George Kottaras Explained

George Kottaras
Position:Catcher
Birth Date:10 May 1983
Birth Place:Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Bats:Left
Throws:Right
Debutleague:MLB
Debutdate:September 13
Debutyear:2008
Debutteam:Boston Red Sox
Finalleague:MLB
Finaldate:September 28
Finalyear:2014
Finalteam:Toronto Blue Jays
Statleague:MLB
Stat1label:Batting average
Stat1value:.215
Stat3label:Home runs
Stat3value:32
Stat4label:Runs batted in
Stat4value:101
Teams:
Awards:

George Kottaras (; born May 10, 1983) is a Canadian former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, and Toronto Blue Jays.

Personal life

Both of Kottaras' parents were born in Greece, but settled in the Toronto, Ontario suburb of Scarborough, where he was born.[1] He attended Milliken Mills High School in nearby Markham.[2]

Professional career

San Diego Padres

Kottaras was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 20th round of the 2002 MLB draft. He signed with the Padres in May after spending one year at Connors State College in Warner, Oklahoma.

Kottaras began his professional career playing for the Idaho Falls Padres of the Pioneer League, and worked his way up through the Padres minor league system to the Triple-A Portland Beavers in . He played in the 2006 All-Star Futures Game for Team World[3] and was named number 48 in the 2006 Minor League News FAB50 List.[4]

Boston Red Sox

On September 5, 2006, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox to complete an August 31 deal for David Wells and was immediately added to the team's 40-man roster.[5] [6] He was assigned to the Red Sox Double A franchise, the Portland Sea Dogs, who had just begun their Eastern League playoff run. Kottaras arrived for Game 2 of Eastern League Division Playoffs and continued playing with the Sea Dogs until they were crowned 2006 Eastern League Champions.[7]

Kottaras played the entire season for the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox. He reported for spring training in but was optioned back to Pawtucket on March 17, 2008.[8] Kottaras played the regular and post season 2008 schedule for Pawtucket.[9]

Then, after Pawtucket was eliminated from the International League playoffs, he was called up from Pawtucket to MLB on September 8, 2008, [10] and on September 13, 2008, made his MLB debut in the sixth inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays and scored the only run for the Red Sox that game.[11]

In 2009, Kottaras was knuckleball pitcher Tim Wakefield's personal catcher; while Jason Varitek caught the other pitchers in the rotation. After Wakefield went on the disabled list after the All-Star break, Kottaras followed suit with a lower back strain. He remained with Pawtucket until call ups on September 1. With Wakefield's first start in September, Red Sox manager Terry Francona had to decide whether to start Kottaras due to his familiarity with Wakefield or Víctor Martínez due to his bat and having made one start with Wakefield in which he caught the knuckleball very well for the first time.[12] Francona eventually chose Martínez.

Kottaras hit his first MLB home run on July 3, 2009, against the Seattle Mariners' Mark Lowe in the bottom of the 11th. For the season, he finished fifth in the league in passed balls, recording eight in 39 games.[13]

Kottaras was placed on release waivers by the Red Sox on November 18, 2009.[14]

Milwaukee Brewers

Kottaras was claimed off waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers hours after being placed on release waivers by Boston on November 18.[15]

On September 3, 2011, Kottaras hit for the cycle in a game against the Houston Astros, becoming the seventh Brewer to do so, and the third Brewers catcher to achieve the feat (along with Chad Moeller and Charlie Moore).[16]

In 2011, Kottaras batted .252 and hit five home runs in 111 at bats.[13]

On December 12, 2011, Kottaras avoided arbitration by signing a one-year deal.[17] He was designated for assignment on July 26, 2012.[18]

Oakland Athletics

On July 27, 2012, Kottaras was traded to Oakland for pitcher Fautino de los Santos.

On January 14, 2013, Kottaras agreed to a one-year deal to avoid arbitration.[19] Just a day after agreeing to that contract, Kottaras was designated for assignment to clear a roster spot for the newly acquired John Jaso.[20]

Kansas City Royals

On January 25, 2013, Kottaras was claimed off waivers by the Kansas City Royals.[21] In 2013, his locker was assigned next to Mike Moustakas, who is also of Greek descent. "I don't know how many times you've had two Greek guys in the same clubhouse on the same team," Kottaras said. "And they put us next to each other, which makes it even better."[1] He was designated for assignment on November 21, 2013.[22]

Chicago Cubs

Kottaras was traded from the Royals to the Chicago Cubs for cash considerations on November 26, 2013.[23] On December 2, Kottaras signed a one-year deal with the Cubs for $1.075 million, avoiding arbitration.[24] He was released on March 26, 2014.[25]

Cleveland Indians

On March 30, 2014, Kottaras signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians.[26] He played in 9 games with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers before being added to the Indians' 40-man roster in time for the game on May 3, 2014. He was designated for assignment three days later.[27] He was assigned to Columbus on May 11, and re-added to the Cleveland roster on May 27. Kottaras was the only player to hit two home runs in his first two plate appearances as an Indian. On July 7, he was designated for assignment following the acquisition of Chris Dickerson.[28]

