Recognizing Jon Jay for His Impeccable 12-Year Major League Baseball Career

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Jon Jay, who recently retired after an impeccable 12-year Major League Baseball career. Jon's hard work and dedication led him to win a World Series Championship in 2011 with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Born in Miami, and a true product of the baseball fields of South Florida, Jon helped lead Christopher Columbus High School to its first baseball state title in 2003. He then went on to have a Hall of Fame career at the University of Miami. Jon finished his Major League Baseball career with an impressive .283 batting average, and-- remarkably--with the highest fielding percentage among all outfielders in baseball history.

Jon has never lost sight of his roots as a proud Cuban-American, whose family history is engrained in public service and patriotism. His great-grandfather, Justo Salas, was the first Afro-Cuban mayor of Santiago de Cuba, and the first Afro-Cuban governor of Oriente Province. Jon's grandfather, Enrique Tulia Jay, was a political prisoner in Fidel Castro's dungeons for 19 long years.

After 12 years in Major League Baseball, Jon credits his loving family and their tireless support for all his success. I also want to congratulate Jon's wife, Nikki, and their beautiful children: Brooklyn, Berkley, and Jaxon, for this remarkable achievement. The life of a Major League wife and family is not always easy, and I applaud their steadfast devotion to Jon and his career.

Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to congratulate Jon Jay on an amazing baseball career and for his continuous dedication to representing his community--not just in South Florida, but across the country. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing this outstanding individual.

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