Sample Player Profile Page

PEAVY, JAKE


Nickname:	N/A	Position:	P
Home:	San Diego	Team:	WHITE SOX-D.L.
Height:	6' 1"	Bats:	R
Weight:	180	Throws:	R
DOB:	5/31/1981	Agent:	Barry Axelrod
Birth City:	Mobile, Alabama	Draft:	Padres #15 - 1999 - Out of St. Paul's H.S. (Semmes, Ala.)
Uniform #:	44		Padres #15 - 1999 - Out of St. Paul's H.S. (Semmes, Ala.)

YR	LEA	TEAM	SAL(K)	G	IP	H	SO	BB	GS	CG	SHO	SV	W	L	OBA	ERA
1999	AZL	Padres		13	74	52	90	23	11	2		0	7	1		1.34
1999	PIO	IDAHO FALLS		2	11	5	13	1	2	0	0	0	2	0		0.00
2000	MWL	FT. WAYNE		26	134	107	164	53	25	0	0	0	13	8		2.90
2001	CAL	LAKE ELSINORE		19	105	76	144	33	19	0	0	0	7	5		3.08
2001	TL	MOBILE		5	28	19	44	12	5	0	0	0	2	1		2.57
2002	SL	MOBILE		14	80	65	89	30	14	0	0	0	4	5		2.80
2002	NL	PADRES	$200.00	17	98	106	90	33	17	0	0	0	6	7		4.52
2003	NL	PADRES	$305.00	32	195	173	156	82	32	0	0	0	12	11		4.11
2004	NL	PADRES	$347.00	27	166	146	173	53	27	0	0	0	15	6		2.27
2005	NL	PADRES	$750.00	30	203	162	216	50	30	3	3	0	13	7		2.88
2006	NL	PADRES	$2,500.00	32	202.1	187	215	62	32	2	0	0	11	14	0.242	4.09
2007	NL	PADRES	$4,750.00	34	223.1	169	240	68	34	0	0	0	19	6	0.208	2.54
2008	NL	PADRES	$6,500.00	27	173.2	146	166	59	27	1	0	0	10	11	0.229	2.85
2009	AL	PADRES	$11,000.00	13	81.2	69	92	28	13	1	0	0	6	6	0.228	3.97
2009	AL	WHITE SOX		3	20	11	18	6	3	0	0	0	3	0	0.162	1.35
2009	IL	CHARLOTTE		4	15.1	14	17	4	4	0	0	0	1	1		2.93
2010	AL	WHITE SOX	$15,000.00	17	107	98	93	34	17	1	1	0	7	6	0.242	4.63

PERSONAL:
Jake's father, Danny Peavy, labored beside his own father in the family business, the Peavy Cabinet Shop in Semmes, Alabama. The shop is now in its third generation. From there came an example that Danny Peavy set for his sons that Jake takes to the hill for every start. It's an All-American work ethic that eschews the grander idea of being a star.	Jake's grandfather, Blanche Peavy, who he called Paw Paw, taught him the finer points of baseball. He worked with Jake almost every day, videotaping as he pitched from a mound. The most important lesson: Paw Paw would take to fingers and poke them into the youngster's forehead and convincingly tell him to "Focus!" In 1994, Blanche was working at the cabinet shop when a blade of a high-speed fan snapped off and pierced one of his eyes. He ended up in a coma. Three weeks later, Paw Paw died on December 1, 1994. But Jake has never forgotten his grandfather. Jake spent a lot of time questioning his faith after Paw Paw died. No longer there to hunt and fish with him in the Alabama woods, Jake went by himself and ask God why he'd taken his closest friend. But after talking with his maternal grandmother, Grandma Lolley, the most spiritual woman in the family, Jake concluded, "I'm pitching for two." Jake wrote the initials "BP" under the bill of every baseball cap he owned. During his four years of high school baseball, Peavy posted an incredible record of 44-1.

