignore. While Jason Bay took batting practice before his first playoff game last October against the Los Angeles Angels, Manny Ramirez [stats] literally towered over Angel Stadium. The former Red Sox [team stats] left fielder was on the scoreboard batting for the Los Angeles Dodgers when he golfed a home run to help down the Chicago Cubs. A Red Sox official swore. But by the end of the weekend, no one would be worried about Ramirez, least of all Bay, his replacement in left field. In fact, if there was a time for the question, "How does it feel to replace Manny?" to stop being asked, it was last year's Division Series. Making his first postseason one to ..."

Jason Bay takes cake

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September 21

Boston Herald

"It was, all things considered, quite a weekend for Jason Bay. On Friday, he homered then came out of the game because of flu-like symptoms. On Saturday, he was in the lineup until 90 minutes before gametime, when he was scratched due to the same illness. Then, in the series finale yesterday, after taking an IV, he went 2-for-4 and knocked in three runs. One of the hits was his 35th homer, tying a career high. The three RBI gave him 110 for the season, establishing a career high. And all of that came on his 31st birthday. "Just being able to get out there mostly every day," said Bay, "you'd like to think that you're going to be consistent and end up numerically where you want to be. There's ..."

Red Sox deal with success

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September 11

Boston Herald

"Victor Martinez' bases-clearing, go-ahead pinch-hit double Wednesday night against the Orioles was a foghorn-blaring, dinner bell-ringing reminder that the Red Sox are on a serious roll with their trade deadline deals. In two consecutive seasons - first with the three-team trade that brought Jason Bay to Boston and sent Manny Ramirez to Los Angeles, and then with the Martinez deal with Cleveland - the team has hit paydirt. Both Bay and Martinez have been impact players for the Sox. It's impossible to imagine this team having any postseason shot without them. Of course, the Red Sox do business in the offseason, as well. Sometimes, it works out - hello, Josh Beckett and David Ortiz - and ..."

Red-hot Jason Bay leads way

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August 13

Boston Herald

"On a team with a handful of critically important players - including, but not limited to Josh Beckett and Jonathan Papelbon - a case could be made that if Jason Bay isn't necessarily the Red Sox Most Valuable Player, he is, at the very least, a bellwether for the team. As Bay goes, so go the Sox. He helped the Sox leap out to the lead in the American League East with a torrid April and May. Then when he cooled, as inevitably he had to, so did the team. For the month of July, Bay hit exactly one homer and knocked in just five runs. It should come as no surprise that the Sox were barely a .500 team (13-12) in that span. More recently, Bay has snapped back to life at the plate, and ..."

Jason Bay hamstrings lineup

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August 7

Boston Herald

"Jason Bay's pulled right hamstring likely will keep him out of the entire four-game series against the Yankees, and it sparked a flurry of roster moves and lineup juggling. Rocco Baldelli had to go on the disabled list because of a minor left ankle bruise sustained in batting practice Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Fla., and the Sox recalled outfielder Josh Reddick from Pawtucket. But Reddick could not make it to Yankee Stadium in time to start last night's game, so Kevin Youkilis started in left field for a night. Mike Lowell played third base, and Casey Kotchman got his first start with the Sox at first. Reddick eventually arrived and replaced Youkilis in the 13-6 loss. Bay's injury, ..."

Bay (hamstring) expects to be inactive

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August 6

ESPN.com

"Red Sox left fielder Jason Bay doesn't expect to play in Thursday's series opener against the Yankees or Friday's game after re-injuring his right hamstring. Bay returned to Boston's lineup Wednesday at Tampa Bay after missing two games with a mildly strained hamstring. But he left the game after aggravating the injury running out a grounder in the eighth inning. Bay told reporters after Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the Rays that he "has no idea" how much time he'll miss. "It doesn't feel real bad. Anytime you can't play, you feel like you let your teammates down," he said, adding, "but it's definitely going to be a couple days. Basically the same thing. It had calmed down, and it kicked it ..."

