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Jayson was a good high school basketball player with some leaping ability.
ATHLETIC GENES
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Jayson's mother, Kim Schofield Werth, competed in long jump and 100-meters Olympic trials. She was a world-class sprinter.
His Dad, Jeffrey Gowan, was a star receiver at Illinois State, later spending a year as an outfielder on the Cardinals' rookie league team. He broke all the receiving records and led all Division I wide receivers in receptions while at Illinois State University.
Shortly after Jayson was born in 1979, Jayson's mother broke up with his father, Jeff Gowan. So Werth's relationship with his Dad is strained.
"He doesn't deserve credit for anything I've accomplished," Jayson said.
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Jayson's grandfather on his mother's side is Dick Schofield. And his uncle is Dick Schofield Jr. Both had long Major League careers as shortstops.
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His stepfather, Dennis Werth, is a former Yankees and A's catcher. Dennis has been in Jayson's life since he was 5, and used to coach him in summer leagues. He also built him a batting cage in the backyard. Jayson had his name legally changed to Werth when he turned 18.
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In 2008, Jayson's sister, Hannah Werth, a high school senior, announced she was attending Nebraska on a volleyball scholarship and is an Olympic candidate.
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Jayson used to remind scouts of Dale Murphy, from his squeaky-clean background and makeup, to his size and great tools.
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Werth has a great attitude—never too up, never too down.
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After the 1998 season, he won the Maryland Fall League batting crown with a .342 average and also led in on-base percentage (.479).
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Before 1999 spring training, Werth added 25 needed pounds to his frame.
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In January 2000, Jayson married the former Julia Parr.
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In November 2004, Julia filed a protective order with the Sangamon County state's attorney preventing Ryan Root from coming near the couple.
Jayson Werth filed a suit in Cook County Circuit Court accusing Root of spreading vicious lies about Julia and him.
In publishing the story on November 16, 2004, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Root, who lives in Estero, Florida, could not be reached for comment. But that his father, Ken, said that his son dated Julia during high school in the small town near Springfield, Illinois. Ryan left Chatham Glenbard High during his junior year, when the Root family moved to Cincinnati. He later wrestled at Penn State, according to the Sun-Times.
But, he apparently didn't forget either of the Werths.
The suit claims Root has inundated Werth's family and friends since 2001 with letters that allege Werth is unfaithful to Julia and is undeserving of her. The letters threatened to reveal pictures and videotapes of Werth having sex with other women, one of whom was alleged to be pregnant with his child. Root is accused of sending letters supposedly from a Florida woman named Angie who claimed she was due to deliver Werth's baby in January 2004, but the lawsuit states that there is no such Angie and was no such baby due.
All the claims are false, Werth says in his suit, and he seeks damages from Root for libelous comments and the harm they've brought to his family. The Werths have two children and still live in Illinois during the offseason. (ESPN.com-11/17/04)
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On May 16, 2008, Werth had the game of his career, hitting three home runs and equaled a Phillies record with eight RBIs in a 10-3 win over Toronto."
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Dennis related the story of how his son became a catcher.
"We had a 12-year-old team and only had one catcher," Dennis said. "We were in a national tournament and my main catcher got a migraine headache. I looked around. Jayson was probably 85 pounds with rocks in his pockets and I said, 'You wanna try it?' He said, 'Yeah.'"
He kept on catching and was drafted by the Orioles, spending his first six professional seasons behind the plate.
Dennis also remembers a time when Jayson talked of giving up his dream, when he was hit in the wrist during a Spring Training game in 2005 by A.J. Burnett. The ball shattered Werth's wrist in such a way that it threatened his career.
"There were some things that came out of his mouth, like going to medical school," Dennis said. "He was really confused. Things happen for a reason. I'm glad he's here. He's proven he can play." (Ken Mandel MLB.com)
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Jayson looks like he'd have a skateboard in his locker—or a surfboard. But in reality, Werth is as middle-America as you will find. He was born and raised in Springfield, Illinois and played sports all day long.
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Werth credits the success he had in Philadelphia from 2007 through 2010 to Davey Lopes, the former first-base coach of the Phillies who is now in the same role with the Dodgers.
"Davey Lopes wasn't a hitting coach, but he is a baseball coach," Werth said recently. "He was really good when it came to my overall mentality toward the game and how to play the game. He was very instrumental and kind of molded me into the player I became [in Philadelphia]. Out of anybody, I would say Davey Lopes was probably the best coach I ever had. He is awesome." (April 2011)
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Jayson is the major team leader on the Nationals.
"Werth has that mentality where he wants to go up there and win every single game," Harper said. "He is doing everything to help this team win, whether it's baserunning or hitting or helping out the guys. He has that same mentality of winning. He is an unbelievable ballplayer."
