2016 Fall Dragon

York Yankees, and played in the organization’s single-A,
AA and AAA franchises.
During his professional career, which spanned seven
seasons and included five championships, Maas
batted .273, had 327 walks in 2,343 plate appearances,
stole 127 bases, and tallied 17 triples. His on base
percentage was a very respectable .376. “On base
percentage is all the rage today, but in those days,
people didn’t talk about it much,” he said. “I always
felt getting on base was a strong point of mine.”
His accomplishments on the baseball diamond were
recognized April 16, when Maas was inducted into
the Castro Valley Sports Hall of Fame in a ceremony
held at Willow Park Golf Course.
“It’s such a privilege and honor to be inducted into
the Hall of Fame,” Maas said. “When I think about my
playing days, particularly my early years in Castro
Valley, I wouldn’t have guessed my career would have
turned out like it did.”
Maas added, “It’s really a tribute to my parents, brother,
friends and all the coaches that I had throughout
the years, including Nelson Sagisi and Mike Phelps
at O’Dowd. Having people around you that love and
support you, in good times and bad, is so important.
You can’t do it alone.”
Interestingly, baseball was the furthest thing from
Maas’ mind when he decided to attend Cal Poly. “I
went there because I had been accepted into the
Aeronautical Engineering program. Baseball was
secondary,” he said.
But he flourished on the field, initially as an infielder,
then an outfielder, as well as in the classroom. The
Jason Maas Captain’s Award, given annually to a Cal
Poly SLO player who exhibits outstanding leadership,
scholarship and baseball talent, is a testament to his
accomplishments.
Jason’s brother Kevin Maas ’83, a member of the Castro
Valley Sports Hall of Fame selection committee,
said the collegiate award made a big impression on
the committee. “To have an award inspired by you is
really something,” he said. “And Jason is very accomplished
professionally.”
Maas had the unique opportunity to play professional
baseball with Kevin (who was drafted as a junior
out of UC Berkeley in 1986). The pair teamed together
to win championships for the Ft. Lauderdale Yankees
(1987) and Albany Yankees (1988). He was also a
part of the 1985 Oneonta, 1989 Albany Yankees, and
1991 Columbus Clippers championship teams.
One of Maas’s most cherished moments in baseball
was playing against the Dodgers in Spring Training
in 1990. “I got called up, started in right field, batted
sixth, and faced the likes of Fernando Valenzuela,
Orel Hershiser and Eddie Murray.”
Maas decided to hang up his cleats and retire in 1991,
after being accepted into UCLA’s graduate business
school. “Even though I was playing well, I just didn’t
have it in me anymore to keep at it. I understood I
probably didn’t have a long term career as a player
and I had other interests outside of the game,” he
said.
Maas has worked in investment management at
Goldman Sachs for nearly 23 years. He and his wife,
Sara, have two children: Erika, 10, and Zachary, 5.
While he’s coached several of his daughter’s sports
teams, this year, for the first time, Maas is coaching
Zachary’s T-ball team. “I am happily and officially
back in the game after a long, long absence,” he said.
Fall Magazine 2016 // 55