Mark Kotsay
Encyclopedia
Mark Steven Kotsay (born December 2, 1975 in Whittier, California
) is an American professional baseball
outfielder
with the San Diego Padres
. He has previously played for the Florida Marlins
, San Diego Padres
, Oakland Athletics
, Atlanta Braves
, Boston Red Sox
, Chicago White Sox
, and Milwaukee Brewers
.
A native of Whittier
, California
, Kotsay was selected by the Florida Marlins
the 9th pick of the Amateur Draft in out of Cal State Fullerton
. Kotsay spent the summer of 1994 playing for the Bourne Braves
of the Cape Cod Baseball League
. In , Kotsay won the Golden Spikes Award
and was the Most Outstanding Player of the College World Series
, as CS-Fullerton won its third Series championship. In addition to being an outfielder, Kotsay was a closer
in college; he pitched the final five outs to clinch his team's CWS title.
in before taking over as the team's center fielder in . He was moved to right field
after Gary Sheffield
was traded, a position better suited for the strong throwing arm which Kotsay regularly showed off. As a rookie, he led all National League
outfielders with 20 assists
, and led them again in his second year with the same number. In , he led all right fielders with 13 assists. At the plate, Kotsay was an average hitter during these years, hitting
around .280 with occasional power and the occasional stolen base
. Kotsay was traded in , barely a week before Opening Day, to the San Diego Padres
as part of a deal for Matt Clement
and Eric Owens. Moved back to center field, Kotsay improved his hitting, but he recorded only four outfield assists. This can be largely attributed to the fact that few chose to run on Kotsay. Over the next two seasons, however, Kotsay was defensively back on form, leading all National League center fielders in that category. After his batting average slipped to .266 in , Kotsay was traded to the Oakland Athletics
for Terrence Long
and Ramón Hernández
.
center fielders with 11 assists.
On July 9, , the Athletics announced that Kotsay and the team had come to terms on a three-year, $29 million contract extension. The extension kept Kotsay under contract with the Athletics through the season and included a no-trade clause through the season. News of the contract extension ended speculation that Kotsay would be traded to a team in need of a starting center fielder, such as the New York Yankees
.
On Mother's Day
, May 14, 2006, Kotsay was one of more than 50 hitters who brandished a pink bat
to benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation. He was one of a handful of players to hit a pink bat home run.
The 2006 season marked Kotsay's first-ever appearance in a postseason game, as the Oakland Athletics clinched the 2006 AL West Division title. On October 4, he hit his first postseason home run
against Minnesota Twins
pitcher Dennys Reyes
for a two run inside-the-park home run
which scored Jason Kendall
that put the Oakland A's ahead 4 to 2, leading his team to win Game 2 of the ALDS
.
Kotsay underwent back surgery during spring training
, and missed the first two months of the 2007 campaign.
and prospect Jamie Richmond.
On August 14, 2008, Kotsay became the first Atlanta Brave to hit for the cycle since Albert Hall
did it in . He doubled
to right in the 7th inning against Bob Howry
of the Chicago Cubs
. The double that completed the cycle was also Kotsay's 1,500th career hit
. He would hit another single
in the 9th inning to have his third career 5-hit game and first since 2005. However, despite the great effort, the Braves lost to the Cubs 11–7.
for minor league outfielder Luis Sumoza.
Kotsay quickly became the Red Sox's preferred first baseman
after third baseman
Mike Lowell
was lost for the season due to injury and Kevin Youkilis
was moved to third. Supplanting Sean Casey, he was the regular first baseman throughout the playoffs. He finished the Sox regular season batting .226/.286/.345 in 84 at-bats, and he batted .250/.250/.325 in the playoffs. Despite the poor totals, he was frequently referred to throughout 2008 as someone who hit baseballs hard right at someone, a hard-luck hitter.
On January 15, 2009, Kotsay signed a one-year deal to return to the Red Sox. He underwent back surgery to remove a displaced disc in February 2009 but did not miss significant time.
On July 24, 2009, Kotsay was designated for assignment
by the Red Sox to free up a roster spot for newly-acquired Adam LaRoche
.
for minor league outfielder Brian Anderson
and cash considerations. On November 5, 2009, he was re-signed by the White Sox for a one-year, $1.5 million deal.
. The contract is worth $800,000 plus $450,000 in incentives.
Kotsay is serving as a utility man, mostly as a reserve outfield and pinch hitter.
In 2011, he batted .270 with 3 home runs in 233 at bats. Through 2011, he was fourth of all active major leaguers in career outfield assists, with 120.
.
