30-544: As manager As coach Mark Steven Kotsay (born December 2, 1975) is an American professional baseball manager and former outfielder . He is the manager for the Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). As a player, Kotsay appeared in 1,914 MLB games for the San Diego Padres , Florida Marlins , Athletics, Atlanta Braves , Boston Red Sox , Chicago White Sox , and Milwaukee Brewers . He coached for
60-498: A .807 OPS in 2001 and .292 with a .810 OPS in 2002 . After his batting average slipped to .266 with a .726 OPS in 2003 , Kotsay was traded to the Oakland Athletics for Terrence Long and Ramón Hernández . With Oakland in 2004 , Kotsay batted a career-best .314 hitting second in the A's lineup. Displaying his customary strong arm afield, he led American League center fielders with 11 assists. On July 9, 2005 ,
90-543: A .989 fielding percentage playing at all three outfield positions and first base. In 26 postseason games, he hit .207 (17-for-82) with nine runs, two home runs, 3 RBI and five walks. Kotsay joined the Padres front office in 2014 as a special assistant. On December 1, 2014, the Padres announced Kotsay as their new hitting coach, replacing Phil Plantier . On November 12, 2015, the Oakland Athletics named Kotsay their new bench coach, replacing Mike Aldrete . In 2017, he became
120-565: A designated hitter and first baseman, hitting .239/.306/.376. On February 1, 2011, Kotsay agreed to sign a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers . The contract was worth $ 800,000 plus $ 450,000 in incentives. Kotsay served as a utility player, mostly as a reserve outfield and pinch hitter. In 2011, he batted .270 with three home runs in 233 at-bats. Through 2011, he was fifth of all active major leaguers in career outfield assists, with 120. On November 15, 2011, Kotsay signed
150-644: 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 . On July 28, 2009, Kotsay was traded to Chicago White Sox 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. In 2010, Kotsay appeared in 107 games, primarily as
180-548: A home run and 9 RBI in 55 games before the deal. Kotsay made 26 starts in the field and had 51 appearances as a pinch hitter , batting .259/.314/.357 overall. His 13 pinch-hits tied him for second in the Major Leagues. In 2013 , Kotsay made 23 starts in the field at the corner outfield spots and first base but appeared in 104 games, mostly as a pinch hitter. He finished the season hitting .194/.253/.226 in 155 at-bats. On September 14, Kotsay announced he would retire after
210-456: A one-year deal, worth $ 1.25 million, with the San Diego Padres . Kotsay began the year on the disabled list with a calf strain. He made his regular season debut on April 17, 2012. He had another stint on the disabled list in May with a lower back strain. On August 12, 2012, Kotsay signed a one-year extension to stay with the Padres through 2013 for $ 1.3 million. Kotsay was hitting .275/.333/.363 with
240-577: A two-run inside-the-park home run which scored Jason Kendall to put the A's ahead 4–2, leading his team to win Game 2 of the ALDS . Kotsay underwent back surgery during spring training 2007 , and missed the first two months of the 2007 campaign. On January 14, 2008, after passing a physical, Kotsay was officially traded to the Atlanta Braves along with $ 5.3 million of his $ 7.3 million salary from
270-558: Is a retired Los Angeles Police Motorcycle Officer. Professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada consists of the National League (founded in 1876) and
300-705: Is often applied as an umbrella term for all leagues — major and minor — under the authority of the Commissioner of Baseball . Operating outside the Minor League Baseball organization are many independent minor leagues such as the Atlantic League , American Association , Frontier League , and the feeder league to these the Empire Professional Baseball League . Japan has had professional baseball since
330-408: The 2013 season . Kotsay was honored in a special ceremony in his final home game at Petco Park on September 26. In 1,914 games over 17 seasons, Kotsay posted a .276 batting average (1,784-for-6,464) with 790 runs , 353 doubles , 48 triples , 127 home runs , 720 RBI , 98 stolen bases , 554 bases on balls , .332 on-base percentage and .404 slugging percentage . He finished his career with
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#1732773099459360-578: The American League (founded in 1901). Historically, teams in one league never played teams in the other until the World Series , in which the champions of the two leagues played against each other. This changed in 1997 with the advent of interleague play . The Philadelphia Phillies , founded in 1883, are the oldest continuous same-name, same-city franchise in both Major League Baseball and all of American professional sports. In addition to
390-726: The Boston Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in a four-game World Series sweep. The Red Sox championship ended an 86-year-long drought known as the Curse of the Bambino . The Red Sox were also the first team in MLB history and the third team from a major North American professional sports league ever to come back from a 3–0 postseason series deficit and win. This happened in the ALCS against
420-854: The Cal State Fullerton Titans . Kotsay spent the summer of 1994 playing for the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League where he was named a league all-star. In 1995 , Kotsay won the Golden Spikes Award and was the Most Outstanding Player of the College World Series (CWS), as Fullerton won its third Series championship. In addition to being an outfielder, Kotsay was a closer in college; he pitched
