Sample Player Profile Page

CUST, JACK


Nickname:	N/A	Position:	LF
Home:	San Francisco	Team:	ATHLETICS
Height:	6' 1"	Bats:	L
Weight:	230	Throws:	R
DOB:	1/16/1979	Agent:	TWC-Bobby Barad
Birth City:	Flemington, New Jersey	Draft:	Diamondbacks #1 - 1997 - Out of Immaculata H.S. (N.J.)
Uniform #:	32		Diamondbacks #1 - 1997 - Out of Immaculata H.S. (N.J.)

YR	LEA	TEAM	SAL(K)	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	OBP	SLG	AVG
1997	AZL	Diamondbacks			121	26	37	11	1	3	33	2		31	39			.306
1998	PIO	LETHBRIDGE			223	75	77	20	2	11	56	15		86	71			.345
1998	MWL	SO. BEND			62	5	15	3	0	0	4	0		5	20			.242
1999	CAL	HIGH DESERT			455	107	152	42	3	32	112	1		96	145			.334
2000	TL	EL PASO			447	100	131	32	6	20	75	12		117	150			.293
2001	PCL	TUCSON		135	442	81	123	24	2	27	79	6		102	160			.278
2001	NL	DIAMONDBACKS	$200.00	3	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	0			.500
2002	PCL	COLO. SPRINGS		105	359	74	95	24	0	23	55	6		83	121			.265
2002	NL	ROCKIES		35	65	8	11	2	0	1	8	0		12	32			.169
2003	IL	OTTAWA		97	333	55	95	18	1	9	58	5		80	94			.285
2003	AL	ORIOLES		27	73	7	19	7	0	4	11	0		10	25			.260
2004	AL	ORIOLES	$305.00	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	1			.000
2004	IL	OTTAWA		102	344	55	81	15	1	17	55	4		65	127			.235
2005	PCL	SACRAMENTO		134	479	95	123	28	1	19	75	2		115	153			.257
2006	PCL	PORTLAND		138	441	97	129	23	0	30	77	0	3	143	124		.549	.293
2006	NL	PADRES		4	3	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.333	.333	.333
2007	PCL	BEAVERS		25	80	17	24	7	0	9	20	0	0	19	29	.430	.725	.300
2007	AL	ATHLETICS		124	395	61	101	18	1	26	82	0	2	105	164	.408	.504	.256
2008	AL	ATHLETICS	$410.00	148	481	77	111	19	0	33	77	0	0	111	197	.375	.476	.231
2009	AL	ATHLETICS	$2,800.00	149	513	88	123	16	0	25	70	4	1	93	185	.356	.417	.240
2010	PCL	SACRAMENTO		33	110	21	30	6	0	4	19	0	0	33	33	.444	.436	.273
2010	AL	ATHLETICS		84	257	39	69	14	0	10	37	1	1	52	96	.394	.440	.268
2010	PCL	SACRAMENTO		33	110	21	30	6	0	4	19	0	0	33	33	.444	.436	.273
2010	AL	ATHLETICS		86	265	40	72	14	0	10	39	1	1	53	98	.395	.438	.272
2010	PCL	SACRAMENTO		33	110	21	30	6	0	4	19	0	0	33	33	.444	.436	.273
2010	AL	ATHLETICS		87	268	41	74	15	0	10	40	1	1	54	98	.399	.444	.276
2010	PCL	SACRAMENTO		33	110	21	30	6	0	4	19	0	0	33	33	.444	.436	.273
2010	AL	ATHLETICS		88	270	42	74	15	0	10	40	1	1	55	100	.402	.441	.274

PERSONAL:
Cust is from New Jersey, a two and a half hour drive from Baltimore. Jack has a younger brother, Kevin, who was drafted by the Braves in the 11th round of the 2000 draft out of Seton Hall, signed late, and made his pro debut in 2001. Another brother, Michael, turned down the Cardinals as a 35th-rounder out of high school and attended Seton Hall. Focus is a Cust attribute and has been just about all of his life. When he was just 5 years old, while sitting behind first base at Yankee Stadium, he told his father he wanted to be a professional baseball player like Don Mattingly. The elder Cust served as Jack's hitting coach, but efforts to mimic Mattingly sometimes drove him to distraction.	"Every time Mattingly changed his stance, and it was a lot, I'd do the same thing the next day," Cust said. "Dad would say, 'Stop changing your stance, you can't do that!' And I'd say, 'But Mattingly did.' Then he'd get mad if I made an out." His Dad, Jack Sr., was an outfielder at Seton Hall, where he was a teammate of future Major Leaguers Rick Cerone and Charlie Puleo. The elder Cust is a CPA and real estate broker. He blanketed the walls of the 15' x 60' former beauty parlor below his office on Main Street in Flemington, New Jersey making it a batting cage for his three sons. He already had a JUGS pitching machine and netting from an abandoned warehouse that the boys used. But it had a floor of stones, which would occasionally bounce off a kid's face. "You'd hit a grounder, it would hit a rock and come back and smash you in the face," Cust said. "That's how I got a little uppercut in my swing. No groundballs. I didn't want to get hit in the face."

