Jay Pearson is an all-around, nondescript kind of player. In the circle of “specialists” in baseball, Pearson would be an “uber-specialist.” He gets on base at a ridiculous rate and plays solid defense at the infield corners, but he has no speed, zero power, and struggles to make consistent contact. But it’s his special connection to a well-known MBWBA name that makes his story noteworthy.
JP has spent the last 4 years as a steady presence on the Seattle Storm roster. He has a career AVG of .228 and SLG of .307, but his career OBP is a stellar .370 mostly due to the fact that he has struck out a total of 128 times while earning 206 walks. Pearson was a 2nd round pick by Seattle in the 2009 draft after playing 3 years at the college level with the Gillette Razors.
Prior to college, Jay spent his high school years at Moody High School in his hometown of Moody, AL. This is where his connection to MBWBA began as it is the same hometown, and same school, as longtime MBWBA GM Ben Teague (currently with the Indy Grasshoppers).
Says Teague, “JP’s father, also named Jay and also called ‘JP’, was a teammate of mine while playing ball in high school. He was a year behind me but in my senior year he was already established as the team’s emotional leader in waiting. My junior year, we had a coach who was at his first job as a high school baseball coach and the season was a disaster with us finishing 1-24. The next season the football coach, who had played in the Cincinnati Reds organization, took over duties on the diamond and we were dramatically improved just topping .500 with a 17-15 record. In JP’s senior year, the squad went 28-5 and made the semifinals of the Alabama state playoffs. I watched many of those games and I would credit as much or more of that incredible turnaround to Jay’s leadership and example as to improved coaching.”
Teague continues, “After high school, I stayed close with JP as he played 2 years at a local community college before catching the eye of coaches at UAB in Birmingham where he spent his last 2 seasons of eligibility as the starting catcher at the D-1 program. After college, we remained friends and I would visit regularly when I had a chance to get back to the Moody area.”
The younger JP followed in his father’s footsteps in baseball and was coached by him all through little league. Teague would attend the games when he was in town and then joined the elder JP in watching his son progress through JV and varsity ball in high school. But before JP’s junior year in high school tragedy struck as his father, on a sales trip in Denver, veered of the trail while snowboarding and plunged off a cliff to his death.
“When I got the news, I think I was more numb than anything,” say Pearson. “Maybe angry, too. Angry at his job, angry that he was away, angry that he enjoyed skiing and snowboarding, angry about the accident.”
That year, Teague made more trips back to Moody than usual to check in with JP. He also attended many more of his high school games than he had in the past.
“I had known Coach Teague nearly all my life and especially when it came to baseball, he was a regular presence along with my dad. Having him in the stands meant a lot, and it was kind of neat to have a big league GM watch our games.”
Says Teague, “I told him constantly, but I’m not sure he’s ever understood how much of his dad I could see in him. He could really play any position on the field and he probably understood more of the game on the field than anyone on either team, including the coaches, combined. He was also as slow as a dead snail. He definitely got that from his father and it was just a matter of physics rather than fitness…those two had bodies that just weren’t built for speed.”
“But, he was so smart about the game that he could maximize his strengths and minimize his weaknesses. The best example I can remember is a game where he hit a bloop fly into shallow center. Naturally, the shortstop and second baseman on the opposing team charge out to field the ball as the center fielder is charging in. Being high school, though, the pitcher doesn’t cover second base…just watches the ball. JP had to recognize this as he never even hesitated in rounding first and barreling towards second base. The shortstop and second baseman hesitated before the latter charged back to cover the bag, but the pause was just enough that the ball dropped in for a double. On the first pitch to the next hitter, the opposing catcher is catching pitches and lobbing the ball back to the mound while on his knees. On the second pitch, JP waits for the ball to leave the catcher’s hand and takes off for third. Watching him run is like watching grass grow in slow motion, but there’s nothing the pitcher can do but wait for the ball to get to him. By the time he can fire the ball to third, Jay slides in under the tag. At this point, the pitcher and catcher are getting reamed by their coach and are so flustered that pitch #3 hits the dirt 6 inches in front of the plate, skids under the catcher’s legs, and JP races home. A legged-out double and 2 stolen bases from, honestly, one of the slowest kids I’ve ever seen.”
When Pearson appeared in the 2009 draft, Teague was conflicted. “I could have taken him in the 2nd round, but I was too emotionally attached to the kid and I made myself hold off until at least the 3rd. But I was happy to see Seattle grab him up with the 11th pick in Rnd 2.”
Pearson, 33, is on contract with the Storm for $920,000 in 2020 and eligible for arbitration in 2021. Says Teague, “He’s made a living playing baseball. I’ve remained close to him and I’ve been so proud to see him progress as far as he has on smarts and working his ass off…though I know his dad would have been prouder.”
“There are a lot of superstars in the MBWBA,” adds Teague. “But from JP’s father down to him, there’s really not a better story personally that demonstrates what this game is really about.”