"He knows what it takes to win," shortstop Ian Desmond said about Werth's leadership. "He doesn't go about it in a prototypical way, but he gets his message across. It's always very clear the way he thinks, and that's what a captain needs to do. You have to be able to express your opinion, let people know we are going to win here and that's all. He does that.
"When you need a big at-bat, he is going to give it to you. When you need a good defensive play, he is going to give it to you. He set the time for everybody else. He has kind of made everybody rise to the occasion."
Werth downplays anything he has done to change the atmosphere in the clubhouse. In his mind, it's all about winning.
"I play to win and it encompasses a lot, from taking care of myself to taking care of other stuff that goes on," Werth said. "I want to win, and I want everyone else to feel the same way." (Bill Ladson-MLB.com-9/10/12)
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"I’ve never been one to make a good first impression,” Werth said, “My whole life has always been, you got to kind of get to know me. But usually first impressions are not my strong suit.”
But Werth’s influence has spread through every phase of the Nationals’ operation, from the training room to the front office, from rookies in their first spring training to ownership. He tells teammates when they need to run their last sprint. He tells security guards when they need an extra body in the bleachers. He tells the general manager when the training room needs new equipment. He can bounce between roles—clubhouse enforcer, protector of teammates, emissary to management.
“He doesn’t just straight accept things,” reliever Drew Storen said. “It’s not, ‘Oh, whatever.’ He gets things done. If something is not right, he’s going to fix it.”
If you think that is an empty cliche, you haven’t met the blood nutritionist or used the isokinetic activation device. Werth pushed the Nationals to improve how they feed, train, and maintain the health of their players. They listened, spent more money, and made upgrades.
“He’s really a forward-thinking person,” said Mike Rizzo, the general manager. “He’s brought a lot of ideas to the ballclub. And that really was what we were looking for from him.” (3/25/13)
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To go along with his massive beard, he chose "Werewolves of London" by the late Warren Zevon, to be his 2013 walk-up song.
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July 6, 2014: Werth was charged with a misdemeanor reckless driving charge after being pulled over for going 105 mph in a 55 mph zone. The incident took place in Fairfax County, Virginia.
On December 5, 2014, Werth was found guilty and sentenced to 10 days in jail. (It is not unusual in Virginia for defendants to receive short jail sentences on reckless driving convictions where the speeds exceed 100 miles an hour.)
The 35-year-old Werth will have the option of appealing his conviction to Fairfax County Circuit Court.
On January 28, 2015, Jayson pleaded guilty to reckless driving and has been sentenced to five days in jail for driving 105 mph on the Capital Beltway.
Werth will serve his sentence on weekends to minimize disruption to his rehabilitation following shoulder surgery.
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In 2014, Jayson called it quits with "Betsy," a glove he used for 10-plus years. Werth said, " I wouldn't go on the field with any other glove. It was like my baby. I wouldn't consider going on the field without it. It was like , 'I need my sword.' I guess it would be more like a shield."
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Oct 12, 2017: As he tried to make sense of it all, with tears forming in his eyes, Jayson Werth kept coming back to one phrase.
"I can't believe we lost that game," he repeated after the Nationals' heartbreaking 9-8 loss to the Cubs in the decisive Game 5 of the National League Division Series.
This was perhaps Werth's final game with the Nationals. He is at the end of a seven-year contract he signed before the 2011 season. From the fact that his free-agent signing aligned with the team's ascent, to his walk-off home run in Game 4 of the 2012 NLDS, to the memorable moments in postgame interviews, he became a fan favorite. Werth had planned on playing more games at Nationals Park. He wanted to bring a World Series to Washington, a place he has started referring to as his home. He knew this was the most talented of the teams that have won four division titles in six seasons.
And yet, he sat at his locker after 1:30 a.m. ET, still trying to process what happened.
"Seriously, I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one," Werth said. "I just keep thinking of different stuff that was happening that was off the wall. I'll probably go watch the whole game back, relive it, torture myself. "It felt like it didn't matter what happened, I felt like we were going to win. That was the feeling across the team and across the board. It's crazy to think that we didn't win that game.
"I'm proud of what we've accomplished here, this place has come a long way in seven years," Werth said. "No regrets. We gave it all we had. I know I gave everything I had, left it all out there. I'm proud to call myself a National. Before I came here, I don't know if anybody would've said that. Even so, this one's tough to take. We had opportunities and you just still think, man, you can't believe it's over.
