Mark Steven Kotsay (born December 2, 1975) is an American

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. Modern professiona ...

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activitie ...

and former

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...

. He is the manager for the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The t ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

(MLB). As a player, Kotsay appeared in 1,914 MLB

games A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (suc ...

for the San Diego Padres, Florida Marlins, Athletics,

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in ...

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

, and

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

. He coached for the Padres and Athletics before becoming manager of Oakland before the 2022 season.

Amateur career

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 In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...

and 3.18

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the numb ...

in his senior season. He also played for the school's

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

and

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

teams. Kotsay enrolled at

California State University, Fullerton California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public university in Fullerton, California. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the 23-campus California State University (CSU ...

to play

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...

for the Cal State Fullerton Titans. Kotsay spent the summer of 1994 playing for the Bourne Braves of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...

where he was named a league all-star. In , 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 the final five outs to clinch his team's CWS title. Kotsay was a consensus choice as an All-American in 1995 and 1996.

Professional playing career

Florida Marlins

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 before taking over as the team's center fielder in . He was moved to

right field 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. In t ...

after

Gary Sheffield Gary Antonian Sheffield (born November 18, 1968) is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball for eight teams from 1988 to 2009. He is a sports agent. For most of his career, Sheffield played rig ...

was traded, a position better suited for the strong throwing arm which Kotsay regularly showed off. As a rookie, he led all

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

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 In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe o ...

San Diego Padres (first stint)

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. Kotsay hit .291 with a .807

OPS In ancient Roman religion, Ops or ''Opis'' (Latin: "Plenty") was a fertility deity and earth goddess of Sabine origin. Her equivalent in Greek mythology was Rhea. Iconography In Ops' statues and coins, she is figured sitting down, as Chthon ...

in 2001 and .292 with a .810 OPS in . After his batting average slipped to .266 with a .726 OPS in , Kotsay was traded to the

for Terrence Long and Ramón Hernández.

Oakland Athletics

With Oakland in , Kotsay batted a career-best .314 hitting second in the A's lineup. Displaying his customary strong arm afield, he led

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league b ...

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 The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...

. On Mother's Day, May 14, 2006, Kotsay was one of more than 50 hitters who brandished a pink bat to benefit th
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 In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

against

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

pitcher

Dennys Reyes Dennys Reyes (; born April 19, 1977) is a Mexican former professional baseball pitcher. In more than a decade-long career in Major League Baseball (MLB), he played for 11 different teams, often as a left-handed specialist. Nicknamed "The Big Swe ...

for 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 In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...

. Kotsay underwent back surgery during

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), 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 estab ...

, and missed the first two months of the 2007 campaign.

Atlanta Braves

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 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 . He doubled to right in the seventh inning against Bob Howry of the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...

. The double that completed the cycle was also Kotsay's 1,500th career

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

. He would hit another single in the ninth inning to have his third career five-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

for minor league outfielder Luis Sumoza. Kotsay quickly became the Red Sox's preferred

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

after

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball 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. In the scoring system u ...

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 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 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 David Adam LaRoche (born November 6, 1979) is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbac ...

Chicago White Sox

On July 28, 2009, Kotsay was traded to

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 a designated hitter and first baseman, hitting .239/.306/.376.

Milwaukee Brewers

On February 1, 2011, Kotsay agreed to sign a one-year contract with the

. 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.

San Diego Padres (second stint)

On November 15, 2011, Kotsay signed 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 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 In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, America ...

, batting .259/.314/.357 overall. His 13 pinch-hits tied him for second in the Major Leagues. In

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

, 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 the 2013 season. Kotsay was honored in a special ceremony in his final home game at Petco Park on September 26.

Career statistics

In 1,914 games over 17 seasons, Kotsay posted a .276 batting average (1,784-for-6,464) with 790 runs, 353

doubles Men's doubles, Women's doubles or Mixed doubles are sports having two players per side, including; * Beach volleyball * Doubles badminton * Doubles curling * Footvolley * Doubles pickleball * Doubles squash * Doubles table tennis * Doubles te ...

, 48 triples, 127

home runs In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

, 720 RBI, 98

stolen bases In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...

, 554

bases on balls A base on balls (BB), also known as a walk, occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls '' balls'', and is in turn awarded first base without the possibility of being called out. The base on balls is defined in Sec ...

, .332

on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...

and .404 slugging percentage. He finished his career with a .989

fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, di ...

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.

Post-playing career

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

named Kotsay their new bench coach, replacing Mike Aldrete. In 2017, he became the quality control coach for the Athletics. The Athletics promoted Kotsay to become their

for the 2022 season.

Managerial Record

Honors

In 2019, Kotsay was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame.

Personal life

Kotsay and his wife Jamie have three children. Kotsay is a devout

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

. His father, Steve Kotsay, is a retired Los Angeles Police Motorcycle Officer.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kotsay, Mark 1975 births Living people Atlanta Braves players Baseball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics Baseball players from California Boston Red Sox players Bourne Braves players Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball players Chicago White Sox players College World Series Most Outstanding Player Award winners Florida Marlins players Golden Spikes Award winners Kane County Cougars players Lake Elsinore Storm players Major League Baseball bench coaches Major League Baseball center fielders Major League Baseball hitting coaches Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics Milwaukee Brewers players Mississippi Braves players Oakland Athletics coaches Oakland Athletics players Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in baseball Pawtucket Red Sox players Portland Sea Dogs players Sacramento River Cats players San Diego Padres coaches San Diego Padres players Sportspeople from Whittier, California All-American college baseball players Catholics from California National College Baseball Hall of Fame inductees