St. Louis Cardinals

Kottaras was claimed by the St. Louis Cardinals on July 11, 2014.[29] On July 26, Kottaras was designated for assignment.[30] He was released on July 29.[31]

Toronto Blue Jays

On August 6, 2014, Kottaras signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.[32] He was activated by the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons on August 10. He was called up to the Blue Jays on September 1, when the rosters expanded.[33] Kottaras made his debut for the Blue Jays on September 17, grounding out in his only at-bat against the Baltimore Orioles. He made his first start for Toronto on September 25, catching Daniel Norris in his first MLB start. Kottaras went 0–4 as a member of the Blue Jays, and finished the season with a .233 average, three home runs, and 5 RBI.[34] He was sent outright to the Buffalo Bisons on October 3, but elected to become a free agent rather than accepting the assignment.[35]

Chicago White Sox

On December 18, 2014, Kottaras signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox that included an invitation to spring training.[36] He was released on August 3, 2015.[37]

Return to Toronto

On August 5, 2015, Kottaras signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.[38] He elected free agency on November 7.[39]

San Francisco Giants

On January 21, 2016, Kottaras signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants.[40] He was released on July 14 after hitting .155 with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats.[41]

Atlanta Braves

On July 16, 2016, Kottaras signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves.[42] He was released on August 19.[43] [44]

International career

In, Kottaras played for the Greece national baseball team during the 2004 Summer Olympics. His eligibility came from his parents, both of whom are Greek immigrants to Canada. During the Olympics, Kottaras served as a first baseman and backup catcher.[45] On July 21, 2004, Kottaras had three hits helping Greece to come from behind to defeat Italy 11–7 for the team's first and only win in the tournament.[46]