Bay aggravates right hamstring

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August 6

MLB.com

"The Red Sox could be without slugger Jason Bay for at least the start of their four-game showdown against the Yankees, which opens Thursday night in the Bronx. Bay exited Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the Rays in the eighth inning, when he aggravated his right hamstring running out a grounder to short. "I re-aggravated the tweak running down to first in the eighth inning there," said Bay. "It doesn't feel real bad but it's definitely going to be a couple of days." After missing Sunday's game in Baltimore and Tuesday's opener at Tropicana Field, Bay returned Wednesday, thinking that the two games off would be just what he needed. The strategy looked even better when Bay slugged a home run in the ..."

Jason Bay hamstrung for Yankees

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August 6

Boston Herald

"Left fielder Jason Bay expects to miss at least the first two games of the Yankees series after aggravating a right hamstring injury in last night's 6-4 loss to the Rays. Already reeling after being swept by the charging Rays, Bay's injury represents another dose of bad news. "It doesn't feel real bad, but it's definitely going to be a couple of days," Bay said. "I would say the chances of playing (tonight) probably aren't good." Bay felt a cramp in the hamstring Saturday night in Baltimore while chasing a Brian Roberts double. He left the game and missed the next two before returning to the lineup last night and homering in the second. But while sprinting to first on a groundout in the ..."

Talks with Bay put on hold

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July 18

Boston Globe

"While Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein called his latest offer to Jason Bay "aggressive,'' that was apparently not enough, for now. About a week after handing his offer to Bay's agent, Joe Urbon, Epstein announced for the second time this year that the club and Bay had tabled discussions on a new contract for the left fielder, who becomes a free agent after the season. "It's now clear that this round of talks won't result in a deal, either,'' Epstein said. "As a result, we're going to table discussions again, which once again is a mutual decision, and pick them up most likely after the season.'' That does not necessarily mean that Bay is eager to test the free agent market. While that ..."

Jason Bay, Red Sox put hold on new deal

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July 18

Boston Herald

"For the second time in the last four months, the Red Sox and Jason Bay have agreed to disagree, putting fledgling contract extension talks on hold after failing to reach an agreement. The two sides talked in mid-March, but tabled discussions after common ground couldn't be reached. More recently, general manager Theo Epstein reopened talks with Bay's representative, Joe Urbon, to take a second stab at a new deal. "Some offers were exchanged," Epstein said yesterday, "(resulting) in another offer from the club about a week ago, and it's now clear that this round of talks won't result in a deal either. We're going to table discussions again, which is, once again, a mutual decision, and pick ..."

Bay the All-Star who got away

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July 15

San Diego Union-Tribune

"If the Padres didn't know what they had in Jason Bay, neither did Jason Bay himself. The American League's All-Star left fielder was traded twice before the Padres sent him to Pittsburgh, and he began his baseball career as a 22nd-round draft choice. He has been an acquired taste - acquired first by the Montreal Expos, then by the New York Mets, then by the Padres, then by the Pirates and most recently by the Boston Red Sox. When the Padres packaged three players to land Brian Giles in 2003, pitcher Oliver Perez was the departing headliner. Bay was then an outfield prospect with eight big-league at-bats and a recently shattered wrist. He was the player to be acclaimed later. "In ..."

Bostno's Jason Bay quietly patrols left field

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July 15

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Baseball fans have grown used to seeing a member of the Boston Red Sox patrolling left field for the All-Star Game. But instead of the flamboyant Manny Ramirez, the relatively unassuming Jason Bay held up the tradition Tuesday. Bay has thrived since moving from the relative anonymity in Pittsburgh to the glare that comes from being Ramirez's replacement in Boston, but the conspicuous nature of his job helped him become the top vote-getter in the American League. "His personality fits us very well," Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield said. "He's a grinder. The fans in Boston appreciate that. He's got all five tools. He's a phenomenal teammate, and I'm very happy for him." Rather than imitate ..."

Sittin' on docket of Bay

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July 14

Boston Herald

"There are at least 25 name outfielders scheduled to hit free agency this winter, but only one of them is at the All-Star Game. While Vladimir Guerrero, Hideki Matsui, Matt Holliday and Bobby Abreu sit at home, Red Sox slugger Jason Bay will be starting in left field and batting fifth tonight when the American League meets the National League. Bay is without question the jewel of the upcoming free agent market at his position, and the more days that pass without discussion of an extension, the greater the likelihood that the 30-year-old will test the market. At All-Star festivities yesterday, Bay said there have been no further talks, but he was taking the lack of developments in the same ..."