Jack's father cracked every book and studied every video about hitting, eventually ingesting so much information that he opened the Jack Cust Baseball Academy in Flemington, New Jersey. The senior Cust believes in waiting for the perfect pitch, emphasizing being patient at the plate. Jack helps his father teach hitting in the off-season. And the man he was traded for, Chris Richard, who went to the Rockies, worked with his father teaching hitting and developing and marketing a batting machine. The other brothers of Jack, Kevin and Michael, who are both out of professional baseball now, work at their father's baseball academy. The enterprise has grown in extraordinary fashion: The Jack Cust Academy boasts the largest amateur sports dome in the country, and at 65 acres, it's the largest turf baseball complex in the nation. Six new fields are about to go in, including two softball fields. The Custs realized girls in the region didn't have a place to work out in the winter, either, and they have arranged for U.S. Olympic softball star Jennie Finch to provide instruction on a regular basis.	The academy has made the family a household name in New Jersey. The A's have had several young players from the state in recent years, and most have attended the Cust academy (starter Dan Meyer and Vin Mazzaro) or played in games there (reliever Andrew Bailey). According to Cust, 40 Division I baseball players last year had gone through the academy. "Everyone knows Jack and his family," Bailey said. "They're one of the big names in the state." Cust says that his father can teach anyone to hit and that he has infinite patience with the youngest students at the academy. The main thing Jack Cust Jr. preaches is to get a good pitch to drive, and don't swing if you don't think you can hit it well. That might sound familiar to A's fans, who have become accustomed to watching Cust take pitches. "I told him, 'Swing to hit it hard or don't swing,' " Jack Cust, Jr. said. "That's why Jack's so picky. All those fans who scream about him taking too many pitches - it's my fault. But if you take pitches, you're going to strike out, especially if you're a power hitter."

"I was never that smart when I was young," the younger Jack said. "I mean, I never tried to do a whole lot in school, especially once I knew I might be good enough to make it in baseball. It was the source of a few squabbles between my parents. When I wasn't doing well enough in school, my Mom would yell at my Dad, then my Dad would have to yell at me. He'd tell me to just go do the work to get her off his back so we could go back out and hit." When Jack was 12 years old, he was MVP of his New Jersey Little League team and Buck Showalter presented him with the award! Showalter also made a short speech, telling the youngsters to work hard and apply themselves and one day they might play for him.	In high school in New Jersey, Cust hit .690 his senior year. Then, Cust got drafted by and signed with the Diamondbacks (1997). In 1998, Cust led the Pioneer League in runs, walks, and a .528 on-base percentage. In 1999, Jack had a 32-game stretch in July and August in which he ripped 17 home runs. He went on to lead the California League in homers, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. And he was second in hitting and fourth in RBI. Cust was named the Diamondback's organization Player of the Year for 1999.

In 2000 spring training, Jack tested out at just 6% body fat, after being on a high-protein, 5,000 calorie per day diet. Faith Cust, mother of the hard-hitting Cust boys as well as a tennis player and weightlifter herself, was granted permission to bypass high school rules and let her sons eat nutritional bars and drink milk shakes in the halls between classes. In May 2000, Jack had a scary couple of days when he had heart palpitations and shortness of breath. After one inning, he was unable to drink any water because he could not swallow. Cust was taken to the hospital, where tests showed no irregularities. He had been sick the previous couple of days and doctors said his condition was probably the result of a combination of the heat and humidity of El Paso.	In 2000, Jack led the Texas League in both walks AND strikeouts. In 2002, while at Colorado Springs (PCL-Rockies), Cust was benched for not hustling. Cust can be very difficult and even hateful. In 2003, Cust was suspended for three games for bumping an umpire during Ottawa's game with the Richmond Braves on June 21. Jack and his wife, Jennifer, have a daughter, Ava, who was born midway through the 2006 season. And in 2010, another daughter, Sophia was born. In June 2007, Jack became the first player in A's history to homer six times in his first seven games.

