Jonny Gomes is now in the minor leagues as an outfield and base running coordinator for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Before that, he played in the MLB for multiple teams and ended up winning a World Series.

But what’s interesting about Gomes is that growing up, he had a few near-death experiences that he can still recall and talk about to this day.

A look at Jonny Gomes MLB career

Gomes is a native of Petaluma, California. He attended junior college for two years before being selected in the 18th round of the 2001 MLB draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. In two years, he made his MLB debut. During the 2003 season, he appeared in eight games recording only two hits. The 2005 season was his first full season in the majors, and he showed signs of improvement. Gomes played in 101 games and batted .282 hitting 21 home runs. He finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting.

Gomes spent his first six seasons playing in Tampa Bay. He would then sign a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds. He was called up to the team in May of 2009. During his time with the Reds, he hit his 100th career home run on August 25, 2010, against the San Francisco Giants. After nearly three years in Cincinnati, Gomes joined the Washington Nationals toward the end of the 2011 season. He was with the Nationals for long as he signed with the Oakland Athletics for the 2012 season.

Gomes signed a one-year deal with the Athletics and had one of his better seasons in Oakland. He batted .262 hitting 18 home runs with 47 RBIs. He won the 2012 Catfish Hunter Award, which was given to the most inspirational player on the team. The Athletics considered resigning Gomes for the following season, but another team had a better offer.

Jonny Gomes joining the Boston Red Sox and winning a World Series

Gomes signed a two-year, $10 million-dollar deal with the Red Sox in November of 2012. In his first season with the Red Sox, he batted .247 and hit 13 home runs. The Red Sox were one of the hottest teams in baseball during the 2013 season, and during the ALDS and ALCS, the team went 6-0 when Gomes started in left field. During that stretch, Gomes hit .200 with two RBIs and six runs scored.

The Red Sox made it to the World Series and took on the St. Louis Cardinals. In Game 4, Gomes hit a three-run home run to help the Red Sox take the lead, and they would go on to win that game 4-2. The Red Sox would win the World Series, and Gomes got his first World Series title.

Jonny Gomes knows a thing or two about cheating death

Gomes had multiple experiences in which he almost lost his life. At the age of 15, his sleeping bag was caught on fire while he was sleeping in it. Before he went to bed, Gomes had lit a candle, and the candle ended up lighting the butane lighter, which ignited his sleeping bag. Luckily for Gomes, he was able to walk away with no serious injuries.

A year later, he was involved in a car accident that left him in the hospital for a few days, but his friend ended up dying from the accident. His friend was in the passenger seat when the accident happened, and if Gomes was sitting in that seat, he could have lost his life. When Gomes was playing in the minor leagues, he almost had a near-death experience when he suffered a heart attack on Christmas Eve in 2002. He slept through the heart attack one night before going to the hospital, and the doctors told him that if he didn’t come to the hospital, they don’t know if he would have made it another night.

For Gomes to still be alive after having numerous near-death experiences is a blessing, and those are times in his life that he will never forget.