Whittier, California
Whittier is a city in Los Angeles County, California about southeast of Los Angeles. The city had a population of 85,331 at the 2010 census, up from 83,680 as of the 2000 census, and encompasses 14.7 square miles . Like nearby Montebello, the city constitutes part of the Gateway Cities...
) is an American professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
with the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. He has previously played for the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
, San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, and Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
.
A native of Whittier
Whittier, California
Whittier is a city in Los Angeles County, California about southeast of Los Angeles. The city had a population of 85,331 at the 2010 census, up from 83,680 as of the 2000 census, and encompasses 14.7 square miles . Like nearby Montebello, the city constitutes part of the Gateway Cities...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Kotsay was selected by the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
the 9th pick of the Amateur Draft in out of Cal State Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton is a public university located in Fullerton, California. It is the largest institution in the CSU System by enrollment, it offers long-distance education and adult-degree programs...
. Kotsay spent the summer of 1994 playing for the Bourne Braves
Bourne Braves
The Bourne Braves are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bourne, MA. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League and plays in the league's Western Division. Bourne currently plays its home games at Doran Park in the town of Bourne...
of the Cape Cod Baseball League
Cape Cod Baseball League
The Cape Cod Baseball League is a collegiate summer baseball league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, in which many college baseball stars play during the summer. Many future Major League Baseball players have started there during their college years; MLB has provided...
. In , Kotsay won the Golden Spikes Award
Golden Spikes Award
The Golden Spikes Award is awarded annually to the best amateur baseball player. It is awarded by USA Baseball and sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association. Though the award can be presented to any amateur player, it has always been given to a college baseball player.-Past...
and was the Most Outstanding Player of the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
, as CS-Fullerton won its third Series championship. In addition to being an outfielder, Kotsay was a closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
in college; he pitched the final five outs to clinch his team's CWS title.
Florida Marlins and San Diego Padres
Kotsay appeared in 14 games for the Florida MarlinsFlorida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
in before taking over as the team's center fielder in . He was moved to right field
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
after Gary Sheffield
Gary Sheffield
Gary Antonian Sheffield , nicknamed "Sheff", is an American retired Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for eight major league ball clubs from 1988 to 2009, primarily as an outfielder.-Biography:...
was traded, a position better suited for the strong throwing arm which Kotsay regularly showed off. As a rookie, he led all National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
outfielders with 20 assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
, and led them again in his second year with the same number. In , he led all right fielders with 13 assists. At the plate, Kotsay was an average hitter during these years, hitting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
around .280 with occasional power and the occasional stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
. Kotsay was traded in , barely a week before Opening Day, to the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
as part of a deal for Matt Clement
Matt Clement
Matthew Paul Clement is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Clement played for the San Diego Padres , Florida Marlins , Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox . While on the Red Sox active roster, he was injured all of the 2007 season...
and Eric Owens. Moved back to center field, Kotsay improved his hitting, but he recorded only four outfield assists. This can be largely attributed to the fact that few chose to run on Kotsay. Over the next two seasons, however, Kotsay was defensively back on form, leading all National League center fielders in that category. After his batting average slipped to .266 in , Kotsay was traded to the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
for Terrence Long
Terrence Long
Terrence Deon Long is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball. Long batted and threw left-handed....
and Ramón Hernández
Ramón Hernández
Ramón José Hernández Marin is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher who plays for the Colorado Rockies. Previously, he played with the Oakland Athletics , San Diego Padres , Baltimore Orioles , and Cincinnati Reds .-Career:Hernández is a career .263 hitter with 144 home runs, 651 RBI, and 455...
.
Oakland Athletics
With Oakland in , Kotsay found his stroke and batted a career best .314 hitting second in the A's lineup. Displaying his customary strong arm afield, he led American LeagueAmerican League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
center fielders with 11 assists.
On July 9, , the Athletics announced that Kotsay and the team had come to terms on a three-year, $29 million contract extension. The extension kept Kotsay under contract with the Athletics through the season and included a no-trade clause through the season. News of the contract extension ended speculation that Kotsay would be traded to a team in need of a starting center fielder, such as the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
.
On Mother's Day
Mother's Day (United States)
In the United States, Mother's Day is an annual holiday celebrated on the second Sunday in May. Mother's Day recognizes mothers, motherhood and maternal bonds in general, as well the positive contributions that they make to society....
, May 14, 2006, Kotsay was one of more than 50 hitters who brandished a pink bat
Pink bat
In baseball, pink bats are limited-supply baseball bats manufactured by Louisville Slugger for use by select Major League Baseball players on Mother's Day, first introduced in 2006 in association with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization...
to benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation. He was one of a handful of players to hit a pink bat home run.
