John Jaso named Topps Player of the Month for August
September 5, 2007 - Southern League (SL1) News Release
MARIETTA, GA - Montgomery Biscuits catcher John Jaso has been named the Topps Player of the Month for August, as selected by the Southern League field managers. The Topps Company of New York, in conjunction with Minor League Baseball, presents the award each month to the top performer in each of the 10 full-season leagues.
Jaso's efforts both at the plate and behind it helped boost the Biscuits to the league's best record during August (20-7) and into the playoffs for the second straight season. The 23-year-old Jaso ranked fourth in the Southern League with a .378 average and handled a pitching staff that topped the circuit with a 3.58 ERA during the month. He also produced a .449 on-base percentage in August, accumulating more walks (14) than strikeouts (10).
Rebounding from a frustrating July in which he ranked fourth from the bottom in the Southern League with a .169 average, Jaso opened August with two hits at Tennessee and began an 11-game hitting streak two days later. Amid the hitting streak, Jaso reached base safely in seven consecutive plate appearances from August 4-6. He went 3-for-3 with a home run, a pair of walks and a season-high four runs scored in an 11-8 victory against the Smokies on August 5.
A resident of McKinleyville, CA, Jaso homered on consecutive days against Jacksonville before completing his hitting streak on August 16. Two days later marked the beginning of both a new hitting streak for Jaso and a franchise-record 12-game winning streak for the Biscuits.
Jaso ignited a six-run second inning with a leadoff single as the Biscuits cruised to a 12-2 victory against the Suns on August 18. It was the first of seven consecutive games with at least one hit and one run scored for Jaso, who scored eight times and drove in 10 runs during that stretch. On August 31, Jaso scored what proved to be the deciding run in a 6-3 victory at Jacksonville that clinched a second consecutive second-half title in the South Division for the Biscuits. It also completed Montgomery's 12-game winning streak, which was tied for the longest in the league this season.
Selected as both a midseason and postseason All-Star, Jaso finished the campaign second in the Southern League with a .316 average and third with a .408 on-base percentage. He also established career highs with 62 runs scored and 71 RBI in 2007.
AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SB
Jaso .378 90 21 34 6 1 4 20 14 1
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Southern League Stories from September 5, 2007
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- John Jaso named Topps Player of the Month for August - SL1
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