60-698: Kevin Kouzmanoff (born July 25, 1981) is an American former professional baseball third baseman . He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians , San Diego Padres , Oakland Athletics , Colorado Rockies and Texas Rangers . Kouzmanoff is the third of only four players in history to hit a grand slam in his first major league at-bat , after Bill Duggleby in 1898 and Jeremy Hermida in 2005, and followed by Daniel Nava in 2010. Both Kouzmanoff and Nava accomplished this feat on
120-399: A letter of intent to play college baseball for North Carolina State . The Tampa Bay Devil Rays owned the number one pick in the 1999 MLB draft and used it to select Hamilton. The Devil Rays viewed Hamilton as a can't-miss prospect. Hamilton signed with Tampa Bay, receiving a $ 3.96 million signing bonus , and joined their minor league system. His first stop in the minor leagues was
180-673: A separated shoulder . While he was recovering, it was revealed he had a relapse into his drug addiction, which he voluntarily reported to MLB. An outside arbitrator ruled Hamilton's voluntary admission did not violate baseball's drug policy, and he could not be suspended. Despite the ruling, Angels owner Arte Moreno made comments to the media implying that he did not want Hamilton back on the team's roster. Furthermore, all Hamilton-related merchandise items were removed and recalled from all stores. The Players Association and several Angels players spoke up in Hamilton's defense. The Angels began to lay out
240-692: A .330 average with the Lake County Captains of the South Atlantic League . Bothered by back problems in 2005, he was limited to only 254 at-bats with the Kinston Indians , but still hit .339 with 12 home runs and 58 RBI. Starting the 2006 season with Double-A Akron , Kouzmanoff flirted with a .400 average before finishing at .389 and being promoted to the Buffalo Bisons in July. He was named
300-733: A Rangers record with his 24th three-hit game of the season. On September 4, Hamilton bruised his rib cage after making a leaping catch and crashing into an outfield wall. He was later found to have two fractured ribs. Hamilton returned to the lineup on October 1, hitting a home run the next day. Hamilton hit for a league-leading .359 average in 2010, winning his first batting title. He also finished fourth in Major League Baseball in OBP (.411), first in slugging percentage (.633) and OPS (1.044), and tied for 10th in home runs (32), despite missing 29 games due to an injury. On October 22, Hamilton and
360-597: A Silver Slugger Award and finished seventh in the balloting for AL MVP, behind Dustin Pedroia , Justin Morneau , Kevin Youkilis , Joe Mauer , Carlos Quentin , and Francisco Rodríguez. Hamilton endured an injury-plagued season in 2009. In spring training, Hamilton led all players in RBIs, with 27, and total bases, with 59, in 81 at-bats. He hit a 460 ft (140 m) home run into
420-649: A Silver Slugger Award. On November 23, 2010, Hamilton was voted the American League Most Valuable Player . On February 10, 2011, Hamilton avoided arbitration by signing a contract for two years and $ 24 million with the Rangers. On April 12, in Detroit, he suffered a fracture to his right humerus on a play at home plate. He returned to the Rangers' lineup on May 23, and went 2–4 against Chicago White Sox pitcher John Danks , hitting his first home run of
480-576: A game ; on that date, he also set an AL record for total bases in a game with 18. Hamilton was inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame in 2019. Hamilton signed with the Los Angeles Angels in 2012, but his tenure with the team was marred by injuries, performance issues, and a drug relapse. The Angels traded Hamilton back to the Rangers in 2015, and he played one more season for the Rangers before injuries ended his career. In 2019, Hamilton
540-460: A game with the White Sox on July 29. Washington said he moved Hamilton in hopes of taking some of the pressure off of him. Hamilton responded quickly; on July 29, he recorded multiple walks for the first time in the month of July and did not record a strikeout for the first time in seven games. On July 30 he went 3–for–4 with a home run, his first game recording greater than two hits since May 11. For