Under the bill of his cap, Jake wrote his favorite scripture, Philippians 4:13 -- "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me." He wrote it right next to his grandfather's initials: "BP." When Jake was a youngster, he was a Braves fan. In fact, several times, the Peavey clan, numbering about 10, would journey four hours from Alabama to Atlanta to root for their favorite team. Sometimes, Jake would go down to the Atlanta bullpen and photograph the pitchers. "I've got one of Tommy Glavine with a big, long mullet," he said. TAKES PADS OVER AUBURN	After high school, Jacob was pretty sold on the idea of accepting a scholarship to Auburn University, but the Padres drafted him and talked him into signing with them. With a part of his signing bonus, Peavey said, "I did buy a Chevrolet Z-71 truck. It�s gray. All Southern boys got to have them a truck. I�m not a big spender, though. I try not to get carried away."

Jake says of his homeland, "It's Bible Belt and I'm proud to say I was raised in the Bible Belt," Peavy said. "I was raised to say 'Yes, ma'am' and 'No, sir,' to treat people the way you want to be treated. "But I was also raised with a competitive streak inside me . . . to have that fire. In everything I ever played, I wanted to win . . . to beat the other team. I want to beat you with every ounce of my being."	In 1999, at age 17, Peavy was drafted in the 15th round. He imagined he was signing up for a life of limos, parties, and four-star hotels. But two days later, he found himself sitting alone in a budget motel room in Phoenix awaiting the start of rookie camp and trying to figure out why he didn't accept that full ride to Auburn University.

"Something about him told me he wanted to play," said Padres scout Mark Wassinger, who convinced the Padres to offer Peavy fifth-round money to ensure he signed with them. "The way he talked about setting up hitters, he was constantly thinking ahead about how to get guys out. He had a mature approach, a professional approach that I liked."	In 2000, he tied for the Midwest League lead in strikeouts. Peavy has a maturity and serenity that enables him to focus. "I've had a great family upbringing and I just trust in the Lord. That just gives me kind of an inner peace about whatever happens, whatever goes on. I know I'm right where I need to be and I just want to stay in the will He has for my life." SOUTHERN BOY

Peavy is a Southern boy, from the Mobile suburb of Semmes, Alabama, and a Southern Baptist who doesn't care much about any religious denominations. What's important to him is that he believes in God, believes that: "He has a will for my life, and I just trust in Him to take care of me and take care of my family. Some people disagree and some people agree with that, but I've just been brought up like that and I believe it with all my heart. I've seen Him work too many times in my life to not believe that. I don't want to push it on anybody, and I try not to do that, but I'm going to let people know the way I feel."	Jacob likes country music, mostly -- stuff like Hank Williams Jr., George Strait, and Alan Jackson. "I�m country to the core, but my teammates got me into some alternative like Weezer and Jimmy Eat World." Peavy plays the guitar. He started in 2001. He now plays at a coffee shops on occasion. "I really like making music. (Mobile lefthander) Cliff Bartosh taught me how to play. I wanted to learn this old country song, �Poncho and Lefty� by Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson, and he showed me how to play it. I learned how to play a lot of other songs like (Weezer�s) "Dope Nose" and "Hash Pipe" from Cliff. On the radio I hear songs I�ve never heard before but know how to play, like "The Middle," by Jimmy Eat World."

Jake doesn't swear. And he won't permit profanity in his home. For hobbies, Jacob lists hunting, fishing, being outdoors. "In the offseason, it�s hard to find me. I�m in the woods or on the water. Being in my hometown, I know the places to go and I�ve got the hookups." Peavy credits minor league teammate Steve Watkins. "He taught me a ton about how to live life."	He flew home for the birth of Jacob Edward Peavy II on June 20, 2001. That was he and his wife Katie's first child. Katie was his high school sweetheart. They were married when Jake was 19 years old. "Being married helps you be focused on what you're here to do, and that's play good baseball. I don't want to be average," Peavy said soon after he was called up to the Majors, on his son's first birthday (June 20, 2002). Jake and his wife celebrated the birth of another son, Wyatt, on May 24, 2004. Jake and Katie have known each other since before Jake can remember.

