Cardinals OF, former Cane Jon Jay to host celebrity bowling event Saturday on Miami Beach

Despite always being a profoundly good left-handed hitter for average and very good defensively, Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay said he's never played on a team where he's been the best or even the second-best player in the lineup. 

"I mean you look at the teams I played on at [Miami] Columbus [High] and the University of Miami -- we had so much talent," said Jay, who hit .297 in 159 games last year for St. Louis.

"But you don't always have to be the best to be successful. You just have to believe in yourself, work hard and good things can happen for you. I've been very blessed."

A lot of good things have certainly happened for the 26-year old Miami native who recently became engaged. After leading Columbus to its first baseball state championship in 2003 and earning All-ACC First Team honors at UM, Jay helped guide the Cardinals last October to the World Series in just his second big-league season.

Now, he's hoping to give back some of the good fortune he's received by hosting a charity bowling tournament featuring other major leaguers with local ties Saturday night from 6 to 9 p.m. at Lucky Strike Lanes in Miami Beach, 1691 Michigan Avenue.

The event, called Jon Jay's Celebrity Bowling Challenge, will raise money for the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust and will feature about a dozen big league ball players. Among those expected to attend: Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez, Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez, Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer, Indians pitcher Chris Perez, Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia and Rays infielder Sean Rodriguez. Tickets ($100 per person and available at jonjaychallenge.com) include food and drinks, plus the opportunity to bowl and hang out with players.

"I've done a lot of [community service] during the season when I've played in St. Louis and when I've come home I've visited homeless shelter and hospitals before. But I wanted to do an event where I could give the money to charity and have it be a community thing with the guys down here who are sort of the next generation in the big leagues."

Jay, who scored the tying run in the bottom of the 10th inning on Lance Berkman's two-run single with two outs in the Cardinals come-from-behind win in Game 6 of the World Series, got a chance earlier this month to shake hands with President Barack Obama when the Cardinals were invited to the White House.

"It was crazy man and a lot of fun," Jay said of St. Louis' run from 10 1/2 games out of a wild card spot heading into the final month of the season to winning it all.

"It's going to be a lot different with [manager] Tony [LaRussa] leaving and then Albert [Pujols]. But when you look at our roster I still think we have a great team. We have Matt Holiday and Lance Berkman and Yadier [Molina] who is one of the best catchers in the game and we got [Rafael] Furcal back. I mean we played the whole season last year without Adam Wainwright. People don't realize how important he was our team. I mean the guy won 20 games. So we're getting him back and Jaime [Garcia] is coming back. The whole team is pretty much coming back except Albert. Our bullpen has some good young guys who are coming back. I think we're all excited about coming back."

The Cardinals, who share their spring training facility in Jupiter with the Marlins, will open the season at the Marlins new ballpark April 4.

"I drive by it everyday on the 836 when I'm home," Jay said. "It's beautiful. I'm excited I'll get to be a part of history when it opens."

Comments

[championships is all that matters]

great but does anyone really care?

[dccane]

You really should care about a Cane doing good things to help those who are struggling.

[Tallycane]

He is ignorant no need to even comment to him.lol

[jim kirk '73']

A good man giving back, hats off to you JJ...

[DrDan]

its fun

[*****]

Tracy Howard and Darius Hamilton, enjoy your Prime 112 Steaks today playahs ... See you both in Titletown come August.

[Cane4Life]

Tracy Howard and Darius Hamilton, enjoy your Prime 112 Steaks today playahs ... See you both in Titletown come August.

Posted by: ***** | January 28, 2012 at 06:33 AM

It's the weekend man, but yet in still you wake up this early to post on a UM blog!! I usually never comment on Gators on this site due to the fact that I think they have an insecurity issue and that is why they are on a rival teams website, but in all seriousness, Dude you really need some help. I'm not trying to be funny here, I am serious, you need to seek professional help real soon or your family may need to do an intervention. You are a threat to yourself and society.

[Cane4Life]

Soldy, Arty, or whatever you call yourself, you are a ticking time bomb.

[Toothless trailer maggots]

Prime 112 steaks today, prime roadkill steaks for the next four years

If that's how they roll, then have it

[Gatr maggot]

Errrr, Titletown is Tuscaloosa. Trailerville is stool a dump.

Insecure ' necks.

[win something without tim]

Titletown is f*cking Titletown. Green Bay, Wisconsin. They earned, coined, and copyrighted it.

[Danny W.]

Like in 1996?

[Gatr maggot]

Sure. Ancient history. Or are you living in the past like you accuse the Cane fans of doing you inconsistent psychopathic Pig.

5 wil always be greater than 3 you sick Sow.

Gatr Trash wallows in filth.

[Girls Hoops ?]

Multiple Conference and National Championships dictates ...

When was the last time U WON Anything Conference wise ?

