Corey Koskie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Corey Koskie |
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Koskie with the Brewers in 2006
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| Third baseman | |||
| Born: June 28, 1973 Anola, Manitoba, Canada |
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| debut | |||
| September 9, 1998, for the Minnesota Twins | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 5, 2006, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .275 | ||
| Home runs | 124 | ||
| Runs batted in | 506 | ||
| Teams | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2015 | ||
Corey Koskie is a Canadian former professional baseball player. He played as a third baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). Corey played for the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, and Milwaukee Brewers. On February 4, 2015, he was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
Early Life and Sports
Corey Koskie was born on June 28, 1973, in Anola, Manitoba, Canada. He was the first player from Manitoba to reach the Major Leagues since 1942. Growing up on a farm, Corey practiced baseball by hitting rocks with a wiffle ball bat. He also took lessons in Ukrainian dance as a child.
In his youth, Corey was very athletic. He played ice hockey and volleyball. He played junior hockey for the Selkirk Steelers. He was even asked to play college hockey at Minnesota-Duluth. But he chose to play volleyball at the University of Manitoba instead.
Later, Corey decided to focus on baseball. He left the University of Manitoba to play college baseball in Iowa. After that, he played at the National Baseball Institute in British Columbia.
Baseball Career Highlights
The Minnesota Twins picked Corey Koskie in the 26th round of the 1994 Major League Baseball draft. He made his MLB debut on September 9, 1998.
In 1999, Corey became the Twins' main third baseman. He had a good season, hitting for a .310 average. He also brought in 58 runs.
The year 2000 was also strong for him. He batted .300 and had a .400 on-base percentage. In 2001, he had his best offensive season. He hit 26 home runs, had 103 runs batted in, and scored 100 runs.
On December 14, 2004, Koskie signed a three-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. The 2005 season was tough for him because of injuries. These injuries limited his playing time and how well he performed. He batted .249 with 11 home runs and 36 runs batted in. Even with injuries, Corey was known as a very athletic third baseman.
On January 6, 2006, the Blue Jays traded Corey to the Milwaukee Brewers. This trade happened after the Blue Jays got another player, Troy Glaus. The Blue Jays had many players who could play third base. So, Corey was traded just one year after joining the team.
With the Brewers, Corey was expected to be a strong player for their young team. However, his later seasons were affected by injuries. He missed most of the 2006 season due to a head injury he got on July 5, 2006. This injury caused him to miss all of the 2007 season too.
Corey said, "If I can't play, I at least want my life back." He hoped to play baseball again. In 2009, Corey worked out with the Minnesota Twins. He also played for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic. On February 28, he signed a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs.
On March 21, 2009, Corey Koskie announced his retirement from baseball. He felt confident in his skills. But he did not want to risk his health anymore. The fear of injury led to him being diagnosed with a condition that affected his mental well-being.
Life After Baseball
After retiring from baseball, Corey Koskie became a business owner. He owned several Planet Fitness gyms in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area from 2010 to 2016. He shared his experiences in an article for The Players' Tribune in 2016.
As of 2016, Corey Koskie lived in Plymouth, Minnesota. He lived there with his wife and their four sons.
In 2013, Corey Koskie was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame.
