Jody Gerut

Lore & Background

Joseph Diego Gerut was born September 18, 1977, in Elmhurst, Illinois. He attended Willowbrook High School and Stanford University. He played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League in 1996 and 1997, and was named a league all-star in 1996. Drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the second round of the 1998 MLB draft, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 2001. He finished fourth in American League Rookie of the Year voting and won the Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award. In 2004, his season ended due to a torn ACL in his right knee. He later played for the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, and Milwaukee Brewers. On April 13, 2009, he recorded the first hit and home run in Citi Field history, becoming the first player to open a new ballpark with a leadoff homer. On May 8, 2010, he hit for the cycle. After retiring in 2011, he became a sports agent and later served as an analyst for a Facebook Live broadcast of an Indians-Twins game.

In Their Own Story

The October air in Miami was thick and warm, the kind that clings to your jersey even after the game is over. Gerut sat on the bench in the dugout, chest protector still on, watching Piazza take his at-bat. The Indians' pitcher was a lefty, and the manager's eyes flicked toward Gerut for a split second — just a glance, a question. Gerut nodded, slid the chest protector off, and stretched his throwing arm. He knew what the at-bat would be: a strike, maybe a groundout, maybe a walk. It didn't matter. What mattered was that the pitcher knew a strong arm was waiting behind him, that the runner on second couldn't dream of stealing. He stepped in, took the pitch, and the game moved on. No one in the stands would ever know his name. But the pitcher did. And that was enough.

Reader's Guide

Jody Gerut is a former MLB center fielder, not a catcher, and never played for the Florida Marlins or in the 1997 World Series. His MLB career spanned 2003 to 2010 with the Indians, Cubs, Pirates, Padres, and Brewers.

Did You Know?

• Gerut hit the first home run in Citi Field history on April 13, 2009.
• He hit for the cycle on May 8, 2010, as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers.
• In 2010, The Sporting News ranked him among the 20 smartest athletes in sports.