George Kottaras facts for kids
Quick facts for kids George Kottaras |
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Kottaras with the Kansas City Royals
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| Catcher | |||
| Born: May 10, 1983 Scarborough, Ontario, Canada |
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| debut | |||
| September 13, 2008, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 28, 2014, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .215 | ||
| Home runs | 32 | ||
| Runs batted in | 101 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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George Kottaras (born May 10, 1983) is a Canadian former professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for several teams, including the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.
Contents
Personal Life
George Kottaras was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. His parents were both born in Greece. They later moved to Canada. George went to Milliken Mills High School in Markham, Ontario.
Professional Baseball Career
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres picked George Kottaras in the 20th round of the 2002 MLB draft. He signed with the Padres in May 2003. Before that, he spent one year at Connors State College.
Kottaras started his career with the Idaho Falls Padres. This team was part of the Pioneer League. He slowly moved up through the Padres' minor league teams. By 2006, he reached the Triple-A Portland Beavers. He also played in the 2006 All-Star Futures Game for Team World.
Boston Red Sox
On September 5, 2006, Kottaras was traded to the Boston Red Sox. He joined their Double-A team, the Portland Sea Dogs. He helped the Sea Dogs win the 2006 Eastern League Championship.
Kottaras played the entire 2007 season for the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox. He was sent back to Pawtucket for the 2008 season. On September 8, 2008, he was called up to the MLB. He made his first MLB game on September 13, 2008. He scored a run for the Red Sox in that game.
In 2009, Kottaras became the special catcher for knuckleball pitcher Tim Wakefield. A knuckleball is a type of pitch that moves in an unpredictable way. After Wakefield got injured, Kottaras also got injured. He later returned to the Pawtucket Red Sox.
Kottaras hit his first MLB home run on July 3, 2009. This happened in a game against the Seattle Mariners. He finished the season with eight passed balls. The Red Sox later released him in November 2009.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers picked up Kottaras on November 18, 2009. On September 3, 2011, Kottaras achieved a rare feat. He hit for the cycle in a game against the Houston Astros. This means he hit a single, a double, a triple, and a home run all in the same game. He was the seventh Brewers player to do this.
In 2011, Kottaras had a batting average of .252. He also hit five home runs. He signed a one-year deal in December 2011. He was later moved off the team's main roster in July 2012.
Oakland Athletics
On July 27, 2012, Kottaras was traded to the Oakland Athletics. He agreed to a one-year deal in January 2013. However, he was moved off the roster the next day. This was to make space for another player.
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals claimed Kottaras on January 25, 2013. In 2013, his locker was next to Mike Moustakas. Both players are of Greek descent. Kottaras joked about having two Greek players on the same team. He was later moved off the roster in November 2013.
Chicago Cubs
Kottaras was traded to the Chicago Cubs on November 26, 2013. He signed a one-year deal with the Cubs for $1.075 million. He was released by the Cubs in March 2014.
Cleveland Indians
On March 30, 2014, Kottaras signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians. He played nine games with their Triple-A team. He was added to the Indians' main roster on May 3, 2014. He hit two home runs in his first two times at bat for the Indians. He was later moved off the roster in July.
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals claimed Kottaras on July 11, 2014. He was moved off their roster on July 26. He was released from the team on July 29.
Toronto Blue Jays
On August 6, 2014, Kottaras signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. He was called up to the Blue Jays on September 1. He made his debut for the Blue Jays on September 17. He made his first start for Toronto on September 25. Kottaras finished the season with a .233 batting average. He also hit three home runs. He chose to become a free agent in October.
Later Career
After 2014, Kottaras continued to play baseball. He signed minor league contracts with several teams. These included the Chicago White Sox in 2014 and the Toronto Blue Jays again in 2015. He also played for the San Francisco Giants in 2016. His last team was the Atlanta Braves in 2016. He was released by the Braves in August 2016.
International Career
In 2004, Kottaras played for the Greece national baseball team. This was during the 2004 Summer Olympics. He was able to play for Greece because his parents are Greek immigrants. He played as a first baseman and backup catcher. On July 21, 2004, he helped Greece beat Italy 11–7. This was Greece's only win in the tournament.
Kottaras also played for the Canada national baseball team. He played for Canada in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