450-504: The China National Baseball League , Israel Baseball League , and Baseball Philippines . During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, players of black African descent were barred from playing the major leagues , though several did manage to play by claiming to be Cubans or Native Americans . As a result, a number of parallel Negro leagues were formed. However, after Jackie Robinson began playing with
480-706: The New York Yankees . The Montreal Expos would play their last season in Montreal, before relocating to Washington DC, becoming the Washington Nationals in 2005. 2004 was the last postseason until 2020 where both LCS went to 7 games. Note: Two teams in the same division could not meet in the division series. ±hosted the MLB All Star Game The following players reached major milestones in 2004: Randy Johnson pitched
510-402: The 17th perfect game in MLB history on May 18, 2004. Randy Johnson struck out Jeff Cirillo on June 29, 2004, for his 4000th strikeout. Ken Griffey Jr. – June 20 Greg Maddux – August 7, 2004 Ichiro Suzuki – 262 hits (broke George Sisler 's 84-year-old record of 257) There were a total of 80 walk-off home runs, which was then the MLB single-season record until 2018 . This was
540-700: The 1930s. Nippon Professional Baseball consists of two leagues, the Central League and the Pacific League , each with six teams. South Korea has had professional baseball since 1982. There are 10 teams in KBO League . Taiwan has had professional baseball since the 1990s. The Chinese Professional Baseball League absorbed Taiwan Major League in 2003. There are currently 6 teams in the CPBL. Other Asian leagues include three now defunct leagues,
570-515: 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 2008 season and included a no-trade clause through the 2006 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
600-532: The Athletics for Joey Devine 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 1987 . He doubled to right in the seventh 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 ninth inning to have his third career five-hit game and first since 2005. However, despite
630-578: The Padres and Athletics before becoming the Athletics' manager for the 2022 season. Born in Whittier , but raised in Santa Fe Springs, California , Kotsay attended Santa Fe High School. He batted .408 with a 4–0 win–loss record and 3.18 earned run average in his senior season. He also played for the school's American football and basketball teams. Kotsay enrolled at California State University, Fullerton to play college baseball for
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#1732773099459660-474: The final five outs to clinch his team's CWS title. Kotsay was a consensus choice as an All-American in 1995 and 1996. The Florida Marlins selected Kotsay in the first round, with the ninth overall pick, of the 1996 Major League Baseball draft . Kotsay appeared in 14 games for the Marlins in 1997 before taking over as the team's center fielder in 1998 . He was moved to right field after Gary Sheffield
690-567: The great effort, the Braves lost to the Cubs 11–7. On August 27, 2008 , Kotsay was traded to the Boston Red Sox 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
720-703: The major leagues, many North American cities and towns feature minor league teams. An organization officially styled Minor League Baseball , formerly the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, oversees nearly all minor league baseball in the United States and Canada. The minor leagues are divided into classes AAA, AA, High-A, A, and Rookie. These minor-league divisions are affiliated with major league teams, and serve to develop young players and rehabilitate injured major-leaguers. "Affiliated baseball" (archaically, " organized baseball ")
750-728: The major-league Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, the Negro leagues gradually faded. The process of integration did not go entirely smoothly; there were some ugly incidents, including pitchers who would try to throw directly at a black player's head. Now, however, baseball is fully integrated, and there is little to no racial tension between teammates. Between 1943 and 1954, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League fielded teams in several Midwestern towns. 2004 Major League Baseball season The 2004 Major League Baseball season ended when
780-471: 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 9, 2009, Kotsay agreed to a one-year, $ 1.5 million deal with incentives to return to the Red Sox. He underwent back surgery to remove
810-525: The quality control coach for the Athletics.On December 22, 2021, the Athletics promoted Kotsay to become their manager for the 2022 season. In November 2023, the Athletics announced that Kotsay's option for the 2024 season had been picked up. In 2019, Kotsay was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame . Kotsay and his wife Jamie have three children. Kotsay is a devout Roman Catholic . His father, Steve Kotsay,
840-488: 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 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
870-534: Was traded in 2001 , 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. Kotsay hit .291 with
900-436: 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 2000 , 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
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