600-538: A minor league deal that included an invitation to Spring training with the Kansas City Royals . If he made it to the majors, he would have earned $ 1 million, with up to $ 300,000 in incentives related to plate appearances. Kouzmanoff did not make it to the major leagues in 2012, instead splitting his time with Triple-A Omaha and Double-A Northwest Arkansas , where he hit .276/.309/.382 with 2 HR and 46 RBI in 90 games combined. On November 3, 2012, Kouzmanoff signed
660-625: A minor league deal with the Miami Marlins with an invitation to spring training. He was granted free agency on November 5, 2013. Kouzmanoff signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers on December 12, 2013. He was called up to the Major Leagues on April 9, 2014, to replace the injured Adrián Beltré . He hit safely in his first 10 games with the Rangers . He was named American League Player of
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#1732869388169720-454: A pitcher and outfielder. As a high school senior, Hamilton ran the 60-yard dash in 6.7 seconds and was clocked at 97 miles per hour (156 km/h) on the mound. After hitting .529 in 25 games with 13 home runs , 20 stolen bases , 35 runs batted in (RBIs), and 34 runs scored, Hamilton was widely considered one of the top two prospects for the 1999 MLB draft , along with Josh Beckett , a Texas high school athlete. Hamilton initially signed
780-455: A rehabilitation plan for him, but shortly afterwards, trade rumors were reported. Hamilton was traded back to the Rangers on April 27, 2015, for cash or a player to be named later. The Angels remained responsible for paying most of the remaining money due to him under the five-year contract he signed with them in 2012. The contract that Hamilton signed with the Angels is widely regarded as one of
840-558: A six-game Minor League rehabilitation assignment. Hamilton went back on the DL on July 12 with a sprained wrist. Hamilton ended up starting most of the season in center field after an injury to Ryan Freel , but was shut out in the voting for the Rookie of the Year , which was won by Ryan Braun . For the 2007 season, he hit .292 with 19 home runs and 47 runs batted in in 90 games. On December 21, 2007,
900-495: A story chronicling his comeback. On July 9, Hamilton hit the first walk-off home run of his career, against Francisco Rodríguez . Fans selected Hamilton as one of the starting outfielders for the AL at the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium . He finished first in voting among outfielders. He was one of seven first-time starters in the game. Along with Kosuke Fukudome , Geovany Soto , and Ryan Braun , Hamilton
960-542: A successful surgical procedure to repair the tear. He was expected to be out for four to six weeks. Though injured, Hamilton was selected by fan voting to play in the 2009 All-Star game . In August 2009, Hamilton acknowledged that he had become intoxicated at an Arizona bar in January and had been photographed "in lurid poses" with women other than his wife. Hamilton apologized for his behavior. Hamilton batted .268 with 10 home runs and 54 RBIs in 2009. In 2010, Hamilton
1020-578: Is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 2007 to 2015, most prominently as a member of the Texas Rangers teams that won consecutive American League pennants in 2010 and 2011 . A five-time All-Star , Hamilton won three Silver Slugger Awards and was named the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2010. He also won an AL batting championship along with an AL RBI title . During his major league tenure, he also played for
1080-412: Is one in which there is a positive result for a drug more severe than marijuana . A month later, MLB suspended him for the entire season after he failed two more tests. Hamilton was out of baseball for almost three years. He made several attempts at rehabilitation, and started off the 2005 season with hopes of being a star major league outfielder. However, he was arrested before the season for smashing
1140-744: The Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim . Hamilton was chosen by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays with the first overall pick in the 1999 MLB draft . He was considered a blue chip prospect until injuries sustained in a 2001 car accident and a drug addiction derailed his career. Prior to the 2007 season, Hamilton was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the Rule 5 draft ; the Cubs traded him to
