Dye Hard

By: Angie Wiatrowski

A former basketball player, football player, a leisurely golfer and now major league baseball player, Chicago White Sox outfielder Jermaine Dye is an athlete in every sense of the word. Dye grew up in Vacaville, Calif. and said that baseball was just his sport. He said it helped growing up in California because the weather made it possible for baseball to be played all year round.

Dye started playing baseball at a young age, and didn’t play football or basketball until he started high school. He graduated in 1992 from Will C. Wood High School in Vacaville, and then went to Cosumnes River College in Sacramento where he was used mostly as a pitcher and occasionally played the outfield. Dye was drafted as a pitcher after high school but didn’t sign.

“I wanted to go to college and experience that,” he said. “I kind of hated pitching; I wanted to be out on the field every day. That’s why I chose the outfield.”

If baseball weren’t an option, Dye would have gone into criminal justice. He wanted to be an undercover cop.

“One of my favorite movies is Beverly Hills Cop, and I guess I kind of like people not knowing that I was a cop. I thought it (would be) less dangerous.”

However, Dye did have the Major Leagues on his mind while in college. He knew he had the talent but he also knew the odds.

“You never know if you’re going to make it, but you definitely shoot to go to the majors,” he said. “You know you work hard, the percentages aren’t good and you have to take advantage of every break you get and I did.”

Dye began his Major League Career with the Atlanta Braves. He was selected by Atlanta in the 17th round of the 1993 amateur draft. He contributed to their 1996 National League Championship and played in the 1996 World Series. In 1999 Dye played 158 games for the Kansas City Royals, hitting 26 home runs. In 2001 he was traded to the Oakland Athletics.

It was that year with Oakland where Dye had to overcome his greatest obstacle. He fouled a ball off his leg, shattering his fibula during a playoff game against the Yankees. Dye missed 123 games over the next three seasons.

“It was hard having to fight through the whole year in pain, but I’m thankful I was able to bounce back and continue playing and have a great career.”

In 2005, Dye played 145 games; the most he’s played since his injury. He was named MVP for the 2005 World Series with the White Sox. In 2006, he made it to his second All-Star game. He also finished second in the league in home runs (44), fifth in RBIs (120), and twelfth in batting average (.315).

Currently Dye is hitting .314 with 21 home runs and 60 RBIs. Throughout his career he has hit 285 home runs and 955 RBIs. His motivation for his success is his family, as Dye said he looked up to his parents growing up.

“My mom got me to all the practices so I could play and made sure that we did our homework,” he said. “My dad worked pretty much for the family and came to straight to practice after work.”

Dye is quite the family man himself. During his free time he enjoys hanging out with his kids and playing some golf. Dye has a wife, Tricia, and three children, Jalen, Devin, and Tiarra.

“I just go hang out with my golf club, hang with my boys and play golf and then I go home and wait for the kids to get of school and mess around with them.”

While Dye didn’t have “any player to base (his) talent around,” he knows that many kids out there look up to him.

“At first it’s weird but it’s kind of cool especially when someone thinks of you as their favorite player. I’m a pretty lucky guy.”

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Angie Wiatrowski is a journalism student at Columbia College Chicago and has been an active journalist since freshman year of high school. She attended Minooka Community High school, where she was the Special Features editor for the school newspaper. She was born and raised around baseball and is a diehard Chicago White Sox fan. Also, check out her blog.

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1 Comment

  1. Great article, Angie. It’s a shame that J Dye has never received the acclaim he should. I remember that at bat when he shattered his flbula. Most baseball people thought he’d never be a consistently productive player again - but here he is.

    He’s one of those players who deserves one of those ESPN comeback stories detailing his rise, injury, and comeback (not to mention how great and all-around athlete he is).

    Thanks for putting this one out there.

    Comment by D.K. Wilson on July 27, 2008

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