Bay provides some thunder

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July 8

Boston Globe

"Jason Bay emerged from his slump a different man last night. Or several different men. For openers, Bay as Marcel Proust: "You can't really explain it. Sometimes the ball looks like a beach ball. And then there's the exact opposite of that, where it looks like an aspirin coming out of a shotgun.'' That home run that he hit last night, the slumpbuster, to the deepest part of the Monster in the second inning - that did not have "Excedrin'' written on it. Then, there was Bay as Johnny Carson. "After that second steal,'' Bay said, talking about his eighth of the season, "I told [Jacoby Ellsbury] I was gunning for him.'' Ellsbury got his 36th steal last night. He knows his audience. Then there ..."

Jason Bay climbs out of rut

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July 8

Boston Herald

"Like all veteran ballplayers, Red Sox left fielder Jason Bay has learned that, in the end, even a solid season is going to include a collection of slumps and mini-slumps. "At the end of the year," he said, "when you just look at the back of the baseball card, and you look at the total, I think things are going to be where I want them to be. "You keep grinding, and you hope that this is the day you're going to feel better." This season has been no exception. Though he'll soon be on his way to St. Louis for the All-Star Game - as well as being on his way to his fourth 100-RBI season - Bay went into last night's game against the Oakland Athletics at Fenway Park [map] with just 10 hits in his ..."

Bay bloodied (a cut) and battered (5 whiffs)

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July 2

Boston Globe

"Jason Bay took his hand from the side of his face and his fingers were covered in blood. He looked, confused for a second, then located a cut in his left ear. No, it wasn't the five strikeouts that left him battered and bloody, but it certainly didn't help. "I strike out a lot,'' said Bay, who has a team-high 76 this season. "Five times in a game is a first for me, but a win's a win. "Every time you open up the paper and have the box scores from the day before, every time you see one of those, I usually feel the guy's pain. This one's for myself.'' Bay has watched his slump deepen by the day. Bay was 0 for 15 in the Baltimore series and is now 2 for 30 over the last seven games with 14 ..."

Jason Bay hits slump

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July 2

Boston Herald

"A month shy of the one-year anniversary of his arrival in Boston, Jason Bay finds himself in the midst of his first actual slump as a member of the Red Sox. Bay set a career high with five strikeouts yesterday, leaving him 0-for-15 with nine strikeouts for the series and capping a forgettable three-city road trip that saw him go 6-for-36, dropping his average to .262 - the lowest since the fourth game of the season, when he was at .250. "It's not that I'm getting pitched any different or any tougher," said Bay. "I'm completely getting myself out now. Timing-wise, I'm kind of in between - I can't hit the fastball, can't hit the breaking ball. It's just one of those situations where ..."

Sox may not wait long on Bay

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June 28

Boston Globe

"Although Jason Bay has reached the stage where he no longer sees a reason to discuss his contract status, the Red Sox have every intention of revisiting talks with the outfielder before the end of the season, a baseball source has confirmed. Prior to yesterday's game, Bay said he has "gotten to the point where I'm just not going to talk about it'' when asked about impending free agency. But with the All-Star break approaching, the Red Sox could very well use that opportunity to try to strike a long-term deal. The Sox have negotiated contracts during the season with other players, most notably Josh Beckett and David Ortiz. The All-Star break typically provides a good opportunity for such ..."

Count Jason Bay out of long ball exhibition

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June 24

Boston Herald

columnist John Tomase

"Jason Bay has emerged as one of baseball's top sluggers, but don't go looking for him at the Home Run Derby. Bay currently is the runaway leader among American League outfielders in fan voting for next month's All-Star Game in St. Louis, more than 500,000 ahead of Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki. But even if asked, Bay will decline to participate in the Derby, because he's been down that road once and won't do it again. When Bay made his first All-Star Game in 2005, he accepted an invitation to the contest and was homerless in the first round. "I'd never been in a home run hitting contest at any point in my life," Bay said before going 4-for-6 with his 19th homer of the season in last night's 11-3 ..."