1200-683: The Oakland Athletics for 2023. Kouzmanoff was named hitting coach of the Lansing Lugnuts for the 2024 season. Americans Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.133 via cp1102 cp1102, Varnish XID 115284565 Upstream caches: cp1102 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Fri, 29 Nov 2024 08:36:28 GMT Josh Hamilton Joshua Holt Hamilton (born May 21, 1981)
1260-642: The University of Nevada, Reno . The Cleveland Indians selected Kouzmanoff in the sixth round of the 2003 Major League Baseball draft . Kouzmanoff made his professional debut later in 2003 with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers , hitting .272 with eight home runs and 33 RBI in 206 at-bats. Kouzmanoff also played for the Winchester Royals in Virginia . In 2004, Kouzmanoff hit 16 home runs, 87 RBI and
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#17328693881691320-461: The 12th American Leaguer to do so, and the second of 2006 (along with Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals ). The first-pitch grand slam feat was equalled by Boston Red Sox outfielder Daniel Nava on June 12, 2010. On November 8, 2006, Kouzmanoff was traded with pitcher Andrew Brown to San Diego in exchange for second baseman Josh Barfield . Padres fans were slow to embrace Kouzmanoff at
1380-502: The 16th player in MLB history to hit four home runs in one game and the first to do so since Carlos Delgado in 2003, but also set the American League record for most total bases in a single game with 18. Hamilton was one base shy of tying the Major League record. Hamilton was selected to appear in his fifth All-Star Game after accumulating the most fan votes by any player in the history of
1440-631: The 2001 season, split between the Charleston ( Single-A ) and the Orlando Rays , a Double-A team in the Southern League . Hamilton began the 2002 season with the Bakersfield Blaze , batting .303 with nine home runs and 44 RBIs in 56 games before his season came to an end due to lingering toe and neck injuries. During spring training of the 2003 season, Hamilton failed his first drug test. At
1500-633: The 2012 season, Hamilton hit .285 with 43 home runs and 128 runs batted in and finished in fifth place in the American League Most Valuable Player voting. He also won his third Silver Slugger Award. The Rangers lost the 2012 American League Wild Card Game to the Baltimore Orioles. On December 13, 2012, Hamilton agreed in principle to a five-year contract worth $ 125 million with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim . This deal became official on December 15. Hamilton's Angels tenure
1560-464: The All-Star Game selection process. José Bautista held the previous record with 7,454,753 votes in 2011 until Hamilton received 11,073,744 in 2012. The record stood until 2015, when Josh Donaldson received 14,090,188 votes. Because Hamilton had been hitting .190 with a slugging percentage of .374 since June 1, Manager Ron Washington moved Hamilton to the fifth spot in the batting order before
1620-578: The Cincinnati Reds, where he made his MLB debut in 2007. Before the 2008 season, he was traded to the Texas Rangers, where he had a breakout season in 2008 and helped the team reach the World Series in 2010 and 2011. In 2012 , Hamilton received more fan votes than any other player in the history of the All-Star Game. On May 8, 2012, Hamilton became the 16th player in MLB history to hit four home runs in
1680-478: The Indians' 2006 Minor League Player of the Year (receiving the " Lou Boudreau Award"). On September 2, 2006, Kouzmanoff hit a grand slam off then- Texas Rangers starter Edinson Vólquez on the very first pitch he ever saw in the major leagues, the first player in MLB history ever to do so on the first pitch. With this home run, Kouzmanoff became the 23rd major leaguer to hit a home run on his first Major League pitch,
1740-688: The Rangers won the 2010 ALCS , defeating the New York Yankees in six games. With four home runs and seven RBIs, Hamilton won the ALCS MVP Award . The 2010 World Series was the Rangers' first-ever World Series. The Rangers were defeated by the San Francisco Giants , four games to one. Hamilton hit .100 with one home run and one run batted in. Hamilton won the AL Players Choice Award for Outstanding Player in 2010. He also won
