46-531: As manager As coach Mark Steven Kotsay (born December 2, 1975) is an American professional baseball manager and former outfielder . He is the manager for the Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). As a player, Kotsay appeared in 1,914 MLB games for the San Diego Padres , Florida Marlins , Athletics, Atlanta Braves , Boston Red Sox , Chicago White Sox , and Milwaukee Brewers . He coached for
92-571: A minor league known as the Western League , which existed from 1885 to 1899 with teams in mostly Great Lakes states, the league changed its name to the American League for the 1900 season and the next year developed into a second major league as a competitor to the older National League . This was prompted by the NL dropping four teams following the 1899 season after having absorbed its previous rival,
138-490: A .807 OPS in 2001 and .292 with a .810 OPS in 2002 . After his batting average slipped to .266 with a .726 OPS in 2003 , Kotsay was traded to the Oakland Athletics for Terrence Long and Ramón Hernández . With Oakland in 2004 , Kotsay batted a career-best .314 hitting second in the A's lineup. Displaying his customary strong arm afield, he led American League center fielders with 11 assists. On July 9, 2005 ,
184-539: A .989 fielding percentage playing at all three outfield positions and first base. In 26 postseason games, he hit .207 (17-for-82) with nine runs, two home runs, 3 RBI and five walks. Kotsay joined the Padres front office in 2014 as a special assistant. On December 1, 2014, the Padres announced Kotsay as their new hitting coach, replacing Phil Plantier . On November 12, 2015, the Oakland Athletics named Kotsay their new bench coach, replacing Mike Aldrete . In 2017, he became
230-557: A designated hitter and first baseman, hitting .239/.306/.376. On February 1, 2011, Kotsay agreed to sign a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers . The contract was worth $ 800,000 plus $ 450,000 in incentives. Kotsay served as a utility player, mostly as a reserve outfield and pinch hitter. In 2011, he batted .270 with three home runs in 233 at-bats. Through 2011, he was fifth of all active major leaguers in career outfield assists, with 120. On November 15, 2011, Kotsay signed
276-629: A displaced disc in February 2009 but did not miss significant time. On July 24, 2009, Kotsay was designated for assignment by the Red Sox to free up a roster spot for newly acquired Adam LaRoche . On July 28, 2009, Kotsay was traded to Chicago White Sox for minor league outfielder Brian Anderson and cash considerations. On November 5, 2009, he was re-signed by the White Sox for a one-year, $ 1.5 million deal. In 2010, Kotsay appeared in 107 games, primarily as
322-541: A home run and 9 RBI in 55 games before the deal. Kotsay made 26 starts in the field and had 51 appearances as a pinch hitter , batting .259/.314/.357 overall. His 13 pinch-hits tied him for second in the Major Leagues. In 2013 , Kotsay made 23 starts in the field at the corner outfield spots and first base but appeared in 104 games, mostly as a pinch hitter. He finished the season hitting .194/.253/.226 in 155 at-bats. On September 14, Kotsay announced he would retire after
368-453: A one-year deal, worth $ 1.25 million, with the San Diego Padres . Kotsay began the year on the disabled list with a calf strain. He made his regular season debut on April 17, 2012. He had another stint on the disabled list in May with a lower back strain. On August 12, 2012, Kotsay signed a one-year extension to stay with the Padres through 2013 for $ 1.3 million. Kotsay was hitting .275/.333/.363 with
414-554: A postseason playoff series for the pennant and the right to play in the World Series. Until the late 1970s, league umpires working behind home plate wore large, balloon-style chest protectors worn outside the shirt or coat, while their colleagues in the National League wore chest protectors inside the shirt or coat. In 1977, new umpires (including Steve Palermo ) had to wear the inside chest protector, although those on staff wearing
460-448: A single league, divided into two parts, also called leagues. This change in legal status had no effect on play, scheduling, and so forth. There were eight charter teams in 1901, the league's first year as a major league, and the next year the original Milwaukee Brewers (not to be confused with the current Milwaukee Brewers ) moved to St. Louis to become the St. Louis Browns , and the year after
506-801: A third round to the playoffs in the form of the American League Division Series , with the best second-place team advancing to the playoffs as a wild-card team, in addition to the three divisional champions. In 1998, the newly franchised Tampa Bay Devil Rays joined the league, and the Arizona Diamondbacks joined the National League: i.e., each league added a fifteenth team. An odd number of teams per league meant that at least one team in each league would have to be idle on any given day, or alternatively, that odd team out would have had to play an interleague game against its counterpart in
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#1732858508470552-562: A two-run inside-the-park home run which scored Jason Kendall to put the A's ahead 4–2, leading his team to win Game 2 of the ALDS . Kotsay underwent back surgery during spring training 2007 , and missed the first two months of the 2007 campaign. On January 14, 2008, after passing a physical, Kotsay was officially traded to the Atlanta Braves along with $ 5.3 million of his $ 7.3 million salary from
598-544: Is a retired Los Angeles Police Motorcycle Officer. 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 the National League (founded in 1876) and
644-711: Is at the intersection of North Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and West Kilbourn Avenue where the hotel once stood. In March 1904, Johnson moved the league's headquarters from Chicago to New York. Babe Ruth , noted as one of the most prolific hitters in Major League Baseball history, spent the majority of his career in the American League with the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees . From 1973 to 2022 The American League had one notable difference versus
