Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Former Baseball Player Shinning in ALCS
10/19/2009 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
Oct. 19, 2009
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Former Southern Illinois baseball player Jerry Hairston, Jr. is finding success in the 2009 Major League Postseason as a member of the New York Yankees. Hairston, Jr. scored the winning run for the Yankees in their 4-3 victory over the Angles in 13 innings Saturday night.
Hairston came on as a pinch-hitter to lead off the bottom of the 13 and, in his first career postseason at-bat, singled off Ervin Santana. Hairston eventually scored on an error to give the Yankees the 4-3 victory and a commanding 2-0 lead in the American League Championship Series.
Hairston, who is in his 12th season in the major leagues, was traded from the Cincinnati Reds to the Yankees on Aug. 1, 2009. He hit .251 this year for New York with 96 hits, 23 doubles, 10 home runs and drove in 39 runs.
He was a 11th round draft pick of the Baltimore Orioles in 1997 after playing two seasons at SIU under head coach Dan Callahan. Hairston played for Baltimore for his first seven years in the pros and has been with five different clubs.
Hairston reached the pros just 16 months after leaving SIU's campus. He is a third generation major leaguer, as his family is one of only three to have three generations of Major League baseball players.
As a Saluki, Hairston played two seasons in Carbondale and was named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year in 1996. He was selected two MVC All-Tournament teams and was inducted into the Saluki Hall of Fame on Jan. 9, 2009.
Game 3 of the ALCS will be played Monday night in Anaheim, Calif. and first pitch is set for 3:13 p.m. CT.
