Jake Blackwood’s professional baseball career will keep going for at least one more season. Last week, the Kansas City T-Bones announced they re-signed the Platte County product for the 2016 season. Blackwood, a 2004 Platte County graduate, extends his second stint with the Kansas City, Kan.- based professional team with the contract extension. He batted .302 with 119 hits, 11 home runs and 59 RBIs in 98 games for the American Association member a year ago.
Blackwood, 30, joined the T-Bones, a non-affiliated minor league team, late last fall in a trade with the Winnepeg Goldeyes after spending six seasons playing in the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres organizations – reaching Double A San Antonio in 2012. He previously played for the T-Bones for two seasons before the Padres selected him in the Rule 5 Draft in 2011.
The Miami Marlins (then Florida Marlins) originally selected Blackwood in the 16th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft after playing two seasons at Maple Woods Community College.
Blackwood has more than 1,000 career hits, 100 home runs and 500 RBIs while playing professionally. He is a career .272 hitter with 108 homers and 569 RBIs in 1,028 games.
One of the top players for the T-Bones during 2009-10 seasons when the club still played in the Northern League, Blackwood batted .315 with 210 hits, 124 RBIs and 114 runs scored in 162 games. He was the Northern League MVP in 2010 after leading the league in home runs (31) and RBIs (86) and finishing third with a .331 batting average.
Blackwood is the first 2015 T-Bones player signed for 2016. He played mostly first base last season after long stints at third and second base throughout his career.
During his high school career, Blackwood made the Missouri Baseball Coaches Association all-state teams each of his final three years with the Pirates. He made the second team as an infielder after his sophomore year before going to the first team at DH/utility his final two seasons.