The BJ Upton brothers are the first brothers to both hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in a season.
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28 Facts About BJ Upton
2.
BJ Upton is a graduate of Greenbrier Christian Academy, in Chesapeake, Virginia.
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3.
In 2002, BJ Upton was named a first-team All-American by Baseball America, batting.
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4.
BJ Upton signed a letter of intent to play college baseball at Florida State.
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5.
BJ Upton was drafted second overall as a shortstop in the 2002 Major League Baseball draft by Tampa Bay out of Greenbrier Christian Academy.
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6.
BJ Upton was widely considered a very polished prospect able to hit for both power and average.
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7.
In both 2004 and 2005, BJ Upton was the starting shortstop in the All-Star Futures Game.
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8.
BJ Upton made his major league debut on August 2,2004, becoming the youngest Ray ever and the youngest player in the major leagues in 2004.
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9.
BJ Upton spent the 2005 season with the Rays' Triple-A affiliate the Durham Bulls, appearing in 139 games.
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10.
BJ Upton returned to the major leagues in 2006, starting 48 games, all at third base.
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11.
In 2007, BJ Upton emerged from spring training as the Rays' starting second baseman.
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12.
BJ Upton was one of only 6 batters in the AL to have at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, along with Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Ian Kinsler, Grady Sizemore, and Curtis Granderson.
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13.
BJ Upton then tried to stretch it into a double and was thrown out by the left fielder.
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14.
In Game 5 of the World Series, BJ Upton stole second base and scored a crucial game-tying run moments before the game was suspended due to torrential rain.
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15.
BJ Upton became the first Tampa Bay Ray to hit for the cycle, doing so on October 2,2009.
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16.
BJ Upton immediately got upset at the criticism and argued face-to-face with Longoria, repeatedly pointing a finger in his face, until Longoria walked away while Rays player Willy Aybar grabbed BJ Upton by the waist and took him away from the scene.
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17.
On September 11,2011, BJ Upton hit his first grand slam in a game against the Boston Red Sox.
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18.
On September 9,2012, BJ Upton had his first three home run game in a game against the Texas Rangers.
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19.
BJ Upton missed spring training in 2015 due to left foot inflammation.
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20.
BJ Upton soon began making starts in center field, which had been primarily manned by Wil Myers and Will Venable earlier in the season.
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21.
On July 26,2016, BJ Upton was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays, along with cash considerations, for minor league pitcher Hansel Rodriguez.
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23.
BJ Upton recorded seven stolen bases, including the 300th of his career.
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24.
BJ Upton was released by the Blue Jays on April 2,2017, as the team finalized their Opening Day roster.
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25.
BJ Upton struggled with injuries during the year and twice was placed on the disabled list.
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26.
On December 20,2017, BJ Upton signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians.
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27.
In January 2019, BJ Upton retired after not receiving interest from any teams.
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28.
BJ Upton spoke with his family members about using his birth name full-time, before filing the paperwork with the Major League Baseball office.
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