The Mitchell Report: Cust was named by former minor-league teammate Larry Bigbie, who told investigators that he and Cust had adjacent lockers and that Cust once asked him if he had ever tried steroids. According to the report, "Bigbie acknowledged he had, and Cust said that he, too, had tried steroids. Cust told Bigbie that he had a source who could procure anything he wanted, but Bigbie informed him he already had a friend who could supply him." Cust, like nearly every Major Leaguer named in the report, declined to meet with Mitchell upon the advice of the players' association. "Jack is extremely, extremely disappointed his name is in any way mentioned in connection to any type of performance-enhancing substance," Cust's agent, Gregg Clifton, said Thursday evening. "At no time has he had a conversation with Larry Bigbie about steroids�and at no time in his career has he had a locker next to Larry Bigbie."	January 27, 2008: Cust denied the information in the Mitchell Report, saying that he has never used performance-enhancing substances. "No. No. Not even one game," he said Saturday. Cust then challenged the information Bigbie gave in a conversation with Mitchell's investigators. "At the beginning of the 2003 season, Cust and Larry Bigbie were both playing for Baltimore's Class AAA affiliate in Ottawa," the report, released Dec. 14, read. "Bigbie's locker was next to Cust's. Cust eventually asked Bigbie if he had ever tried steroids. Bigbie acknowledged he had, and Cust said that he, too, had tried steroids. "Cust told Bigbie that he had a source who could procure anything he wanted, but Bigbie informed him he already had a friend who could supply him," according to the report.

Speaking at the A's annual FanFest, Cust said the circumstances surrounding his inclusion in the report were "unfair," adding he doesn't remember speaking with Bigbie about steroids and that the two were not locker neighbors while playing for Ottawa. "He was a teammate of mine five years ago and we haven't talked since," Cust said. "I don't remember any conversations about steroids. He might have misinterpreted something I said, but I don't remember anything. "I read the report, and he said he had the locker next to me. I didn't have a locker next to him. I don't know how something like that gets misinterpreted, but I haven't talked to him in five years. ... A lot of people say the same thing, that it seems weird my name is in there when there were other cases where there was a lot more evidence accrued."	Cust said he followed the players' union's advice and did not speak to Mitchell's investigators. "I had nothing to hide," Cust said, "but they advised me not to talk, because then they try to get something on other guys you've played with." TRANSACTION REPORT June 1997: The Diamondbacks chose Jack in the first round, out of Immaculata High School in New Jersey. Then, in July, Cust signed for a bonus of $825,000. January 7, 2002: The Rockies sent P Mike Myers to the D'Backs to acquire Jack and catcher J.D. Closser. March 11, 2003: The Orioles sent OF Chris Richard and $175,000 cash (the difference in salaries) to the Rockies, acquiring Cust. December 5, 2005: Jack signed with the Padres' organization.

May 3, 2007: Cust was acquired by the A's, who sent a player to be named later, or cash, to the Padres. January 15, 2009: Jack and the Rangers avoided salary arbitration, agreeing to a one-year contract that will pay him $2.8 million�nearly seven times more than he's ever made in a single season. December 12, 2009: Cust was not offered a contract by the A's, making him a free agent. But on January 7, 2010, Jack and the A's agreed on a one-year contract.

BATTING:
Cust, somewhat like Jim Thome, is normally an all-or-nothing hitter, posting high totals in home runs, strikeouts, and walks. He has great power to the opposite field. He can hit from foul pole to foul pole. Jack has great lefthanded power from an uppercut swing. He was taught, mostly by his father, to cause reverse spin on a ball to get more carry. "I got that from my Dad," Jack says. And he says he got more: "Working the count, getting into hitters' counts, swinging at good pitches, learning to hit all pitches and hit them to all fields." His high-speed uppercut batting stroke is a thing of beauty. He should always hit for both power and average. He can drive the ball even when he doesn't make good contact.	He always has a good on-base percentage. That's because he has such a solid knowledge of the strike zone. He doesn't swing often. His discipline at the plate makes the pitcher throw the ball over the plate. That is a tremendous thing for a power hitter to not allow the pitcher to expand the strike zone. His bat will determine how far he goes. And he shows terrific discipline at the plate. He makes them pitch to him. But he strikes out a lot. Cust follows a 10-point swing checklist established by him and his father, Jack, Sr. He gets totally focused on a particular area of the plate on each pitch. He has a high-maintenance swing that can get out of whack for extended periods of time. And he has to maintain his confidence.

