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Matthew R. Joyce (born August 3, 1984, in Tampa, Florida) is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays.
[edit] CareerJoyce began his career at Armwood High School in Seffner, Florida. Joyce played baseball for Florida Southern College and participated in the 2005 season which saw them win their ninth Division II national championship. While playing for FSC Joyce participated in an exhibition game against the Detroit Tigers in which the teams tied 2–2 after 10 innings.[1] Just days after the final game, Joyce was one of four players from that team selected in the draft; the others were Geoff Strickland, Jeff Howell, and Matthew Mercurio. The Detroit Tigers took Joyce in the 12th round and assigned him to the Single-A Oneonta Tigers, where he batted .332 on the year.[2][3] In 2006, Joyce moved up to the Single-A West Michigan Whitecaps, where he batted .258 with 11 home runs and 86 RBIs as the Whitecaps captured the Midwest League's championship for the second time in three years.[4] In 2007 the Tigers moved Joyce up to the Double-A Erie SeaWolves, where he hit .257 but improved his power, hitting 17 home runs. The SeaWolves won their division that year but fell to the Akron Aeros in the playoffs. Joyce, along with fellow outfielder Clete Thomas, was considered a likely future major leaguer. Commenting on the two, Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski remarked that, "We think they're both prospects...We're not counting on them for this year, but they've got a chance to play at the Triple-A level (this season), depending on how they do this spring."[3][5] [edit] 2008In 2008, Joyce was one of 21 non-roster invitees to Tigers' spring training. Said Joyce: "Your mind races...You're a step closer to the big leagues. It's a big accomplishment, but you have to take it in stride, have fun with it and not pressure yourself too much."[6] In mid-March Joyce was part of the first-round of spring training cuts and sent to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens, where he got off to a strong start, batting .299 with five home runs before the Tigers called him up in early May to take Jacque Jones' spot on the roster.[7] In his major league debut, Joyce played right field and batted seventh in the lineup. In his first at bat, he drew a walk but otherwise went hitless on the evening. Joyce hit his first big league home run on May 10, 2008, at home against the New York Yankees.[8] On May 29, Joyce lost his playing time to Marcus Thames and was subsequently sent to Toledo.[9] The Tigers recalled Joyce on June 29 after Magglio Ordóñez went on the disabled list with a pulled oblique.[10] For the season, he batted .270 for Toledo and .252 for the Tigers. On December 10, 2008, Joyce was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for pitcher Edwin Jackson.[11] [edit] References
[edit] External links
Categories: 1984 births | Living people | People from Tampa, Florida | Major League Baseball players from Florida | Major League Baseball outfielders | Oneonta Tigers players | West Michigan Whitecaps players | Erie SeaWolves players | Toledo Mud Hens players | Detroit Tigers players | Tampa Bay Rays players | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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