1800-534: The Rays had to run Hamilton through waivers, making him available for any team for $ 20,000. No team put a claim in for him. Hamilton played in 15 games with the Hudson Valley Renegades at the end of the 2006 season, his second stint with the minor league ball club. Left off the Rays' 40-man roster, Hamilton was selected third overall in the 2006 Rule 5 draft by the Chicago Cubs , who immediately traded him to
1860-561: The Reds for $ 100,000 ($ 50,000 for his rights, and $ 50,000 to cover the cost of the Rule 5 selection). In their coverage of the draft, Chris Kline and John Manuel of Baseball America called Hamilton "the biggest name in the Rule 5 in many years". Hamilton was one of the Reds ' best hitters in spring training in 2007, leaving camp with a .403 batting average. In order to retain the rights to Hamilton, though,
Kevin Kouzmanoff - Misplaced Pages Continue
1920-452: The Reds traded Hamilton to the Texas Rangers for Edinson Vólquez and Danny Herrera . The 2008 season was a breakout season for Hamilton. He locked up the Rangers ' starting center fielder job with a stellar spring training. His spring training performance continued into the regular season. Hamilton, usually slotted fourth in the Texas batting order, led all major league players in RBIs for
1980-487: The Reds would have to keep him on their Major League 25-man roster for the entire 2007 season, so they planned to use him as a fourth outfielder. Hamilton made his Major League debut at the age of 26 on April 2 against the Chicago Cubs in a pinch-hit appearance, receiving a 22-second standing ovation . As he was waiting to bat, Cubs catcher Michael Barrett said, "You deserve it, Josh. Take it all in, brother. I'm happy for you." After he lined out, Hamilton stayed in
2040-539: The Week in his first week with his new team, batting .345 with eight RBIs , six runs scored, and four doubles. He also had a .690 slugging percentage , which was tied for third in the league. He ultimately appeared in 13 games for the Rangers, hitting .362 on the season, with 2 HR and 10 RBI. He was granted free agency on October 7, 2014. Kouzmanoff was named hitting coach of the Stockton Ports Single-A affiliate of
2100-499: The World Series for the second consecutive season. In the 2011 World Series , the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Rangers in seven games. Hamilton hit .241 with one home run and six runs batted in during the Series. On February 2, 2012, it was reported Hamilton had suffered a relapse with alcohol. Hamilton held a press conference on February 3, 2012, to apologize for his actions. Hamilton hit .395 with nine home runs and 25 RBI during
2160-635: The beginning of the season; Barfield had been popular with fans, and Kouzmanoff endured a slow start. However, he gradually increased his production and fans affectionately began to root "Koooz" when he made plays or got base hits, leading some uninitiated spectators to believe he was being booed. In 2007, Kouzmanoff was ninth among all NL rookies in RBI (74; behind Troy Tulowitzki and Ryan Braun ), 7th in home runs (18; behind Braun, Chris Young , Tulowitzki, and Josh Hamilton ), hits (133), and extra base hits (50), and tied for 10th in runs (57). . In 2008, he had
2220-415: The bottom of the ninth, with the Rays leading 7–3, to bring Marlon Byrd to the plate. The Rays went on to win the game 7–4. Hamilton thus became the sixth player in history, and the first American League player in 107 years, to receive an intentional walk with the bases loaded. In the 2008 season, Hamilton had a .304 batting average, 32 home runs, and an American League-leading 130 runs batted in. He won
2280-454: The first pitch they saw. Kouzmanoff is of Macedonian descent. Kouzmanoff grew up in Newport Beach, California , and then moved to Evergreen, Colorado just before high school started, where he played high school baseball at Evergreen High School . Kouzmanoff enrolled at Cochise College for two years. In 2002, he attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock . He transferred to
2340-421: The first time in a Rangers uniform since leaving the team after the 2012 season. He received a standing ovation, hit a double on the first pitch he saw, and went 2–4 in the game, driving in the only run for his own team in a 5–1 loss. On May 29, Hamilton hit two home runs in his first multi-homer game with the Rangers since 2012, leading the team to a 7–4 victory. Two days later, he hit a pinch-hit two-run double vs.
