Jason Jerome Ellison (born April 4, 1978) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He attended Lewis-Clark State in Lewiston, Idaho, and made his major league debut on May 9, . As of the season, he was an area scout for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim based in Issaquah, Washington.
Ellison became one of the more recognizable bench players in the major leagues because he was frequently brought in to pinch run for Barry Bonds. In , Ellison played center field for all games until the trading deadline, when the Giants acquired Randy Winn and Ellison lost his starting job.
Early life
Ellison was born in Quincy, California. He attended South Kitsap High School in Port Orchard, Washington.
College career
Ellison attended Lewis–Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 22nd round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft.
Professional career
San Francisco Giants
Ellison was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 22nd round of the First 2000 Major League Baseball Draft. He began his professional career with rookie-league Salem-Keizer Volcanoes where he led the Northwest League in runs with 67, while ranking third in hits with 90 and tying for seventh with .300 batting average. He led Volcanoes in games with 74 played, at-bats with 300, runs, hits, doubles with 15 and stolen bases with 13. He earned Salem-Keizer's Player of Month honors in his first month in pro ball, snagging the June award.
He spent his second professional campaign with the Class-A Hagerstown Suns in , where he established career highs in runs with 95 and RBIs with 55. Ellison finished among South Atlantic League leaders in doubles, second with 38, runs, second and on-base percentage, third with a .388 clip. His .291 batting average ranked second on Suns, while he paced club with 19 stolen bases. He went 3-for-8 with two home runs and two RBIs in two South Atlantic League post-season games.
In Ellison split the season between the Class-A San Jose Giants and the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies, skipping the Double-A level altogether. He combined to hit .286 with 71 runs, 21 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 48 RBIs and 25 stolen bases in 130 games. His steals total led the Giants minor-league system. Ellison opened the year at San Jose, where he hit .270 with 40 runs, 13 doubles, five home runs, 40 RBIs and nine stolen bases in 81 contests. He earned promotion to Fresno in July and proceeded to hit Pacific Coast League pitching at .311 clip with 31 runs, eight doubles, a triple, and three home runs, eight RBI and 16 stolen bases over 49 contests to close out the 2002 campaign. He was selected Grizzlies' Player of Month for August. Ellison was added to 40-man roster November 21.
Ellison spent the majority of the season at Fresno, but also made his Major League debut with Giants. He was recalled from Fresno May 9, taking roster spot of disabled outfielder Marvin Benard. He made his big league debut that evening against the Atlanta Braves, entering in the ninth inning as a defensive replacement in left field. He made his first career start on May 11 at Turner Field, going 1-for-5 with his first hit coming in the sixth inning off Trey Hodges. He appeared in seven games for San Francisco, two starts, going 1-for-10 with a run scored. Ellison was optioned to Fresno on May 18, where he remained rest of campaign. Ellison led Grizzlies with 21 stolen bases, while ranking second in games with 119 played and runs with 74. He hit .295 with 22 doubles, four triples, six home runs and 39 RBIs. He earned Fresno Player of Month award for April and was honored by teammates as "Harry Jordan" award winner during spring training, an honor bestowed upon the best first year player in big league camp.
Ellison played in 125 contests for Fresno, boasting a .315 avg. He led Grizzlies in hits with 159, triples with 7 and stolen bases with 27, while ranking second in games with 125 and runs scored with 90 in . He was named Fresno's organizational Player of Month for both June and July. He was tabbed Fresno's Most Inspirational Player. Ellison was called up to San Francisco when rosters were expanded on September 1, marking the second time with big league club. He hit his first Major League home run off the Los Angeles Dodgers Edwin Jackson, a two-run shot on October 3 at Dodger Stadium. Ellison went 2-for-4 with four runs scored, a home run, three RBIs and two stolen bases in 13 contests for the Giants.