Josh Booty

Joshua Gibson Booty

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 210 lb.
• School Louisiana State University
• High School Evangel Christian Academy
• Debut September 24, 1996
• Final Game April 11, 1998
• Born April 29, 1975 in Starkville, MS USA

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Biographical Information

Josh Booty was considered as good as future NFL star Peyton Manning when they were both high school quarterbacks but he elected to play baseball instead after being taken with the 5th overall pick in the 1994 amateur draft by the Florida Marlins. A third baseman, he washed out of baseball after hitting .269 in 13 games spread over three seasons with the Fish. He later went to LSU, and was their quarterback for some time, but did not reach the fame and glory in either sport that was expected of him. He played as a backup with the Cleveland Browns from 2001-2003, later spending some time in preseason with the Oakland Raiders. He was always a backup the NFL, seeing most of his action on the practice squad.

In 2013, Booty returned to baseball through an unusual route, winning a reality TV show, The Next Knuckler, produced by the MLB Network. Now 38, Booty proved to have the best knuckleball among the competitors on the show, all five of whom were former college football quarterbacks. The win meant that he was invited to spring training by the Arizona Diamondbacks as a non-roster player, with a chance to return to organized baseball in his new capacity as a pitcher. In addition to his knuckler, his fastball reached 89 mph, a speed no other knuckleballer can reach; that combination made him quite an intriguing prospect, in spite of his age. There was a little snag, however, in that Booty was still technically property of the Marlins, who had placed him on their restricted list when he first retired 15 years earlier. While the Fish had no problems with Booty getting a tryout, they could exercise their rights if Booty could demonstrate that he was a potential major league player again. Ultimately, he was released on March 28.

His younger brother, John David, who was also a top high school quarterback recruit, was a backup for the Minnesota Vikings and also one of the finalists on The Next Knuckler.

In the 1993 World Junior Championship, Booty hit .257 with 9 RBI as the second baseman for a Team USA that won Silver.