"Katie tells me what it was like when I was 2 or 3 years old," he joked. "She was much older than me at the time, 3 or 4." The Peavys and Alfords both went to the Moffat Road Church. Katie Alford lived on North Graham Road, Jake Peavy on South Graham Road. They were separated by Highway 98 . . . and little else. "Katie was at the first birthday party I can remember," Jake said. "She was pretty much at the first of everything I can remember. As we got older, I dated a few other girls for a while. I always wound up asking myself, why? Katie and I . . . well, I got extremely, extremely lucky to find a girl like Katie. I couldn't have picked a better person. She is so giving."	The Peavys also share a love of the outdoors and the Semmes lifestyle. "Katie grew up the same way Jake did, although I think her dad was more into fishing," said Danny Peavy, Jake's father. "She's probably better at fishing than shooting. Debbie and I don't think our son could have found a better wife." The Peavys have already made one major lifestyle decision. Semmes is their home. And when Jake II starts school, Katie and the boys will live in Semmes during the school year.

"It all goes back to home," Jake said. "We want the boys to be raised the way we were raised. He'll go to school in Alabama and to be close to both families." Not that things can possibly stay the same, even in Semmes, pop. 1,200. "When I was growing up, we had a Dairy Queen and a Hickory Pit barbecue," Peavy said. "Now a Super Wal-Mart is coming in. I almost hate to see Semmes change." Peavy built a retreat on 3,000 acres on the Alabama River near Miller's Ferry, where he will fish and hunt with Jake II and Wyatt.	"I have to have a getaway from Semmes," he said. That's because Peavy has become a hero in his hometown. "When he comes home, people bombard him," said Danny Peavy. (Bill Center-San Diego Union Tribune-4/7/05) Early in 2007, Jake and Katie began building a new cabin along a beautiful man-made lake. It is, of course, right near Semmes, Alabama, on 200 acres of land. In 2001, Peavy's 12.7 strikeouts per nine innings were second only to Marlins' super-prospect Josh Beckett.

In 2002, Peavy was the only Southern Leaguer with his face on a soft-drink can. A Mobile native and an offseason employee of the BayBears, Peavy's photo and signature graced some 228,000 Pepsi and Mountain Dew cans in the Mobile area. Midway through the 2004 season, Jake went to see a nutritionist, which is rather interesting, cosidering Peavy's diet is closer to Chet Atkins than Dr. Atkins. Fellow-pitcher Brian Lawrence said, "To Jake, a balanced dinner, any meal, is a well-done steak with A-1 sauce and potatoes. Vegetables?"	"Hey," said Peavy. "The nutritionist asked me if I eat any fish. When I said yes, she seemed pleased." The fish? Catfish, fried. In 2004, Jake made an unusual decision as he approached negotiating his first major contract. His agent at the time, Scott Boras, is known to wring every last penny out of a franchise for any player, much less one with Peavy's numbers. Peavy decided to change to Barry Axelrod, who had closer ties with the Padres. "I like Mr. Boras and I knew he'd do a great job for me," Peavy said. "But money is not why I'm pitching. I changed because of my values and beliefs. I didn't want the Padres thinking I was upset or . . . you know what I mean. For me, changing agents was the best move I ever made. Please change that to second-or third-best."

Peavy and Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton are close. Sutton is on record with the view that Peavy someday could join him as an eternal Cooperstown resident. Sutton shares Peavy's Alabama heritage, the old right-hander having been born in Clio before moving to Florida in his youth. Peavy hails from Mobile, home to legendary baseball figures Henry Aaron, Satchel Paige, Billy Williams and Ozzie Smith. "People down south love their baseball," Peavy said. "I was taught the game like my son is learning it. We played it right, that's the biggest thing. It comes down from your ancestors, being respectful of the game." (Lyle Spencer-MLB.com-6/21/05) Sutton says of Peavy: "I have a lot of respect for him, personally and professionally. He is a polite gentleman who has a genuine passion for his profession. I greatly admire his work ethic. He's one of the few pitcher that I watch who I believe have a chance to get a plaque in Cooperstown."	In the offseason, Peavy hunts as often as he can -- with a gun or a bow. And he hunts even though the insurance policy his team has on the contract with four years and almost $14 million remaining does not cover hunting accidents. �How about that?� Peavy said with a laugh. With no hint of defensiveness he explained, �I'm by no means acting foolishly. I was raised in these woods. I was raised in this environment. Am I going to climb 40-foot pine trees and hang off the side? No way. I want to respect my team and my obligation to perform. But I'm going to hunt. That's me. That's what I do. That's what I enjoy doing in my time off.�

