36-511: As Coach Charles Edward "Chad" Mottola (born October 15, 1971) is an American professional baseball player and coach for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). Mottola played in MLB for five years as an outfielder . Considered a journeyman , Mottola played professionally from 1992 through 2007, appearing in 59 MLB games and 1,801 minor league games. He was the hitting coach for
72-685: A no-hitter by James Paduch to win the championship in front of a sold-out Cobb Field in Billings. The game was a pitchers' duel between two of the top pitchers in the league (Provo's being 2003 Pioneer League Pitcher of the Year Abel Moreno). In 2006, Chris Valaika set a Pioneer League record with a 32-game hitting streak during the Mustangs 51-win campaign. The Mustangs snapped an 11-year drought in 2014 with their Pioneer League-record 15th league championship. The Billings Mustangs changed their logo for
108-419: A Billings native who enlisted Hollywood stars such as Bing Crosby , Cecil B. DeMille , Robert Taylor , and Barbara Stanwyck to purchase stock at $ 500 to $ 1,000 apiece to help launch the club. Local residents also purchased stock to help fund $ 100,000 in upgrades to Billings' Athletic Park, which was renamed for Cobb. In the inaugural 1948 season, the Mustangs were an independent club, though they maintained
144-571: A club-record fifteen-game winning streak and a perfect game by Jason Robbins on August 1, the only perfect game thrown in the Pioneer League since 1951 and one of only three in the league's 85-year history. After sweeping the Provo Angels in the 2001 championship series, the Mustangs repeated the feat in 2003. In the latter year, Billings, the last team to qualify for the postseason, won game one at Provo 8–5 in 11 innings, then, Billings won 3–0 on
180-597: A loose relationship with Cobb's other club, the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League . After their inaugural season, the Mustangs had affiliations with the Brooklyn Dodgers (1949–1951), Pittsburgh Pirates (1952–1956), and St. Louis Cardinals (1957–1963), winning Pioneer League championships in 1950, 1957, 1959, and 1962. However, despite this success, the club folded following the 1963 season, ending
216-574: A senior, Mottola was named to Florida's Class 3A All-State first team. Out of high school, the Baltimore Orioles selected Mottola in the tenth round of the 1989 Major League Baseball draft , with the 243rd overall selection. Mottola did not sign with the Orioles, opting to pursue a college baseball career. Mottola then enrolled at the University of Central Florida (UCF), which he chose to attend over
252-683: A sixteen-season run. After going dark for five seasons, the 1969 Major League Baseball expansion created the need for more minor league affiliates. The Mustangs were reborn in the now short-season Pioneer League as the Rookie-level affiliate of the Seattle Pilots in 1969. That was followed by a four-year stint as an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals (1970–1973), earning Pioneer League titles in 1972 and '73. Future Baseball Hall of Fame inductee George Brett began his professional career with
288-580: A still-standing all-time minor league record by batting .462. The late 80's were leaner, but still featured memorable moments, including snapping the minor league record 29-game winning streak of the Salt Lake City Trappers in 1987 and featuring future Hall of Famer pitcher Trevor Hoffman in 1989, who played shortstop that season before moving to the mound a year later. The Mustangs won three consecutive Pioneer League championships from 1992 to 1994, then won another in 1997. The 1994 season featured
324-669: Is often applied as an umbrella term for all leagues — major and minor — under the authority of the Commissioner of Baseball . Operating outside the Minor League Baseball organization are many independent minor leagues such as the Atlantic League , American Association , Frontier League , and the feeder league to these the Empire Professional Baseball League . Japan has had professional baseball since
360-590: The 2007 season . During his final seasons, Mottola began to play less and serve as a mentor to younger players, making for a transition into a coaching career. After the 2007 season, Mottola accepted a job as the hitting coach of the Gulf Coast Blue Jays of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League . On October 6, 2008, Mottola was announced as the Blue Jays roving minor league hitting instructor for
396-705: The 2009 season . From 2010 to 2012, he was the hitting coach for the Las Vegas 51s , Toronto's Triple-A affiliate at the time. On November 24, 2012, Mottola was promoted to be the Toronto Blue Jays hitting coach for the 2013 season. On October 7, 2013, the Blue Jays announced that Mottola would not be returning for the 2014 season. In November 2013, Mottola was hired by the Tampa Bay Rays as their minor-league hitting coordinator. The Rays promoted Mottola to become their major league hitting coach in September 2016. Mottola
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#1732858948466432-686: The Boston Red Sox on June 12 to replace Julio Zuleta , who had signed to play in Japan, on the Class-AAA Pawtucket Red Sox . Mottola signed with the Orioles for the 2004 season, splitting his time between MLB and the Class-AAA Ottawa Lynx . In 2005, he returned to the Blue Jays organization, playing with Syracuse. He was promoted to MLB in 2006, but spent the majority of the 2005 through 2007 seasons with Syracuse. Mottola retired after