690-669: 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
736-408: The 2013 season . Kotsay was honored in a special ceremony in his final home game at Petco Park on September 26. In 1,914 games over 17 seasons, Kotsay posted a .276 batting average (1,784-for-6,464) with 790 runs , 353 doubles , 48 triples , 127 home runs , 720 RBI , 98 stolen bases , 554 bases on balls , .332 on-base percentage and .404 slugging percentage . He finished his career with
782-541: The American Association , which disbanded in 1891 after ten seasons. In its early history of the late 1880s, the minor Western League struggled until 1894, when Ban Johnson became the president of the league. Johnson pushed the league to rise to major league status, after the name change to the American League was decided in a league meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin , at the former Republican Hotel. A historical marker
828-567: The American League ( AL ), is the younger of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada . It developed from the Western League , a minor league based in the Great Lakes states , which eventually aspired to major league status. It is sometimes called the Junior Circuit because it claimed Major League status for the 1901 season, 25 years after
874-508: 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
920-798: The Cal State Fullerton Titans . Kotsay spent the summer of 1994 playing for the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League where he was named a league all-star. In 1995 , Kotsay won the Golden Spikes Award and was the Most Outstanding Player of the College World Series (CWS), as Fullerton won its third Series championship. In addition to being an outfielder, Kotsay was a closer in college; he pitched
966-492: 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
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#17328585084701012-666: The New York Highlanders replaced the disbanded original Baltimore Orioles. Those eight franchises constituted the league for 52 seasons until the Browns moved to Baltimore and took up the Orioles name. The eight original teams and their counterparts in the "Classic Eight" were: Following the 1999 season, the American and National Leagues were merged with Major League Baseball, and the leagues ceased to exist as business entities. The position of
1058-420: The 120 World Series played since 1903. The New York Yankees have won 27 World Series and 41 American League titles, the most in major league history. The Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland Athletics have won the second most AL titles with 15, followed by the Boston Red Sox with 14. For decades, Major League baseball clubs only played teams from their own league during the regular season and playoffs, with only
1104-676: 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,
1150-409: The 2022 season, when the universal DH rule was implemented. In 2023, American League teams played 46 regular season interleague games against all 15 National League teams, 23 at home and 23 on the road. In 2000, the American League ended its status as a legally independent entity when the American and National Leagues were both merged into the legal entity Major League Baseball (MLB). This left MLB as
1196-510: The Athletics announced that Kotsay and the team had come to terms on a three-year, $ 29 million contract extension. The extension kept Kotsay under contract with the Athletics through the 2008 season and included a no-trade clause through the 2006 season. News of the contract extension ended speculation that Kotsay would be traded to a team in need of a starting center fielder, such as the New York Yankees . On Mother's Day , May 14, 2006, Kotsay
1242-526: The Athletics for Joey Devine and prospect Jamie Richmond. On August 14, 2008, Kotsay became the first Atlanta Brave to hit for the cycle since Albert Hall did it in 1987 . He doubled to right in the seventh inning against Bob Howry of the Chicago Cubs . The double that completed the cycle was also Kotsay's 1,500th career hit . He would hit another single in the ninth inning to have his third career five-hit game and first since 2005. However, despite
1288-1005: The NL Central. At the same time, the Detroit Tigers were moved from the AL East to the AL Central, making room for the Devil Rays in the East. Even after expansion, the American League then continued with 14 teams. This situation changed again in 2013 when the Houston Astros moved from the National League Central division to the American League West. The Astros had been in the NL for 51 years since beginning as an expansion team in 1962. Since their move, both leagues now consist of 15 teams. For
1334-565: The Padres and Athletics before becoming the Athletics' manager for the 2022 season. Born in Whittier , but raised in Santa Fe Springs, California , Kotsay attended Santa Fe High School. He batted .408 with a 4–0 win–loss record and 3.18 earned run average in his senior season. He also played for the school's American football and basketball teams. Kotsay enrolled at California State University, Fullerton to play college baseball for
1380-546: The difference in play between the two major leagues has diminished considerably. Though both leagues agreed to be jointly governed by a commissioner in 1920, they remained separate business entities with their own presidents and management. This was the case until after the 1999 season, when the American League legally merged with the National League under the auspices of Major League Baseball, which now operates much like other North American professional sports leagues, albeit with two "leagues" instead of "conferences". Originally
1426-469: The final five outs to clinch his team's CWS title. Kotsay was a consensus choice as an All-American in 1995 and 1996. The Florida Marlins selected Kotsay in the first round, with the ninth overall pick, of the 1996 Major League Baseball draft . Kotsay appeared in 14 games for the Marlins in 1997 before taking over as the team's center fielder in 1998 . He was moved to right field after Gary Sheffield
