Steve Jongewaard

Steven Eugene Jongewaard

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 170 lb.
• High School Fountain Valley High School

• Born December 6, 1963

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Steve Jongewaard played in the minors for five years then became a scout. His father Dean Jongewaard and uncle Roger Jongewaard had also played professionally then scouted.

Steve was taken in the second round of the 1982 amateur draft by the Boston Red Sox, after they took Kevin Romine 29th in the first round and before Mike Greenwell in round three. The 46th overall pick, he went one after John Dopson. He hit .265/.341/.324 for the 1982 Elmira Pioneers in his pro debut but had 36 errors in 58 games at SS, fielding .865. He led New York-Penn League shortstops in miscues, six ahead of Tony Woods. Boston tried to move him to the outfield in 1983 but he hit poorly for Elmira (.234/.308/.277 in 34 G) and the Winter Haven Red Sox (.155/.300/.197 in 27 G), with no home runs and 59 strikeouts in 165 AB. He did better with Elmira in 1984, hitting .278/.367/.343 and fielding .965 in the outfield. In 1985, he moved to the Atlanta Braves system and had to pick up some more positions, used primarily at 3B (.941 FLD% in 51 G) and 1B (.970 in 30 G, backing up Chris Cron). He hit .219/.340/.277. After a year off, the St. Louis Cardinals gave him a try in 1987 as a pitcher for the Erie Cardinals and he did well (2-2, Sv, 3.38, 47 K in 45 1/3 IP) but did not get another look. In 276 minor league games, he had batted .235/.337/.291 with 28 doubles, 107 runs, 75 RBI, 11 steals in 15 tries and 4 home runs in 897 plate appearances.

He scouted for the Atlanta Braves (1990-199?) and Seattle Mariners, signing Allan Simpson. He was a national crosschecker starting in 1999 then the M's National Scouting Coordinator. In 2007, he was named the team's Amateur Scout of the Year. Among the players he crosschecked were Adam Jones, Brandon Morrow and Rob Johnson.

Sources

• Seattle Mariners press release
• [Santa Ana Orange County Register