The 2006 season marked Kotsay's first-ever appearance in a postseason game, as the Oakland Athletics clinched the 2006 AL West Division title. On October 4, he hit his first postseason home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
against Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
pitcher Dennys Reyes
Dennys Reyes
Dennys Reyes is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He has played for ten teams since his major league career began in . Reyes throws left-handed and is considered a lefty specialist. He stands 6'3" and weighs 250 pounds. His nickname is "The Big Sweat."...
for a two run inside-the-park home run
Inside-the-park home run
In baseball parlance, an inside-the-park home run, "leg home run", or "quadruple", is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of play.-Discussion:...
which scored Jason Kendall
Jason Kendall
Jason Daniel Kendall is an American professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He is the son of former catcher Fred Kendall, who played in the majors from 1969–1980.-High school:...
that put the Oakland A's ahead 4 to 2, leading his team to win Game 2 of the ALDS
American League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series...
.
Kotsay underwent back surgery during spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, and missed the first two months of the 2007 campaign.
Atlanta Braves
On January 14, 2008, after passing a physical surgery, Kotsay was officially traded to the Atlanta Braves along with $5.3 million of his $7.3 million salary from the Athletics for Joey DevineJoey Devine
Joseph Neal "Joey" Devine is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Oakland Athletics.-Atlanta Braves:...
and prospect Jamie Richmond.
On August 14, 2008, Kotsay became the first Atlanta Brave to hit for the cycle since Albert Hall
Albert Hall (baseball)
Albert Hall is a former professional baseball player who played the majority of his career for the Atlanta Braves. Hall was drafted by the Braves in the 6th round of the 1977 amateur draft, and would go on to become a second-string outfielder.On September 23, 1987, he became the first Atlanta...
did it in . He doubled
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
to right in the 7th inning against Bob Howry
Bob Howry
Bobby Dean Howry is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher.-Early life:Howry attended Deer Valley High School in Arizona,then he attended McNeese State University and was drafted by the San Francisco Giants...
of the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. The double that completed the cycle was also Kotsay's 1,500th career hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
. He would hit another single
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
in the 9th inning to have his third career 5-hit game and first since 2005. However, despite the great effort, the Braves lost to the Cubs 11–7.
Boston Red Sox
On August 27, , Kotsay was traded to the Boston Red SoxBoston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
for minor league outfielder Luis Sumoza.
Kotsay quickly became the Red Sox's preferred first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
after third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Mike Lowell
Mike Lowell
Michael Averett Lowell is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball third baseman. During a 13-year career, Lowell played for the New York Yankees , Florida Marlins , and the Boston Red Sox...
was lost for the season due to injury and Kevin Youkilis
Kevin Youkilis
Kevin Edmund Youkilis , also known as "Youk" , is an American professional baseball player with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball...
was moved to third. Supplanting Sean Casey, he was the regular first baseman throughout the playoffs. He finished the Sox regular season batting .226/.286/.345 in 84 at-bats, and he batted .250/.250/.325 in the playoffs. Despite the poor totals, he was frequently referred to throughout 2008 as someone who hit baseballs hard right at someone, a hard-luck hitter.
On January 15, 2009, Kotsay signed a one-year deal to return to the Red Sox. He underwent back surgery to remove a displaced disc in February 2009 but did not miss significant time.
On July 24, 2009, Kotsay was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment
Designated for assignment is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball. When a player is designated for assignment, he is immediately removed from the club's 40-man roster. This gives the club 10 days to decide what to do with the player while freeing up a roster spot for another...
by the Red Sox to free up a roster spot for newly-acquired Adam LaRoche
Adam LaRoche
David Adam LaRoche , is a Major League Baseball first baseman. In 2011, the Washington Nationals signed him to a two-year deal...
.
Chicago White Sox
On July 28, 2009, Kotsay was traded to Chicago White SoxChicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
for minor league outfielder Brian Anderson
Brian Anderson (outfielder)
Brian Nikola Anderson is an American professional baseball player who is currently a free agent. He has played all or part of five seasons in Major League Baseball with the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox as an outfielder, a position he played professionally until before the 2010 season...
and cash considerations. On November 5, 2009, he was re-signed by the White Sox for a one-year, $1.5 million deal.
Milwaukee Brewers
On February 1, 2011, Kotsay agreed to sign a one-year contract with the Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. The contract is worth $800,000 plus $450,000 in incentives.
Kotsay is serving as a utility man, mostly as a reserve outfield and pinch hitter.
In 2011, he batted .270 with 3 home runs in 233 at bats. Through 2011, he was fourth of all active major leaguers in career outfield assists, with 120.
San Diego Padres
On November 15, 2011, Kotsay signed a one year deal with the San Diego PadresSan Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
.