"Maybe as time goes on, I'm sure we'll look back and think about good times and all the accomplishments that we did. This is a great club. These guys are great players. I'm proud to be teammates with these guys and go to war every day with these guys. I can't believe that we lost that game. It's just tough to swallow." (J Collier - MLB.com - Oct 13, 2017)
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Werth grew up in Illinois. In 2009, just before he joined the Nationals, he decided to alter his lifestyle. He dropped gluten and dairy from his diet. He decided to stay away from nonorganic foods and GMOs whenever possible. He bought land in Southern Illinois and started his own organic farm.
Over the years, his operation has grown. He won’t say how many acres he now owns, though his for-public-consumption answer is “somewhere around 500.” He found the barriers to entry to that industry high, and while he could afford the costs that limit other farmers, Werth did have trouble finding the right people to help him start an organic operation.
Once he did, and as he watched his operation grow, Werth took more interest in helping others transition to organic farming. He started a consulting wing of his organic farm, which he hopes will continue to grow. He also started lobbying for organic farming, bursting on to the scene with a speech to the Organic Trade Association in mid-May. (Chelsea Janes - Washington Post - January 30, 2018)
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June 27, 2018 : After 15 years in the Majors, Jayson Werth calls it quits. Werth told MLB Network Insider Jon Heyman he's now looking forward to a summer spending time with his sons (who also play baseball) and concentrating on family life, in addition to organic farming.
TRANSACTIONS
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June 1997: The Orioles chose Werth in the first round as a catcher, out of Glenwood High School in Chatham, Illinois. He signed for $885,000.
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December 2000: The Blue Jays sent P John Bale to the Orioles to acquire Jayson. His work ethic had slipped some with the Orioles' organization. Moving to the Jays' system helped a lot, especially working with Tennessee (SL) coach Hector Torres in 2001.
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March 2004: The Dodgers sent P Jason Frasor to the Blue Jays to acquire Werth.
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December 12, 2006: The Dodgers didn't tender a contract for 2007 to Werth, making him a free agent.
December 19, 2006: Jayson signed with the Phillies organization.
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January 7, 2008: Werth signed a one-year, $1.7 million contract with the Phillies, avoiding arbitration.
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January 21, 2009: Jayson and the Phillies avoided arbitration, agreeing on a two-year contract of $10 million, getting paid $3 million in 2009 and $7 million in 2010, the first season after he would've been eligible for free agency.
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December 5, 2010: Werth signed a seven-year, $126 million contract with the Washington Nationals. When he signed, Jayson had the 13th largest contract in baseball history.
"I think everyone is uncomfortable giving any player a seven-year deal," Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo said. "Sometimes you have to give the years to get the players. With that said, we feel that this is the type of guy to get a long-term deal because he takes good care of his body." (Editor's note: Werth went on the D.L. in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2017.)
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Nov 2, 2017: Jason chose free agency.
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March 27, 2018: The Mariners signed free-agent Werth to a Minor League deal.
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June 27, 2018: Jason announced his retirement
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June 29, 2017: After joining the Mariners' organization in April, outfielder Jayson Werth announced that he was ending his playing career. Werth, 39, told MLB.com that he wanted to spend more time with his family, coach his two sons, Jackson and Judah, who are baseball players, work on his organic farm company and keep himself in shape by playing tennis. At the moment, he doesn't have any plans to work with a Major League Baseball team.
"I don't want to say that I felt rejected, but there was a sense that the game is going in a different direction," Werth said. "You see all those guys that didn't have jobs during Spring Training. ... That doesn't mean I can't do it. It means the game is doing something different. It wasn't an easy decision, but at the end of the day, it was the right one."
Werth didn't put up Hall of Fame statistics with the Nationals, but he transcended his numbers by bringing a winning attitude to Washington. After he signed a seven-year, $126 million contract in December 2010 with the Nats, Werth heard the criticism that he was overpaid. It was widely suggested Werth would have been better off remaining with the Phillies, the team he helped to the postseason for four consecutive seasons, including a World Series title in 2008.
But the attitude in Nats Land changed the moment Werth arrived in Spring Training in February 2011. An early spring squabble with Nyjer Morgan, in which Werth called out Morgan for a perceived lack of effort, set the tone. Morgan was soon traded, and Werth established himself as one of the organization's key players and leaders. "It was a tough first year. There were a lot of things that needed to be changed within the organization, within the clubhouse, on the field," Werth said. "Behind the scenes, there were a lot of things that was left over from that losing culture."
By 2012, however, the Nationals won the first of four National League East titles in a six-year span. Werth's biggest hit in a Nats uniform was memorable. It was a 13-pitch battle against Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn in Game 4 of the NL Division Series. Werth's ninth-inning home run saved the season temporarily before the Nats were eliminated the next day. "The thing I'm most proud of was having the foresight of what the Nats could become," Werth said. "I know people say, 'You never won anything.' But at the end of the day, those playoff games were tough to win. We battled." (B Ladson - MLB.com - June 29 2018)