[Gatr maggot]

Gatr trash titles are in the past. This isn't the 90s or even 5 years ago.

And the future doesn't look bright in Trailertown. Don't worry about the Canes. Worry about the UTrailer failure.

[Girls Hoops ?]

U answering proves Ur inferiority complex ...

Once again ... simple question ...

When ... Was ... The ... Last ... Time ... U ... Won ... Any ... Type ... Of ... ACC ... Anything ?

[Toothless trailer maggots]

Once again ... simple question ...

Did ... You ... Or ... Did ... U ... Not ... Have ... 100 yrs ... Of ... Losing and mediocrity ... Then ... a three year break ...and have ... Started ... once again..another 100 year streak

A century long tradition of losing, choking, incompetence, and cowardice dies hard

Trailertrashtown = Loserville

[Steve Emtman]

5? You still counting that one we won??

[Rubber match?]

1996: you're still counting the rematch with the Nolies?

P.S. Dannt Weurffel and Oscar de la Houa have similar taste in underwear.

You stil suck, Pig.

[Billy Batts]

Of course, the Canes had won 4 titles before Gatr garbage had even won one SleazEC title.

Different expectations. Gatr Trash is the disease. Hurricanes are the cure.

Now go get your bloody credit card and shinebox.

[Henry H.]

LOL -- if '96 is ancient history, you guys haven't won much in 'modern times'.

What happens when the canes end up in the trunk like you Billy?

[5>3>2]

Henry H. Does H stand for H=yp-crite? It is all of you gatr trash that come on here saying we live in the past.

1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001- PAST

.....100 yrs..........1996, 2006, 2008- PAST

What is your point then?

[The Don]

Any men out there who still use "LOL?"

Thought not. Just kids, high school girls and Gatr 'necks.

Canes own the Gatr Trash but Gatr Trash is too insecure to admit it.

Fitting that you use Henry Hill's name. A rat who has to go into hiding and hates his life. Couldn't describe Gatr maggots any better.

[5>3>2]

So we have prime 112. What is there in trashville?
Outback?
Longhorn,s steakhouse?
Sam seltzers steakhouse?
Bubbas brbq?

Come on.

No comparison. Not in academics. Not in football, not in diversity or cultuure or baseball, or things to do, or weather, or honeys strolling around.We have a better city, a better environment, better malls, better everything. Why would anyone want to go to a place lik traylerville?

[Henry H.]

Fitting you used the Billy Batts moniker. It's only a matter of time before they're burying the cane program near the landfill.

[5>3>2]

Only a matter of time the sleazy recruiting of F_U is exposed. Don't sleep on it. The Galen Hall years are not that long ago.

[The Don]

Canes won't get near the penalties the Gatr Trash are hoping for.

So when the smoke clears, Gatr Trash can put away their NCAA Investigations Pom poms and go back to suffering through 6-6, and disgusting fanbase, a repulsive campus and whatever else passes for existence in the dumpster fire known as Trailerville.

You are dismissed, maggot.

[Tommy]

Dude, were you even alive in the Galen Hall years?

[Sad]

Ha! Ha! A nouveau-cane -- big mouth and doesn't support the team in person. All the old-school canes go to games and support their team.

Not this idiot!

[Five Titles]

So let's get this straight, you don't think restaurants like Prime 112 or Joe's Stone Crab are any good?

Sorry that you can't find a Golden Corral in Coral Gables, we just have higher standards down here.

But hey, take those Gator recruits to Lynchy's BBQ and make them feel comfortable with the pictures hanging on the wall there.

Prime 112 >>> Lynchy's.

[Duuuh, go Gaitr]

If it ain't opossum burgers, I don't want anything.

/s/ Gatr Trash Nation

[Five Titles]

5? You still counting that one we won??
Posted by: Steve Emtman | January 29, 2012 at 12:22 PM

You chickened out of playing a title game and narrowly got the vote in one poll.

You were losing 14-6 to Nebraska at halftime, allowed 21 total points to them, and won by only 15. You got a 7 point win against your only other ranked opponent in the regular season. And then in your bowl game you were tied midway through the second quarter before eaking out a 13-7 halftime lead. Until your late TDs once the game was out of reach, the final score did not show how close that game was for the Huskies.

Miami meanwhile dominated that same Nebraska team you struggled with, 22-0, and that score doesn't even tell how much of a trashing Miami gave the Huskers. 13-0 after one quarter, Miami then coasted to avoid accustions of running up the score. Plus they beat then #1 FSU on the road, a far better opponent than anyone the Huskies faced all year.

So yeah, we count that title, voted by the AP, as better in value than your USA Today "title". Who won the 1990 USA today title, BTW? NOBODY, because that poll didn't even exist. Congrats on your minor league poll title, the AP is the real poll.

[The Don]

Did the Gatr Trash even have a football team in '91?

Seems the Gatr maggots start counting in 2005. Oh well can never understand ignorant 'necks.