This is Peavy � honest and without pretense. Searching for an explanation to repeated questions about why he is the way he is, Peavy spoke of his paternal grandfather, who pushed and supported him until dying in an accident in his cabinet shop in 1994. In death, he taught his grandson one more lesson. �When he died, it put a different spin on things for me,� Peavy said. �He was 58 and had a tragic accident. I hugged his neck at 12 o'clock. At one o'clock, he died. I want to live every day like it could be my last. We're not promised tomorrow. Every time I pitch, it might be the last time I go out on a baseball field.� (Kevin Acee-San Diego Union-Tribune-2/13/06)	January 4, 2007: Peavy was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct at Mobile (Alabama) Regional Airport. Police said "a situation presented itself and the officers involved felt like they had a situation to deal with." It seems Jake was headed for a goodwill tour of the Dominican Republic with other Major League players when he double-parked to drop off his bags and was told by airport police to move his car. "The airport police told him he couldn't park his car there and he said, 'Write me up a ticket and I'll pay for it,"' Padres G.M. Kevin Towers said. "He was arrested." On January 25, the charge was dismissed after Peavy personally apologized to the airport police he allegedly defied. �The decision comes after both private and public apologies by Mr. Peavy to the officers and to the court,� said Mobile District Attorney John Tyson Jr. �I personally believe his apology was sincere. I believe Mr. Peavy will never be in such a hurry in an airport again. I believe Mr. Peavy will be attentive to police officer requests in the future. I think that his conduct is forever changed, and he certainly understands the need for airport security these days.�

Jake is thrilled that he got to spend 2007 lerning from Greg Maddux. "The biggest thing I've learned from him is that location is the top priority," Peavy says. "He always says, 'If you locate your pitches, you've got a chance,' and I've really taken that to heart." Without his corrective lenses (he uses contacts), Jake is practically blind. Without contacts or glasses, all he sees is "a big blur of colors." "Can't see a lick," confirms Houston Astros ace Roy Oswalt, one of Peavy's closest pals. Oswalt found this out two winters ago when he and Peavy, both avid hunters, were navigating through Pike County in western Illinois on their way to a weekend in the woods chasing white-tailed deer. Oswalt would steal glances at Peavy, who was hunched over the wheel and squinting into the darkness as his truck swerved unnervingly along the winding roads. "I made him pull over, and I drove," says Oswalt. "Then�and I hadn't been driving more than 20 minutes�I hit a deer." (Albert Chen-Sports Illustrated-6/11/07)	December 3, 2007: Jake and the Padres agreed to a three-year extension is worth $51.9 million and is worth $17.3 million over three years with a $22 million option for 2013. The Padres own a buyout on that club option for $4 million. In 2007 Peavy won the Cy Young award. Prior to a game Wednesday in May of 2008, Padres pitcher Jake Peavy met with 11 high school students from Peavy's hometown of Mobile, Ala., who are participating in the Mobile Action Team, a service-learning program in which Major League players and high school students are inspiring and training the next generation of volunteers.

Jun 16, 2008 (Corey Brock MLB.com): After their flight from Cooperstown to LaGuardia Airport was canceled because of bad weather, the Padres -- players, coaches, team officials and family members, a group that numbered 61 -- rode two buses nearly five hours to their Manhattan hotel on Monday. The Padres weren't far outside Cooperstown when pitcher Jake Peavy placed a call to equipment manager/director of team travel, Brian Prilaman, who was riding in the other bus, imploring him to stop to get food. "I told him, 'Me and the boys are hungry,'" Peavy said.	The team pulled over in tiny Cobleskill, N.Y., right off Highway 88, about 190 miles north of New York. They found a McDonald's and the two buses pulled up and dropped the players, staff and family off. "I haven't been to McDonald's in a few years ... but I tell you what, it was pretty good," said Peavy, who was fourth in line. I even had me a McFlurry [ice cream]." September 19, 2008: Jake's wife, Katie, gave birth to their third son. They named him Judson Lee. "Jud," Peavy said. As for the boy's middle name, Peavy, an Alabaman and a Civil War buff, said "it may or may not be after great Gen. Robert E. Lee. My wife thinks it's for Leann, her middle name."