Also, Kottaras played for the Canada national baseball team at the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kaegel. Dick. April 11, 2013. Moustakas, Kottaras proud of Greek heritage. https://web.archive.org/web/20131102014954/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130410&content_id=44441084&notebook_id=44441320&vkey=notebook_kc&c_id=kc. November 2, 2013. April 28, 2013. Kansas City Royals.
  2. News: Hayakawa. Michael. October 14, 2011. Kottaras digs deep for Brewers. Newmarket Era. YorkRegion.com. July 8, 2014.
  3. Web site: George Kottaras . The Baseball Cube . March 18, 2008.
  4. Web site: Ulrey. Jarod.
    1. 48 – George Kottaras
    . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20061016185327/http://www.minorleaguenews.com/baseball/features/articles2006/08/fab50/48.html. October 16, 2006. March 18, 2008. Minor League News.
  5. Web site: September 5, 2006. Red Sox acquire catcher to complete Wells trade. March 18, 2008. ESPN. Associated Press.
  6. Web site:
    1. 26 George Kottaras
    . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100128093524/http://www.soxprospects.com/players/kottaras-george.htm. January 28, 2010. March 18, 2008. Sox Prospects.
  7. Web site: Storm. Stephanie. September 8, 2006. Kottaras at home with Sea Dogs. https://web.archive.org/web/20121110134908/http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060915&content_id=133418&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp. November 10, 2012. May 20, 2010. Minor League Baseball.
  8. News: Hayakawa. Mike. August 21, 2008. Baseball in Kottaras' blood. The Markham Economist and Sun. July 8, 2014.
  9. News: Buckley. Steve. September 9, 2008. Club calls up catcher George Kottaras for 1st big league stint. Boston Herald. dead. July 8, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20081014024332/http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view/2008_09_09_Club_calls_up_catcher_George_Kottaras_for_1st_big_league_stint/srvc%3Dredsox%26position%3D2. October 14, 2008.
  10. News: September 8, 2008. Red Sox recall C George Kottaras and 1B-OFChris Carter from Pawtucket. Boston Red Sox. MLB.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20080914083400/http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20080908&content_id=3439507&vkey=pr_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos. September 18, 2008. September 14, 2008.
  11. News: Mike . Hayakawa . Markham ball player joins big league team . . September 18, 2008. July 8, 2014.
  12. Web site: Cafardo. Nick. September 4, 2009. Wakefield set to pitch tomorrow – Extra Bases. October 3, 2011. The Boston Globe.
  13. Web site: George Kottaras Statistics and History. October 3, 2011. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference.
  14. Web site: Speier. Alex. November 18, 2009. Kottaras released, Cabrera elects free agency. https://web.archive.org/web/20091120005217/http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2009/11/18/kottaras-released-cabrera-elects-free-agency/. November 20, 2009. November 18, 2009. WEEI.
  15. Witrado, Anthony (November 18, 2009). "Cain and Rivas added to 40-man roster; Kottaras claimed", The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved November 18, 2009.
  16. Web site: Heller. Dave. May 22, 2020. A look back at every cycle in Brewers history. May 16, 2021. Fox Sports. en-US.
  17. Web site: Rosiak. Todd. December 12, 2011. Brewers, Kottaras agree on one-year deal. December 12, 2011. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  18. News: July 29, 2012. George Kottaras shipped to A's. ESPN. Associated Press. July 8, 2014.
  19. News: Cotton. Gary. January 14, 2013. A's, Kottaras avoid arbitration with one-year deal. Oakland Athletics. https://web.archive.org/web/20130125074609/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130114&content_id=40961346&vkey=news_oak&c_id=oak&partnerId=rss_oak. July 8, 2014. January 25, 2013.
  20. News: Spratt. Gerry. Shea. John. January 16, 2013. A's acquire catcher John Jaso in 3-way trade. San Francisco Chronicle. July 8, 2014.
  21. Web site: January 25, 2013. C George Kottaras Claimed off Waivers by Kansas City. https://web.archive.org/web/20130131115937/http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130125&content_id=41167146&vkey=pr_oak&c_id=oak. January 31, 2013. January 25, 2013. Oakland Athletics.
  22. News: Muskat. Carrie. November 26, 2013. Cubs acquire catcher Kottaras from Royals. MLB.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20131130024954/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/cubs-acquire-catcher-george-kottaras-from-royals?ymd=20131126&content_id=64234300&vkey=news_mlb. July 8, 2014. November 30, 2013.
  23. Web site: Rogers. Jesse. November 26, 2013. Cubs acquire C George Kottaras. November 26, 2013. ESPN.
  24. News: Gonzales. Mark. December 2, 2013. Cubs, Kottaras agree on 1-year contract. Chicago Tribune. July 8, 2014.
  25. News: March 26, 2014. George Kottaras put on unconditional release waivers by Cubs. CBC.ca. Fox Sports Canada. dead. July 8, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140714131953/http://sports.ca.msn.com/mlb/news/george-kottaras-put-on-unconditional-release-waivers-by-cubs. July 14, 2014.
  26. Web site: Baer. Bill. March 30, 2014. Indians sign George Kottaras to a minor league deal. March 31, 2014. NBC Sports.
  27. Web site: Meisel. Zack. May 6, 2014. George Kottaras designated for assignment, Michael Bourn nearing return: Terry Francona quick hits. May 6, 2014. The Plain Dealer.
  28. News: July 7, 2014. Indians acquire OF Dickerson from Pirates. ESPN. Associated Press. July 8, 2014.
  29. News: July 11, 2014. Cardinals claim C Kottaras after Molina injury. ESPN. Associated Press. July 12, 2014.
  30. News: July 26, 2014. Cardinals sign veteran catcher A.J. Pierzynski. ESPN. Associated Press. July 29, 2014.
  31. Web site: Todd. Jeff. July 29, 2014. Minor Moves: Joe Saunders, George Kottaras, Matt Guerrier. May 16, 2021. MLB Trade Rumors. en-US.
  32. News: Elliott. Bob. August 6, 2014. Blue Jays ink Markham native George Kottaras. August 6, 2014. Toronto Sun.
  33. Web site: Pompey, Norris among 9 called up by Blue Jays. Davidi. Shi. Sportsnet. September 1, 2014. September 1, 2014.
  34. Web site: George Kottaras Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. September 28, 2014.
  35. Web site: Dakers. Tom. October 3, 2014. Blue Jays Outright George Kottaras. October 3, 2014. Bluebird Banter.
  36. Web site: Gleeman. Aaron. December 18, 2014. White Sox sign George Kottaras. December 20, 2014. NBC Sports.
  37. Web site: International League Transactions. August 5, 2015. Minor League Baseball. August 2015.
  38. Web site: August 5, 2015. Blue Jays sign catcher George Kottaras. August 5, 2015. Minor League Baseball.
  39. Web site: International League Transactions. November 8, 2015. Minor League Baseball. November 2015.
  40. Web site: Heyman. Jon. January 21, 2016. Jon Heyman on Twitter. January 21, 2016. Twitter.
  41. Web site: July 14, 2016. George Kottaras: Released by Giants on Thursday. July 16, 2016. CBS Sports.
  42. Web site: July 16, 2016. Braves' George Kottaras: Signs minor league deal with Atlanta. July 16, 2016. CBS Sports.
  43. Web site: Minor MLB Transactions: 8/29/16 . Jeff . Todd . August 29, 2016 . October 29, 2016 . MLB Trade Rumors.
  44. Web site: International League Transactions August 2016. October 29, 2016. Minor League Baseball.
  45. Web site: Mohl. Evan. June 1, 2007. Kottaras finds place to hang mask. https://web.archive.org/web/20080520233425/http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/gen/articles/printer_friendly/milb/y2007/m06/d01/c251240.jsp. May 20, 2008. March 18, 2008. Minor League Baseball.
  46. Web site: August 21, 2004. Greek team gets first-ever victory. March 18, 2008. ESPN. Associated Press.

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