Happy Birthday Joe Inglett

Former Jay Joe Inglett turns 42 today.

Joe was a Jay from 2007 to 2009, but the season we remember is 2008. He got a lot of playing time, mostly because Aaron Hill missed most of the season with the concussion from the collision with David Eckstein. He was great that year; he was the picture of the gritty infielder. Joe hit .297/.355/.407 and gave the team a much-needed spark. He had 7 triples and stole 9 bases. Joe was fun to watch with the high socks and the all-out running style. He was moved to the leadoff spot in early July and kept the job for the rest of the year. He gave us the performance that the team hoped we’d get from Eckstein.

John Gibbons named him Voodoo Joe because twice he was sent down to Syracuse, and then a Jay was injured the next day so Joe got to stay with the big league team.

The next year he was up and down between the Jays and Vegas. He didn’t have the same impact on the team. After 2009 he signed with Milwaukee, the National League is a better place for a utility player. He got into 102 games with the Brewers. In 2011 he played a bit with the Astros, but was released in late May. That was the end of his career.

Happy Birthday, Joe. I hope you have a good one. I enjoyed watching you play.