May 21, 2009: Jake passed up a trade to the White Sox, as was his choice, having signed a below-market extension with the Padres after the 2007 season that secured him through 2012. He essentially bought the no-trade provision that teams are so loath to hand out. But on July 31, 2009: Peavy went to the White Sox in a trade he approved. The White Sox sent lefthanded pitchers Aaron Poreda, Clayton Richard and righthanders Dexter Carter and Adam Russell to the Padres.

PITCHING:
Peavy has a fine 88-94 mph sinking FASTBALL, both a CURVEBALL and pretty good SLIDER. And his CHANGEUP is a nice pitch. He improved that change in 2003 Spring Camp, under the tutelage of Padres pitching coach Greg Booker. He varies his arm angle and keeps his pitches down in the strike zone. He has long, loose arms and the body to add more weight. Mostly he comes from a low three-quarters arm slot. He moves the ball around, changes speeds well and has good baseball instincts. He is a very mature young man. He realizes all the situations that are going on during the game and understands what he's supposed to do out there. His only problem might be when he falls into a finesse mode. He has enough stuff to be rather overpowering.	Peavy is a tough competitor with a killer instinct. And he pitches intelligently. "Being able to strike a guy out is huge in certain parts of the game, like with one out and a man on third," said Peavy. "But my job is to get people out." Strikeouts are not as good as first-pitch groundouts and pop-ups. "Five innings pitched with 10 strikeouts is not what it�s about," he said. "It�s not going to get the job done in the Major Leagues." What does get the job done, Peavy says, is an economy of pitches. Being able to last into the late innings of games to help the team get the win rather than leaving early after expending too much energy and throwing too many pitches. In fact, Peavy doesn�t even like to waste energy warming up before a game or between innings, often throwing fewer practice pitches that other pitchers. "You can�t get nobody out in the bullpen," he said.

Jake pitches with guts and poise. He is mentally tough and keeps his composure. He is a bulldog and is a very smart pitcher, too. He is a fierce competitor and doesn't let things get to him. Padres manager Bruce Bochy said during the 2005 season, "He's never content. He has the stuff, but so do a lot of pitchers. The difference is that his makeup is off the charts. He has so mcuh heart. and he has the maniacal focus. He's locked in every pitch the entire game." San Diego closer Trevor Hoffman said, "I compare Peavy's intensity to Kevin Brown, and the way he acts on the mound to Mark Fidrych. He doesn't talk to the ball like Fidrych, but he has conversations with himself out there. Ande when he's talking to himself, look out."	In 2003, it became obvious that Peavy had refined his pitches. And hitters were paying a price for it. Jake is now throwing cut fastballs that break toward lefties and backdoor breaking balls that nip the outside corner. He is also throwing more changeups than he did before. For the 2003 season, Jake was about equally effective against lefthanded batters (.246, 16 home runs) and righthanded batters (.230, 17 homers). ERA CHAMP . . . K'S CHAMP In 2004, Peavy had the lowest ERA in the National League, 2.27 -- dropping nearly two runs off his 4.11 ERA of 2003. It was the third-lowest ERA in franchise history. The only other Padre to lead the league in ERA was Randy Jones. Jake was the youngest pitcher win the the NL ERA title since Doc Gooden in 1985.

In 2005, Jake led the N.L. in strikeouts, with 216. Peavy was the unanimous choice as winner of the 2007 National League Cy Young Award., after leading the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts -- pitching's version of a Triple Crown. It was the 12th time the choice for the National League's best pitcher has been unanimous. Koufax achieved the honor three times, Greg Maddux twice, and once each by Gibson, Steve Carlton, Rick Sutcliffe, Dwight Gooden, Orel Hershiser and, most recently, Randy Johnson in 2002. BREAKDOWN VS. LEFTIES AND RIGHTIES In 2004, Jake allowed only a .234 average with 7 home runs in 83 innings pitched vs. lefthanded batters, and a .238 mark with 6 homers in 83 innings against righthanded hitters.	In 2005, Jake held lefthanded batters to a .223 average with 9 home runs in 359 at-bats, and righthanded hitters to a .212 average with 9 homers in 387 at-bats. In 2006, Peavy allowed lefthanded batters to a .242 average with 16 home runs in 372 at-bats, while righthanded hitters hit .243 with 7 home runs in 400 at-bats. In 2007, Jake allowed a .242 average with 8 home runs in 409 at-bats to lefthanded hitters, while holding righthanded batters to a .174 average with 5 home runs in 403 at-bats. In 2008, Peavy allowed a .263 average with 8 home runs in 323 at-bats vs. lefthanded batters, but held righthanded hitters to a .194 average with 9 home runs in 314 at-bats. In 2009, Jake allowed lefthanded batters a .249 average with 4 home runs in 201 at-bats, while holding righthanded hitters to a .178 averag with 4 homers in 169 at-bats.