468-682: The Chicago White Sox for the 1999 season. He batted .321 with 164 hits, 32 doubles and 20 home runs for the Charlotte Knights . With the Syracuse SkyChiefs , the Class-AAA affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays , in 2000, Mottola batted .309 in 134 games with 505 at-bats, 156 hits, 85 runs, 25 doubles, 3 triples, 33 home runs, 102 RBI, 37 walks, 30 stolen bases and 99 strikeouts. He led the league in home runs and also in slugging percentage, had
504-492: The China National Baseball League , Israel Baseball League , and Baseball Philippines . During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, players of black African descent were barred from playing the major leagues , though several did manage to play by claiming to be Cubans or Native Americans . As a result, a number of parallel Negro leagues were formed. However, after Jackie Robinson began playing with
540-682: The Cincinnati Reds in 1996, the Toronto Blue Jays in 2000 and 2006, the Florida Marlins in 2001 and the Baltimore Orioles in 2004. As he received less playing time in 2007, he began to mentor younger teammates, which helped him transition into a coaching career. Mottola attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida , graduating in 1989. After leading all Broward County high school players in batting average (.573), home runs (14) and runs batted in (RBIs) (48) as
576-666: The National League (founded in 1876) and the American League (founded in 1901). Historically, teams in one league never played teams in the other until the World Series , in which the champions of the two leagues played against each other. This changed in 1997 with the advent of interleague play . The Philadelphia Phillies , founded in 1883, are the oldest continuous same-name, same-city franchise in both Major League Baseball and all of American professional sports. In addition to
612-553: The Pioneer League , which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Billings, Montana , and have played their home games at Dehler Park since 2008. The team previously played at Cobb Field . The Mustangs joined the Class C Pioneer League in 1948, then a full-season league. The club was founded by Brown Derby founder Bob Cobb,
648-568: The Toronto Blue Jays during the 2013 season, although his contract was not renewed for 2014. Mottola is an alumnus of the University of Central Florida (UCF), where he played college baseball for the UCF Knights baseball team. A highly regarded prospect, Mottola was selected by the Cincinnati Reds with the fifth overall selection of the 1992 MLB draft (one spot ahead of Derek Jeter). Mottola played in minor league baseball for different organizations, receiving major league playing time with
684-612: The University of New Orleans , as it was closer to his home. At UCF, he played for the UCF Knights baseball team in NCAA Division I . As a freshman, he hit .321 in 57 games, but did not hit a home run. He gained 30 pounds (14 kg) for his sophomore season. As a sophomore, Mottola was named the American South Conference 's Player of the Week on April 3, 1991, after batting .542 with one home run and eight RBIs in six games. During
720-676: The 1930s. Nippon Professional Baseball consists of two leagues, the Central League and the Pacific League , each with six teams. South Korea has had professional baseball since 1982. There are 10 teams in KBO League . Taiwan has had professional baseball since the 1990s. The Chinese Professional Baseball League absorbed Taiwan Major League in 2003. There are currently 6 teams in the CPBL. Other Asian leagues include three now defunct leagues,
756-537: The 1971 Mustangs. In 1974, the Mustangs signed as an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds , beginning a relationship with the Reds that stretched for 47 years. As of 2019, the Reds-Mustangs partnership was tied for the fifth-longest affiliation in all of Minor League Baseball. Billings claimed league championships in 1978 and 1983, with the 1978 team becoming best-known for the record-breaking exploits of Gary Redus , who set
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#1732858948466792-527: The 2006 season. The 2007 season was their last at Cobb Field and the Mustangs begin the 2008 season at Dehler Park . On September 11, 2014, the Mustangs defeated the Orem Owlz for their first Pioneer League Championship since the 2003 season. After the 2014 season, the team introduced its new ownership group, Main Street Baseball at a December 5 in a press conference at Dehler Park. After the cancellation of
828-401: The 2020 season, Major League Baseball contracted 43 minor league franchises for the 2021 season, including all eight members of the Pioneer League. The Pioneer League converted to an independent baseball league and became an MLB Partner League. In this new arrangement, the Mustangs enjoyed a playoff appearance under the leadership of former MLB manager Jim Riggleman in 2022, before reaching
864-684: The Blue Jays traded Mottola to the Florida Marlins for a player to be named later or cash. He played for the Marlins' Class-AAA affiliate, the Calgary Cannons of the PCL, and appeared in five games for the Marlins. In 2002, Mottola returned to Syracuse. He began the 2003 season with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays organization, playing for the Class-AAA Durham Bulls , but was released. He signed with
