HR0726 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0726 LRB096 15414 KXB 30584 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Jayson Richard Gowan Werth was born on May 20, 1979 in Springfield, and grew up in Chatham; and

WHEREAS, He attended Glenwood High School, where his baseball prowess is still remembered there; during his junior year, Jayson Werth, then an outstanding catcher, batted .463 with five home runs, 36 runs batted in and 22 stolen bases; the Glenwood Redskins went on to breeze through their conference, and the early stages of the State tournament, and won a nail biter against perennial powerhouse Aurora Waubonsie Valley to clinch the first State Championship in the schools history; and

WHEREAS, His senior year he upped the ante and saw his draft stock soar, hitting .652, with 15 homeruns in only 31 games; and although he signed his letter of intent to continue his baseball career at the University of Georgia, the Baltimore Orioles selected him in the first round of the 1997 amateur player draft, and he signed his first professional contract; and

WHEREAS, Jayson Werth exceeded expectations in the Minor League system of the Orioles, but he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2000, and was being used as a catcher, outfielder, and first baseman; he made his Major League debut on September 1, 2002 for the Blue Jays; his first complete season at the big league level he hit .262 with 16 home runs and 47 RBI; and on March 29, 2004, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers; and

WHEREAS, After playing two seasons in Los Angeles, Jayson Werth was granted free agency in December 2006; less than one week later he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies; and

WHEREAS, Jayson Werth became a staple in the outfield for the Phillies, playing right field, and hitting .298 during the 2007 season; his success continued through the 2008 season that saw the Phillies breeze through the National League Division Series and the National League Championship Series, and go on to beat the Tampa Bay Rays to win the 2008 World Series; he finished the season with several notable accolades, including hitting three homeruns in one game on May 16th, in which he also tied the franchise record for most runs batted in during one game; and he led the entire Major Leagues in home runs hit against left handed pitchers, with 16 round trippers; and

WHEREAS, Jayson Werth had a career year during the 2009 season, being named to his first All-Star team; he finished the regular season hitting .268, with career high numbers in several categories, including 36 homeruns, 99 RBI, and 20 stolen bases; and

WHEREAS, His team's success has led him, once again, to the World Series, in which the Phillies face off against the New York Yankees; Jayson Werth has proven to be a substantial contributor in the lineup, and this trend will continue throughout the remainder of his career; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate and applaud Jayson Richard Gowan Werth on his individual success and the success of his current Major League team, the Philadelphia Phillies, and wish them luck in their World Series match up against the New York Yankees; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Jayson Werth and his family as symbols of our respect.