Joey Jay

Joseph Richard Jay (August 15, 1935 – September 27, 2024) was an American professional baseball starting pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1953 through 1966. A right-handed thrower and switch-hitter, Jay spent the bulk of his career with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds, finishing with a 99–91 record, 999 strikeouts, and a 3.77 ERA over 1,546⅓ innings. He was among the first "bonus baby" players in the majors, signing with Milwaukee for $20,000 in 1953 at age 17 — and notably was the first Little League alumnus to reach the major leagues. He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in July 2008.