James Benjamin "Tuffy" Gosewisch (born August 17, 1983), is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

and

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

. Prior to beginning his professional career, he played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...

. Gosewisch has also competed for the

United States national baseball team The United States national baseball team, also known as Team USA, represents the United States in international level baseball competitions. The team is currently ranked 5th in the world by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. The United S ...

Amateur career

Gosewisch attended Horizon High School in

Scottsdale, Arizona Scottsdale is a city in eastern Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and is part of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Named Scottsdale in 1894 after its founder Winfield Scott (chaplain), Winfield Scott, a retired Chaplain Corps (United States ...

. He was named to the All-State team in his senior season. Undrafted out of high school, Gosewisch enrolled at

, where he played

for the

Arizona State Sun Devils baseball The Arizona State Sun Devils baseball program at the Arizona State University (ASU) is part of the Big 12 Conference. Since it became a member of the Pac-12, it had the highest winning percentage, at .681, of all schools that participate in Divi ...

team in the

Pacific-10 Conference The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the Western United States. It participates at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I level for all sports, and its Co ...

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...

. He was named the Tempe Regional Most Valuable Player in the

2005 NCAA Division I baseball tournament The 2005 NCAA Division I baseball tournament was held from May 30 through June 26, . Sixty-four NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament, to play in ...

, as the Sun Devils reached the

2005 College World Series The 2005 NCAA Division I baseball tournament was held from May 30 through June 26, . Sixty-four NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament, to play in ...

. That season, he was named a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award, given to the best catcher in NCAA Division I. Gosewisch played for the

in the

2011 Pan American Games The 2011 Pan American Games, officially the XVI Pan American Games () and commonly known as Guadalajara 2011, were an international multi-sport event held from October 14–30, 2011, in Guadalajara, Mexico. Some events were held in the nearby c ...

, winning the silver medal. He also appeared in the

2011 Baseball World Cup The 2011 Baseball World Cup (BWC) was the 39th international Men's amateur baseball tournament. The tournament was sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation, which titled it the Amateur World Series from the 1938 tournament through the ...

Professional career

Philadelphia Phillies

The

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

drafted Gosewisch in the 11th round (337th overall) of the

2005 MLB draft The 2005 Major League Baseball draft, was held on June 7 and 8. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams. It is widely considered to be one of the best drafts in recent memory. ''SourceMajor L ...

. He made his professional debut with the

Batavia Muckdogs The Batavia Muckdogs are a collegiate summer baseball team in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL). They are located in Batavia, a city in Genesee County, New York, United States. Their home field is Dwyer Stadium in the city o ...

of the Low–A

New York–Penn League The New York–Penn League (NYPL) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the northeastern United States from 1939 to 2020. Classified as a Class A Short Season league, its season started in June, after major-league teams signed th ...

in 2005. He played for the

Clearwater Threshers The Clearwater Threshers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Clearwater, Florida, and have played their home games at BayCare Ballpark since 20 ...

of the High–A

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

in 2006, and for the Threshers and the

Lakewood BlueClaws The Jersey Shore BlueClaws (formerly Lakewood BlueClaws) are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Lakewood, New Jersey, and are named for their locat ...

of the Single–A

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its h ...

in 2007. He played for the Threshers in 2008, then served as the regular catcher for the

Reading Phillies Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word re ...

of the Double–A Eastern League from 2009 to 2012 aside from a stint with the Triple–A

Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and they are named in reference to pig iron, used ...

of the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...

in 2009. The Phillies invited him to

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

in 2012, but assigned him to Lehigh Valley that season.milb.com Tuffy Gosewisch
/ref>

Toronto Blue Jays

On July 31, 2012, the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

acquired Gosewisch from the Phillies and assigned him to the Triple–A Las Vegas 51s of the

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

. He played for Las Vegas for he rest of the season and became a free agent after the season.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Gosewisch signed a minor-league contract with the

for the 2013 season. He started the season with the Triple–A

Reno Aces The Reno Aces are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Reno, Nevada, and play their home games at Greater Nevada Field, w ...

of the Pacific Coast League. He hit .284 with seven home runs and 33 RBI for Reno, and the Diamondbacks selected his contract on August 1 and promoted him to the major leagues, where he replaced catcher

Miguel Montero Miguel Angel Montero Fernandez (born July 9, 1983) is a Venezuelan-American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, and Washington Nationals ...