Bay, Youkilis lead All-Star voting at their positions

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May 28

Boston Globe

"First baseman Kevin Youkilis and outfielder Jason Bay are the leading vote-getters at their respective positions in the American League All-Star balloting, while second baseman and reigning AL MVP Dustin Pedroia trails his former college teammate, Texas's Ian Kinsler, by a surmountable margin at second base. Youkilis leads the way at first base with 414,693 votes, putting him well ahead of Detroit's Miguel Cabrera, who is second at 299,597. The Yankees' Mark Teixeira is third at 295,798. Bay, who has a 1.011 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, a .282 batting average, 13 homers and 47 RBIs, has 446,183 votes, a small edge over Texas's Josh Hamilton, who had 442,553 votes. Seattle's Ichiro ..."

Jason Bay drives his price up

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May 23

Boston Herald

"It isn't just a great season that Jason Bay is enjoying. It's also a great salary drive. Under normal circumstances, Bay's first seven weeks of the 2009 season would be universally hailed as a terrific start. But given that Bay is eligible for free agency after this season, his timing is even better than terrific. Bay entered last night's interleague opener against the New York Mets ranked second in the American League in homers (13), RBI (44), walks (32) and extra-base hits (24). He led the AL in slugging percentage (.657) and was third in on-base percentage (.433). After a contractual impasse in spring training between the Red Sox and Bay's agent, Joe Urbon, the left fielder seems to be ..."

Everything going Jason Bay's way

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May 22

Boston Herald

"Had Jason Bay ever hit a home run off the top of the fence? "Not off the top of my head," Bay said, mulling the question last night at Fenway Park, following the Red Sox' 5-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. But while Bay could not recall having ever hit a ball that bounced off the top of the fence for a home run, it happened in the first inning of last night's game. With Kevin Youkilis on first base, the Red Sox already ahead 1-0, Bay hit a Robert Ray pitch deep to right-center. In pursuit was Toronto right fielder Alex Rios, who reached up with his glove just as the ball hit the top of the fence in front of the Red Sox bullpen. It caromed into the 'pen for a home run, Bay's ..."

Jason Bay cleaning up after Manny Ramirez departure

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May 12

Boston Herald

"The standard company line from the Red Sox when Jason Bay arrived last season in the Manny Ramirez trade was that Bay was not replacing Ramirez. The Sox said nobody could fill the departing left fielder's shoes. Funny how things turned out. Bay's torrid start to this season has made him the Sox' go-to guy. Bay is the one who haunts opposing pitchers. He is the one who rescues the Red Sox with his late and clutch hits and home runs. His 11 RBI in close and late situations leads the majors, and with four home runs and 14 RBI in his last seven games, he is moving closer to the top of major slugging and on-base categories in the American League. Bay, along with Kevin Youkilis and Mike Lowell, ..."

Jason Bay finds spotlight again

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May 9

Boston Herald

"Jason Bay's 2-year-old daughter Addison recently added a new phrase to her vocabulary, and it couldn't have come at a better time: "Home run, da da." "She says it about 50 times a day when the game's on," Bay joked. "She's bound to be right sometimes." Sometimes? Red Sox fans would agree it feels like she's right all the time. Bay was again the hero last night, blasting his team-leading ninth home run to guide the club back from a 3-0 deficit and to a 7-3 win against the Tampa Bay Rays. All nine of Bay's homers have come in the sixth inning or later as he continues the kind of run that supposedly disappeared when Manny Ramirez packed up his medicine kit for Los Angeles. "He's right smack ..."

So far, Jason Bay owns New York

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May 5

Boston Herald

"NEW YORK - Jason Bay hasn't been part of the Red Sox-Yankee rivalry long, but evidently, he's a fast learner. In short order, he's assumed the role of Yankee killer this season. Bay collected three hits last night, including a two-run homer, in the Red Sox' 6-4 win over the Yankees. In four games against New York this season, Bay is 9-for-15 (.600) with two homers and seven RBI. Last night's homer, belted off reliever Alfredo Aceves in the seventh inning, wasn't nearly as dramatic as the one Bay hit against the Yanks last weekend. In the first meeting between the two teams on April 24, Bay's two-out, two-run homer off closer Mariano Rivera helped tie the game in the ninth and set the stage ..."