2400-676: The game to play left field. He made his first start on April 10 against the Arizona Diamondbacks , batting leadoff. In that game, he recorded his first Major League hit , a home run off Édgar González . The next night, he hit another. Hamilton was named the National League Rookie of the Month for April. On May 22, the Reds placed Hamilton on the 15-day disabled list with gastroenteritis ; they activated him on June 5 after he batted .333 (8-for-24) with four home runs and six RBIs in
2460-495: The month of April and was named the league's AL Player of the Month . His home run total for the month tied a franchise record for April with four other Rangers. On May 8, in a 10–3 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards , Hamilton registered multiple career-highs; he had five hits in five at-bats, hitting four two-run home runs and a double for a total of eight runs batted in. In doing this, he not only became just
Kevin Kouzmanoff - Misplaced Pages Continue
2520-501: The month of April. He was named AL Player of the Month after hitting .330 with 32 RBIs during the month. Hamilton then went on to win player of the month for the second straight month in May, becoming the first AL player in baseball history to be awarded Player of the Month for the first two months of the season. Hamilton was featured on the cover of the June 2, 2008, issue of Sports Illustrated , in
2580-553: The record of .987 by Colorado's Vinny Castilla in 2004. On January 16, 2010, Kouzmanoff and minor league infielder Eric Sogard were traded to the Oakland Athletics for outfielders Scott Hairston and Aaron Cunningham . On August 23, 2011, the Colorado Rockies acquired Kouzmanoff for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Following the season, he was outrighted from the 40-man roster and on October 6, he elected free agency. On January 14, 2012, Kouzmanoff signed
2640-474: The right field home run porch off Angels reliever Shane Loux in the bottom of the eighth inning on May 15 in Arlington. Then, in the same series against the Angels, Hamilton leaped at the wall in center field and slammed into it, robbing Howie Kendrick of a possible home run. In June 2009, Hamilton went on the disabled list with an abdominal strain caused by the May wall collision. On June 9, Hamilton underwent
2700-532: The road. However, in February 2001, Hamilton and his mother were injured in a car accident. His mother returned home and Hamilton, with an injured back, found himself unable to play baseball, flush with cash and unsupervised by his parents for the first time. At age 20, he had his first drink of alcohol. He began spending his idle time at a tattoo shop drinking and using drugs. Later that year he also made his first attempt at rehabilitation. Hamilton only played 45 games in
2760-657: The rookie-level Princeton Devil Rays of the Appalachian League , where he played 56 games. Hamilton later joined the Short Season Single-A club, the Hudson Valley Renegades , and helped lead them to their first New York–Penn League championship. He spent the 2000 season with the Charleston RiverDogs in the South Atlantic League . Hamilton hit .301 in 96 games, with 13 home runs and 61 RBIs. He
2820-423: The season on the second pitch he saw during his first at-bat. He was an All-Star in 2011. On July 7, during a home game at Rangers Ballpark, a 39-year-old firefighter died while catching a foul ball tossed into the stands by Hamilton. The fan, Shannon Stone, leaned over the rail to catch the ball and fell 20 feet. It was the third incident in which a fan fell out of the stands at Rangers Ballpark. On September 30,
2880-404: The single-round record of 24 set by Bobby Abreu in 2005. Hamilton ended up hitting the most total home runs in the contest with 35, but lost in the final round to Justin Morneau , as the scores were reset. His record-setting first round included 13 straight home runs at one point, and seven that went further than 500 feet (150 m). His longest home run was 518 feet. In 2006, when Hamilton
2940-584: The son of the fallen firefighter threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Hamilton to start the American League Division Series. In the 2011 season, Hamilton batted .298 with 25 home runs. He was third in the American League in sacrifice flies (10), sixth in intentional walks (13), and eighth in slugging percentage (.536). The Rangers defeated the Detroit Tigers four games to two in the 2011 American League Championship Series to advance to