, whom the Diamondbacks placed on the disabled list. Gosewisch made his major league debut the same day. He got his first major-league hit, a single, in the same game. Arizona optioned him back to Reno on August 26, and later recalled him on September 3 after major league rosters expanded to 40 players. Overall, Gosewisch played in 45 games for Arizona in 2013, batting .178 with three RBI. Gosewisch made the Diamondbacks' 2014 25-man roster; at 30 years of age, it was Gosewisch's first time on an

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...

roster. He traveled with the Diamondbacks to

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, for the 2014 opening series against the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

, where he pinch hit in the ninth slot in the eighth inning of the second game of the series and flied out to left field. He spent the entire season with the Diamondbacks, appearing in 41 games and batting .225, with one home run and seven RBI. Gosewisch began the 2015 season as the Diamondbacks' starting catcher. On June 2, however, he was declared out for the season after tearing his left

anterior cruciate ligament The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation. In ...

. He played in 38 games before his injury, batting .211 with one home run and 13 RBI. During

in 2016, Gosewisch batted only .132, while catcher Chris Herrmann, who the Diamondbacks had acquired in a trade in November 2015, hit .229. To make room for Hermann to serve as their Opening Day back-up catcher, Arizona optioned Gosewisch to Reno on March 31, two days before the start of the season. Gosewisch hit .342 for Reno, with nine home runs and 26 RBIs. The Diamondbacks called him up, and on July 3 he made his major-league season debut, singling in his first at bat. In 33 games with Arizona, he hit .156, with three home runs and seven RBI.

Seattle Mariners

Gosewisch was claimed off waivers by the

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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

on November 18, 2016. On November 30, he signed a one-year contract with the team worth $635,000. The Braves designated him for assignment in January 2017. On January 26, 2017, the

claimed Gosewisch off waivers. He began the season with the Triple–A

Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, ...

of the Pacific Coast League. The Mariners called him up on May 5. He went 2-for-28 (.075) in 11 games for Seattle, and the Mariners optioned him back to Tacoma on May 22. The Mariners designated him for assignment on August 6 and assigned him outright to Tacoma on August 10. During the 2017 season, he hit .229 with four home runs and RBI in 85 games for Tacoma. Gosewisch re-signed with Seattle on a minor-league deal on November 6, 2017. He failed to make the major-league roster out of spring training in 2018, and the Mariners released him, on April 5, 2018.

Washington Nationals

On April 13, 2018, Gosewisch signed a minor league contract with the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

. The Nationals assigned him to the Triple–A

Syracuse Chiefs Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...

in the

, for whom he batted .219/.310/.335 with three home runs and 25 RBI across 73 games. Gosewisch elected free agency following the season on November 2.

Milwaukee Brewers

On December 7, 2018, Gosewisch signed a minor league contract with the

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

that included an invitation to

. He spent the 2019 season with the Triple–A

San Antonio Missions The San Antonio Missions are a Minor League Baseball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The Missions compete in the Texas League as the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Nelson W. W ...

, playing in 49 games and slashing .205/.299/.308 with three home runs and nine RBI. Gosewisch elected free agency following the season on November 4, 2019. On January 9, 2020, Gosewisch re-signed with the Brewers on a minor league contract. He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Gosewisch became a free agent on November 2. In the offseason, Gosewisch retired and joined X10 Capital as the director of baseball relations.

Post-playing career

In 2023, Gosewisch was announced as a broadcaster for a series of Spring Training webcasts of Diamondbacks games.

Personal life

Gosewisch's father gave him the nickname "Tuffy" when he was six months old, because he was an especially destructive baby. "I used to break my crib and fall out and just keep on going and it wouldn't faze me," recalls Gosewisch. He met his wife, Kyleyn, at Arizona State.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gosewisch, Tuffy 1983 births Living people Arizona Diamondbacks players Arizona State Sun Devils baseball players Baseball players from Stephenson County, Illinois Batavia Muckdogs players Clearwater Threshers players Lakewood BlueClaws players Las Vegas 51s players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players 21st-century American sportsmen Major League Baseball catchers Mesa Solar Sox players Sportspeople from Freeport, Illinois Peoria Saguaros players Reading Phillies players Reno Aces players San Antonio Missions players Scottsdale Scorpions players Seattle Mariners players Syracuse Chiefs players Tacoma Rainiers players Tigres del Licey players American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic United States national baseball team players Baseball players at the 2011 Pan American Games Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in baseball Anchorage Bucs players