A journey from the majors to Stanford: Story of Jody Gerut's mission to protect players' finances, remaining close to game despite his career switch

In 1998, the Colorado Rockies drafted Jody Gerut, a young ballplayer from Stanford University. To the 21-year old, the $450,000 signing bonus offered to him by the team seemed like an otherworldy sum.

Gerut spent much of the text five years in the minor league system. In 2001, the was traded to the Cleveland Indians. In 2003, as a 25-year old, the outfielder finally got the call of his lifetime.

His freshman season of 2003 was a strong one for Gerut. In addition to slashing .279/.336/.494, the Illinois-born prodigy hit 22 home runs and 75 RBIs, earning himself a fourth-place finish in that year's Rookie of the Year voting.

In 2005, Jody Gerut was traded to the Chicago Cubs, only to be shipped out to the Pittsburgh Pirates mere weeks later. However, after seeing his offensive production decline steeply throughout 2006, he was released by the Pirates ahead of the 2007 season.

"Jody Gerut (2003-2010) played outfield for 5 different organizations. In 2009, Gerut hit the first home run in Citi Field’s history, as a member of the San Diego Padres." - Forgotten MLB - 2000s

In 2008, he rejoined MLB as a member of the San Diego Padres. In a rebound camapaign, Gerut hit .296/.351/.494 with 14 home runs and 43 RBIs. In early 2009, he recorded the first ever hit at Citi Field, the new home of the Mets, which also happened to be a home run. He eventually retired in 2010 after spending a pair of seasons in Milwaukee.

While his time on the field had come to an end, Gerut was far from done with baseball. After his retirement, Gerut became even more aware of the financial challenges faced by players, both current and former.

It was not long before the bookish retiree used his Stanford education to channel his efforts into becoming an agent. Now, Gerut works as an agent and consultant, promoting financial literacy among former players.

"Jody Gerut talks to student break-out sessions about a career as a mortgage consultant" - Mrs. Emerson

Jody Gerut's services are needed now more than ever

Several players, such as former Oakland Athletics MVP Miguel Tejada, have been faced with post-retirement bankruptcy. Always regarded as an intelligent and astute teammate, Jody Gerut has the perfect balance of professional background and lived experience to provide a service that is not talked about half as much as it should be.