3000-491: The start of the season, Hamilton showed up late several times during spring training and was reassigned to the team's minor league camp. He left the team and resurfaced several times, but eventually took the rest of the season off for personal reasons. Hamilton was hoping to return to spring training with the Devil Rays in 2004, though was suspended 30 days and fined for violating the drug policy put in place by MLB. A "failed" test
3060-456: The use of his facility if Hamilton agreed to work there. After several months there, Hamilton attempted to play with an independent minor league team, but MLB stepped in and disallowed it. Hamilton was allowed to work out with the Devil Rays' minor league players starting on June 2, 2006. By the end of the month, he was allowed to participate in minor league games. In order for this to happen,
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#17328693881693120-462: The windshield of a friend's truck. The Rays placed Hamilton on the restricted list, moving him off the 40-man roster. After another relapse, MLB suspended him for the entire 2006 season. Hamilton's return to baseball was helped along by former minor league outfielder and manager Roy Silver, who owned a baseball academy in Florida. After hearing about Hamilton's desire to return to baseball, Silver offered
3180-533: The worst free agent signings in MLB history. After rehabilitating his injured shoulder between the Rangers' AA and AAA Minor League affiliates, Hamilton was called up to the MLB team on May 24, and was inserted into the starting lineup on May 25 in a Memorial Day matchup in Cleveland against the Indians . He recorded his first hit back with the Rangers on May 25. On May 28 of the same year, Hamilton returned to Texas for
3240-448: The worst strikeout-to-walk ratio in the majors, 6.04. In 2009, he set a National League single-season record for third basemen with a .990 fielding percentage , committing three errors in 309 total chances. This led to the Hall of Fame calling him and asking if he would donate his glove to them on which he responded; "I have to pick the glove. They aren't getting my gamer!" Kouzmanoff broke
3300-525: Was also selected to the South Atlantic League All Star game and took home MVP honors after going 2–6 with two triples and two runs scored. In addition, Hamilton was named to the 2000 All-Star Futures Game , a game designed to showcase minor league prospects. Hamilton was also voted Minor League Player of the Year by USA Today . At the beginning of his professional career, Hamilton's parents quit their jobs and began following their son on
3360-604: Was charged with a felony for allegedly assaulting his daughter. On February 22, 2022, Hamilton pleaded guilty to unlawful restraint. Joshua Holt Hamilton was born on May 21, 1981, in Raleigh, North Carolina , to Tony and Linda Hamilton. Of majority Scottish heritage, Hamilton was raised in Raleigh, playing Little League Baseball alongside former South Carolina and Oakland Athletics catcher Landon Powell . Hamilton attended Athens Drive High School in Raleigh where he starred as both
3420-472: Was moved to left field to make room for Julio Borbon in center field. As in his prior two seasons with the Rangers, Hamilton was selected to start in the 2010 All-Star Game . He was one of six members of the Rangers to represent the franchise at the 2010 All-Star Game. Hamilton entered the All-Star Break with a .346 batting average, tied for first in the AL with Miguel Cabrera . On August 27, Hamilton set
3480-471: Was not a successful one. During his first year with the Angels, Hamilton played in 151 games, batting .250 with 21 home runs and 79 RBIs. In the 2014 season, Hamilton batted .263 with 10 home runs and 44 RBIs in 89 games. Hamilton incurred a thumb injury and a shoulder injury during the season. In the ALDS against the Kansas City Royals , Hamilton went hitless (going 0-for-13 overall). In February 2015, Hamilton underwent shoulder surgery to repair
3540-418: Was one of four who had made their MLB debut in 2007 or 2008. He was selected to participate in the 2008 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby the evening before the game. Hamilton selected 71-year-old Clay Council to throw to him during the Derby. Council was a volunteer who threw batting practice for him as a child in Raleigh, North Carolina. In the first round of the event Hamilton hit 28 home runs, breaking
3600-400: Was trying to get back into baseball, he had a dream in which he participated in a Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium, but he could not remember how many home runs he had hit. After the Derby, Hamilton said: "This was like living the dream out, because like I've said, I didn't know the ending to that dream." On August 17, Hamilton was intentionally walked with the bases loaded against the Rays in
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