[Canefan'72]

With Mario headed to Rutgers we can reclaim recruiting our South Florida kids and put the wall back up.

[Cane4Life]

No disrespect, but if Mario Cristobal and FIU were impeding us from putting the wall up around south Florida, then we have really fallen on hard times.

[Canefan'72]

Shoot, he's staying.

[PED Cane]

Is Ryan Braun going to do a fundraiser for HGH awareness?

[Better Than U]

Posted by: The Don

Florida Gator 1990-2000 Record ...

102-22 with 5 SEC Titles.

[Better Than ACC]

2006-2011 BCS National Football Champions ... S.E.C.

2010-2011 College World Series Champions ... S.E.C.

2012 College Basketball #1 Ranked Team ... S.E.C.

2012 College Baseball #1 Ranked Team ... S.E.C.

2012 College Football #1 Ranked Team ... S.E.C.

.

U ? Ur DoUble AA-ACC...But U moved up from Single A big Least.

[The Don]

Losers celebrate conference championships.

Yay, Wisconsin won the Big 10. Yeah, who knows or cares who won the Big 12.

You think Bama is upset they didn't win the SEC?

Nope. NC's are what matter. So let Gtr garbage celebrate their 1990's SEC championships that no one remembers or cares about.

But I guess 6-6 with all those facilities causes a lot of loser talk. Typical Gatr Trash.

[Cane4Life]

To all 'Cane fans, this SEC circle jerk that all the SEC teams play goes a lot deeper than sports. Not to get to political, but the south has always had an inferiority complex since they lost the Civil War. I know that Florida is "technically" in the south, but mentally South Florida is nothing like anything above Ft. Pierce. Orlando and Ocala are as far north as you can get in Florida, before rational thinking people have to start getting nervous or worry about hearing a banjo playing from the movie "Deliverance". Due to the fact that the south lags behind the rest of the nation in technology, economy and especially education the south had to compensate with something else and it was sports.

Due to the fact that besides New Orleans winning one Super Bowl and the Atlanta Braves winning one World Series, the south has been pathetic at professional sports for close to 50 years. Due to this fact, the SEC has had to hang it's hat on college sports, especially football. So believe me the, SEC circle jerk is related to football, but it is much deeper than that. It is due to the inferiority complex that lies below the Mason-Dixon line. Once you look at the genesis of the issue, you can then see where the irrational/cult like behavior comes from.

[5>3>2]

Losers gators cheer for the SEC conference because its the only way to rationalize or justify their pathetic existence. Little do they know how much Bama fans and LSU hate their guts. I personally never heard a bama fan cheering for the sec even when they stunk from 1992-2005. Only pathetic gator fans/

And believe me gator, you are quoting floridas record from 1990-2000. You should thank your lucky stars that those Miami teams werent in the SEC. In 1992, Miami beat mighty Bama and played them again for the NC in 1993. Where was UF? Irrelevant as usual.

But if you look back only 3 years before, in 1987, Miami actually played THREE SEC teams. and beat them all on their way to an undefeated NC.

Just sit down and shut up.

[stancane]

Does anyone know how many more commitments we are allowed, if any, prior to signing day?

[Yawn]

The Canes were tired of winning National Championships and dominating college football before Gatr Trash even sniffed its first SleazEC title.

No one cares anymore about UTrailer. Urbie and Timmy left with the last shred of decency. Now it is just more of the same crap. 100 years of mediocrity coming' up Gatr maggots.

[scUMsanitizer]

Eat crow scUM haters. Feel free to readjust your rear view mirrors again...objects closer than they appear.

[George Teague]

And believe me gator, you are quoting floridas record from 1990-2000. You should thank your lucky stars that those Miami teams werent in the SEC. In 1992, Miami beat mighty Bama and played them again for the NC in 1993. Where was UF? Irrelevant as usual.
_____________________________________________
Those were fun times. I especially remember runnin' you guys down like dogs and makin' you look like the beatches you were!

[George Teague]

If you played in the SEC you'd've had at least 2 losses each season.

[Lamar Thomas]

I hate you George!

[pure hilarity!]

Save your money...ITU appears to be irresponsbile at times and inaccurate most of the rest of the time.

Wait until Wednesday, then read Canespace, then skip happily down the street or just do your best spin move in the privacy of your own home.

No need to get ahead of the news, reporting it when it happens is just fine.

Posted by: SOUP | January 30, 2012 at 09:58 PM

^^^^^You regurgitate ALL of ur information from that site, you and your 10 followers.

[Oh... That's Right ... There Are NONE Of Those Kids Are Even Considering Us ...]

Hey Manny and Susan ... Where is the new blog updating us on Signing Day, that is less than 36 hours away, letting us know about all the uncommited top 4-5 Star talent that's left that Golden will close strong with by getting their signed LOI's come Wed. morning ?