Entering the 2010 season Peavy has a career record of 95-68 and 3.26 ERA. He had allowed 136 home runs and 1,169 hits in 1,362 innings.

FIELDING:
Peavy is a pretty good hitter for a pitcher. He got a scholarship offer to Auburn as a middle infielder. In 2008, Jake had 13 hits and a .265 average.

CAREER INJURY REPORT:
Peavy was injured a whole lot back in his high school days. At various times he was sidelined with a broken ankle he sustained falling into a ditch during a jog; a severely cut left hand suffered while taking out the trash; a sliced heel incurred when he stepped on an open suitcase; and a cracked rib, the result of his jumping up and down during a postgame celebration. April 2000: Peavy missed two weeks of action with viral meningitis. 2001 Season: A sprained right ankle late in the season caused him to miss three starts. August 13, 2002: Though he didn't go on the D.L., Jake was already suffering with a sprained right ankle when he lacerated his left heel late night when he stepped on a suitcase in his hotel room.	2003: Peavy was hampered by a left oblique strain. Jake sustained the injury while throwing in the bullpen to warm up for a start in Seattle. He pitched through it then and had a long layoff over the All-Star break but overall the condition lasted about a month. March 1-13, 2004: Jake was sidelined with muscle tightness in his left oblique for a few days early in spring training. May 20, 2004: Peavy was on the D.L. with a strained flexor tendon in his right arm. August 29, 2005: When Jake sliced a hand on an open can of green beans while trying to pack down his garbage bin, it was the left one, not the one he pitches with, enabling the ace to take his turn in the rotation the next night against the Diamondbacks.

"A freak accident," Peavy called it. "Thank the good Lord it was the left hand." October 4, 2005: Jake had to come out of the Game 1 loss to the Cardinals in the National League Division Series after allowing Reggie Sanders' fifth-inning grand slam and complained about pain in his right side. He had X-rays taken at the ballpark and was sent to Barnes Jewish Hospital for an MRI that revealed a fracture in his eighth rib, which takes from four to six weeks for the injury to heal. His post-season was over. Neither Peavy nor the team could be sure when Jake sustained the injury. He first noticed it during the celebration at PETCO Park after the Padres clinched the NL West title with a win against the Giants. It happened in the initial scrum when the Padres players ran toward Trevor Hoffman, who closed the game, on the mound.	"We were jumping around on the field," Peavy said. "The next day I thought I had some bruised ribs, that I caught an elbow or something. But I never would've imagined it would have been this." May 19-June 12, 2008: Jake was on the D.L. with swelling and a strained muscle in his pitching elbow. An MRI showed no ligament damage. June 12, 2009: Peavy partially tore a tendon in his right ankle and had to go on the D.L. the next day. It was said that he would miss as much as 12 weeks, returning in September. Jake's ankle had bothered him since May 22. He was put in an almost knee-high solid cast. An MRI on August 31 revealed a bruise and some fluid retention. Jake returned to action, making his first start for the White Sox on September 19, 2009.

July 6, 2010: Jake was put on the D.L. with a detached latissimus muscle. The muscle had torn completely away from the bone, according to an MRI. His season was over when surgery was required (on July 13). The surgery, performed by a team of surgeons from Midwest Orthopedics, led by Tony Romeo and Greg Nicholson and assisted by Charles Bush-Joseph, revealed a clean avulsion of the tendon off the bone with little or no muscle damage.