Jason Janes, the 33-year old center fielder for the Phoenix Speed Devils, has mostly flown under the radar during his 12-year WPK career. Sure, he's been an All-Star 4 times and he did lead the league in runs scored once (1973, with 112 runs scored) and doubles once (1968, with 40). But mostly he's quietly gone about his business with little fanfare. He's known as a very smart and ultra-durable player but very little else about him demands attention. Granted, he has a strong arm, as his 173 career outfield assists will attest. And while he is no longer a speed demon, he remains a plus plus base-stealer and base-runner. But even there, his 217 stolen bases while being caught stealing 135 times aren't really as impressive as his reputation in this area would indicate.
But while Dubuque (the WPK Hall of Fame) is not likely in his future, he was celebrated yesterday for reaching what is still a rather small club, when he collected his 2,000th career hit. And if nothing else, this much can be said of Janes. He just goes out year after year and puts up respectable numbers. And in the end, that's really more than most can say.