900-824: The Class-A Advanced Carolina League with 91 RBIs. He was named a Carolina League All-Star outfielder after the 1993 season. Prior to the 1994 season, Baseball America rated Mottola as the 43rd best prospect in baseball. Mottola started the 1995 season with the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Class-AA Southern League , receiving a promotion to the Class-AAA Indianapolis Indians of the International League that season. Despite his minor league success, Mottola's path to
936-661: The Reds commitment to him. After he spent the 1997 season in the minors, the Reds traded Mottola to the Texas Rangers for a player to be named later in April 1998. He spent most of the 1998 season with the Oklahoma City RedHawks of the Class-AAA Pacific Coast League (PCL), but suffered a broken thumb that required surgery, limiting his season. Granted free agency after the 1998 season, Mottola signed with
972-492: The Reds was blocked by outfielders Reggie Sanders , Curtis Goodwin , Eric Davis , Vince Coleman , Mike Kelly , Steve Gibraltar and Eric Anthony , all of whom the Reds had in spring training that season. General manager Jim Bowden commented that Mottola needed more minor league seasoning before he would be promoted to the Reds. He made his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds on April 23, 1996. In 35 games for
1008-415: The Reds, Mottola batted .215 with three home runs and six RBIs. For Indianapolis, he batted .262 with 9 home runs, 47 RBIs and nine stolen bases in 102 games. Though he was considered a top prospect, the Reds held him out of winter league baseball during the 1995–96 offseason. The Reds added Deion Sanders and Rubén Sierra to their outfield competition for the 1997 season, prompting Mottola to question
1044-549: The first round of an MLB draft. In his first professional season, Mottola led the Billings Mustangs to the Pioneer League championship, batting .286 with 12 home runs and 37 runs batted in (RBIs). Baseball America rated Mottola as the 71st best prospect in baseball before the 1993 season. Playing a full season for the first time in 1993, he batted .280 for the Winston-Salem Spirits with 21 home runs and led
1080-493: The first round of the 1992 Major League Baseball draft with the fifth overall selection, one selection ahead of Derek Jeter . He signed with the Reds the day of the draft, receiving a signing bonus of $ 400,000, as he attended the United States national baseball team tryouts for the 1992 Summer Olympics , and did not want to have his contract status on his mind during the tryouts. He was the first UCF athlete to be selected in
1116-687: The major leagues, many North American cities and towns feature minor league teams. An organization officially styled Minor League Baseball , formerly the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, oversees nearly all minor league baseball in the United States and Canada. The minor leagues are divided into classes AAA, AA, High-A, A, and Rookie. These minor-league divisions are affiliated with major league teams, and serve to develop young players and rehabilitate injured major-leaguers. "Affiliated baseball" (archaically, " organized baseball ")
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1152-699: The major-league Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, the Negro leagues gradually faded. The process of integration did not go entirely smoothly; there were some ugly incidents, including pitchers who would try to throw directly at a black player's head. Now, however, baseball is fully integrated, and there is little to no racial tension between teammates. Between 1943 and 1954, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League fielded teams in several Midwestern towns. Billings Mustangs The Billings Mustangs are an independent baseball team of
1188-438: The school's volleyball team. They had their son, Luke in 2005. Their daughter, Elle in 2008. 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. Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada consists of
1224-675: The season, he batted .343 with nine home runs and 54 RBIs. After the 1991 season, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League . In his junior season, he batted .345 with 14 home runs, tying the UCF single-season record. Professional scouts considered him a first round prospect, due to his intelligence, size, ability to hit for power, his strong throwing arm, running speed, instincts and polish. The Cincinnati Reds drafted Mottola in
1260-496: The second highest RBI, was fourth in the league in hits and extra-base hits, and had the seventh highest batting average. He was named an International League All-Star outfielder in 2000, and won the International League Most Valuable Player Award . He was also named the Blue Jays minor league player of the year that season, and earned a promotion to the Blue Jays in September. After the 2000 season,
1296-624: Was born in Augusta, Georgia and grew up in Pembroke Pines, Florida . When Mottola signed with the Reds in 1992, he bought his parents a house. Mottola's father, Chuck, died of a heart attack at the age of 50 in October 1995. His mother, Elaine, works as an administrative assistant at St. Bernadette's School in Davie, Florida . Mottola is of Italian descent. Mottola met his wife, Emily, at UCF. She played for
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