Jack works deep counts, waiting and wiating and waiting until he gets a pitch he can hit out of the park. Getting two strikes on him doesn't bother him. But he strikes out a lot despite exceptional judgment of the strike zone and that he rarely chases a bad pitch. Cust swings a 32-ounce bat, which is slightly heavier than the average bat. TOO PATIENT? In 2003, the Orioles found that Jack was too patient at the plate, with too good of an idea of where he wants a pitch. "We need to loosen up his thinking so that, OK, look for the perfect pitch on the first pitch, but after that, go with the pitch, get after the next strike," Orioles hitting coach Crowley said. "By the time you get to the Major League level, any pitcher can still make a Hall of Fame pitch with the count at three-two. You can only learn so much from books. At this level, hitters have to make adjustments. Jack needs to be less selective because he can hit the ball hard in all areas of the strike zone." The Orioles stressed the importance that Cust be content with singles and doubles�that with his strength, the homers would come.	The knock on Cust always has been he takes too many pitches�either walking or striking out. He is too patient of a hitter who looks for the home run. He has frustrated more than one hitting coach with his lack of aggressiveness at the plate. In 2008, Cust set the American League strikeout record, with 197. But not the Major League mark of 204, held by Mark Reynolds of the Diamondbacks (also set in 2008). (In 2009, Reynolds shattered his own record, with a whopping 223 strikeouts!) During 2009 spring training, Jack worked on cutting his swing down a bit with two strikes. And he struck out 18 times in 63 at-bats, which for Cust, is quite good. That's 28.6 strikeouts in every 100 at-bats, compared with his rate of 41 per 100 during 2008 season. "He's got to be willing to cut down his swing with two strikes and go the other way," A's hitting coach Jim Skaalen said. BREAKDOWN VS. LEFTIES AND RIGHTIES

In 2007 against this lefty batter, lefthanded pitchers held Cust to a .218 average with 7 home runs. But Jack nailed righthanders for a .273 average with 19 home runs in 271 at-bats. In 2008, Jack hit .240 with 8 home runs in 136 at-bats vs. lefthanded pitchers. And .229 with 25 home runs in 345 at-bats off righthanded pitching. In 2009, Cust hit just .221 with 3 homers in 140 at-bats vs. lefthanded pitching, and .247 with 22 homers in 373 at-bats off righthanders. As of the start of the 2010 season, Cust had a Major League career batting average of .239 with 89 homers and 248 RBI in 1,533 at-bats.

FIELDING:
Jack is just not good on defense; he is definitely a DH-type. At first base, he does not move well around the bag. In left field, he needs work. But that is his spot. In high school, he had played first and third base, but the D'Backs had him move to the outfield when he became a pro baseball player. Diamondbacks GM Joe Garagiola, Jr. said of Cust: "He needs to take pride in playing defense. He has to make a commitment. You can make yourself a good outfielder." Scouts have said Jack looks either lost or uninterested in the field. Jack lacks mobility and balance once he gets running in the outfield. But he works so hard at it, he shows improvement and may soon become adequate. He now gets rid of the ball much quicker, learning how to throw correctly. He has also cut down his steps to the ball. He is learning to catch line drives hit over his head.	Bottom line: Cust will either be a DH or he will be a liability on defense, even though he disagrees. "I get a lot of grief about my 'D.' I know I'm not a Gold Glover, but I know I'm a good enough athlete to do this." In 2009, Jack really should have been charged with more errors. He doesn't take good routes to the ball, and he played a number of singles into doubles or worse. He's not as awful as fans seem to think, but he's a DH. Period.

RUNNING:
Jack has only fair speed. Sometimes, like on August 16, 2003, Jack runs horribly. The scene: Twelfth inning, two outs, the Orioles trailing the New York Yankees by a run. Larry Bigbie doubles into the gap, and a sellout crowd at Camden Yards goes bonkers. Cust lumbers around the bases from first, and it's the longest 270 feet of his life. After rounding third, he falls�not once, but twice. The Yankees botch the rundown play and leave home plate vacant. After collecting himself from the first fall, all Cust has to do is stay on his feet to score. But he trips, of course, this time face-first, and Aaron Boone tags him for the final out. Cust's teammates are hanging on the dugout railing, stunned. And the moment doesn't end there. Cust hears about it all winter from Yankees fans back home in Flemington, N.J. He comes to the Orioles' FanFest in February, and little kids are still busting his chops. (Joe Christensen-Baltimore Sun 03/25/04)

CAREER INJURY REPORT:
June 1999: Cust went on the D.L. twice with a strained rib.