Bay not deep thinker

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April 25

Boston Globe

"Jason Bay walked to home plate in baseball's most enchanting moment - two outs, bottom of the ninth, representing the tying run, the sworn rival's fireballing, untouchable closer standing 60 feet 6 inches away - and thought something mundane. "Hit something up the middle," he told himself. "Keep the line moving." Bay had reason to think about anything but becoming a hero. He has learned the worst thing he can do for his swing is try to hit a home run. Against Mariano Rivera, Bay had gone 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. A home run "was the last thing on my mind," Bay said. But then he unleashed his simple, sudden swing, his hips flying open and his wrists rolling. Rivera had left a cutter over ..."

Jason Bay's big blast big shock

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April 25

Boston Herald

"Jason Bay wasn't remotely thinking home run when he entered the batter's box last night with two out in the ninth inning and Kevin Youkilis on second at Fenway Park. The Yankees were up by two runs and New York manager Joe Girardi was counting on closer Mariano Rivera to deliver a four-out save. But Rivera left a cutter in a vulnerable portion of the plate that Bay deposited over deepest part of The Wall in left-center field to force extra innings. Youkilis complemented Bay's fourth homer of the season with a walkoff homer in the 11th in the Red Sox' 5-4 victory. "That was a first for me and (Rivera) provided a lot of the power with that pitch," said Bay. "As with most of my home runs it ..."

Bay, Youkilis take lead roles in dramatic win

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April 25

Boston Herald

"For eight innings, the Red Sox could seemingly do nothing right offensively last night. They hit into four double plays in the first five innings, stranded 13 baserunners and were 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position. But then two well-timed swings of the bat turned the game around. Down to their last out, Jason Bay stroked a two-run, game-tying homer off Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning, and in the 11th, Kevin Youkilis produced a solo shot over the Monster seats, delivering an epic 5-4 thriller for the Sox over the Yankees in the first meeting of the season between the two rivals. It marked the first time in the long shared history between the teams that the Sox tied a game with a ..."

Jason Bay avoids big trouble

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April 15

Boston Herald

"The Red Sox sustained one significant injury this road trip with shortstop Jed Lowrie going on the disabled list with his troublesome wrist. Monday night they came very close to another one. Left fielder Jason Bay averted a serious wrist injury on a diving catch he attempted on Jason Giambi's double in the second inning of the series opener. Extending flat out to his right, the ball ticked off the end of his glove and Bay's momentum rolled his glove hand inward, with his body going over it. Bay, well aware of the Yankees' Hideki Matsui breaking his wrist on a similar play in New York against the Red Sox three years ago, thought it was going to be bad. "Exactly," said Bay, who played last ..."

For Bay, warm April

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April 12

Boston Globe

"The first month of the baseball season has always been something to endure for Jason Bay. "I usually stink," he said. That may be a bit harsh - Bay has hit .275 over his past three Aprils - but when he walked to the plate in the seventh inning yesterday with the Red Sox trailing the Angels by a run and Rocco Baldelli on first base, he did not step into the batter's box with a history of playing the hero in April games. But Bay gave the Red Sox the lead with a home run, and then in the ninth inning he preserved the 5-4 victory with what turned out to be a necessary insurance run with a solo shot. The performance marked his 13th multi-home run game, his second with Boston. "We had some guys ..."

Long way home

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April 6

Boston Globe

columnist Adam Kilgore

"The smelter in Trail, British Columbia, rises over the town's streams and green rolling hills and hovers above its 7,500 citizens, 1,500 of whom it employs. It refines as much lead and zinc as any factory on the planet. "It's the only reason that the town exists," Jason Bay said. The smelter accepted Bay's application for a summer job following his senior year of college. On June 7, 2000, the first day of Major League Baseball's draft, that seemed like a good and necessary thing. The draft's opening 20 rounds elapsed. Six-hundred and ten players were chosen. Bay was not. He thought, "Maybe I'm just not good enough." To make his living, Bay assumed, he would wear overalls and shovel slag ..."