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1472-399: The first 96 years, American League teams faced their National League counterparts only in exhibition games or in the World Series. Beginning in 1997, interleague games have been played during the regular season and count in the standings. As part of the agreement instituting interleague play, the designated-hitter rule was used only in games where the American League team is the home team, until
1518-463: The formation of the National League (the "Senior Circuit"). Since 1903, the American League champion has played in the World Series against the National League champion with only two exceptions: 1904, when the NL champion New York Giants refused to play their AL counterpart, and 1994, when a players' strike resulted in the cancellation of the Series. Through 2024, American League teams have won 68 of
1564-554: The great effort, the Braves lost to the Cubs 11–7. On August 27, 2008 , Kotsay was traded to the Boston Red Sox for minor league outfielder Luis Sumoza. Kotsay quickly became the Red Sox's preferred first baseman after third baseman Mike Lowell was lost for the season due to injury and Kevin Youkilis was moved to third. Supplanting Sean Casey , he was the regular first baseman throughout
1610-410: The introduction of the designated hitter rule in 1973, which encouraged AL managers to largely abandon "smallball" tactics. However, with the advent of free agency in the 1970s allowing for more player movement between leagues, the introduction of regular season interleague play in 1997, umpires working games across MLB beginning in 1999, and the NL's adoption of the designated hitter rule in 2022,
1656-687: 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 ")
1702-707: 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. American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs , known simply as
1748-402: The other league. The initial plan was to have three five-team divisions per league with inter-league play year-round—possibly as many as 30 interleague games per team each year. For various reasons, it soon seemed more practical to have an even number of teams in both leagues. The Milwaukee Brewers agreed to change leagues to become the National League's 16th team, moving from the AL Central to
1794-504: The outside protector could continue to do so. Most umpires made the switch to the inside protector, led by Don Denkinger in 1975 and Jim Evans the next year, although several did not, including Bill Haller , Russ Goetz , George Maloney , Bill Kunkel and Jerry Neudecker , who became the last full-time MLB umpire to use the outside protector in 1985. In 1994, the league, along with the National League, reorganized again, this time into three divisions (East, West, and Central ) and added
1840-468: The playoffs. He finished the Sox regular season batting .226/.286/.345 in 84 at-bats, and he batted .250/.250/.325 in the playoffs. Despite the poor totals, he was frequently referred to throughout 2008 as someone who hit baseballs hard right at someone, a hard-luck hitter. On January 9, 2009, Kotsay agreed to a one-year, $ 1.5 million deal with incentives to return to the Red Sox. He underwent back surgery to remove
1886-513: The quality control coach for the Athletics.On December 22, 2021, the Athletics promoted Kotsay to become their manager for the 2022 season. In November 2023, the Athletics announced that Kotsay's option for the 2024 season had been picked up. In 2019, Kotsay was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame . Kotsay and his wife Jamie have three children. Kotsay is a devout Roman Catholic . His father, Steve Kotsay,
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1932-485: The rival National League , as it had the designated hitter rule. Under the rule, a team may use a batter in its lineup who is not in the field defensively, replacing the pitcher in the batting order, compared to the old rule that made it mandatory for the pitcher to bat. In the last two decades, the season schedule has allowed occasional interleague play. In 1969, the AL (and NL) were divided into East and West divisions, with
1978-408: The two pennant winners meeting in the World Series. The AL and NL also employed and trained their own umpires , who only worked regular season games in their own league. These differences resulted in the leagues developing slightly different strategies and styles of play. The American League was usually regarded as the less "traditional" league during the 20th century, a reputation most exemplified by
2024-478: Was one of more than 50 hitters who brandished a pink bat to benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation . He was one of a handful of players to hit a pink bat home run. The 2006 season marked Kotsay's first-ever appearance in a postseason game, as the Athletics clinched the 2006 AL West Division title. On October 4, he hit his first postseason home run against Minnesota Twins pitcher Dennys Reyes for
2070-526: Was traded in 2001 , barely a week before Opening Day, to the San Diego Padres as part of a deal for Matt Clement and Eric Owens . Moved back to center field, Kotsay improved his hitting, but he recorded only four outfield assists. This can be largely attributed to the fact that few chose to run on Kotsay. Over the next two seasons, however, Kotsay was defensively back on form, leading all National League center fielders in that category. Kotsay hit .291 with
2116-436: Was traded, a position better suited for the strong throwing arm which Kotsay regularly showed off. As a rookie, he led all National League outfielders with 20 assists , and led them again in his second year with the same number. In 2000 , he led all right fielders with 13 assists. At the plate, Kotsay was an average hitter during these years, hitting around .280 with occasional power and the occasional stolen base . Kotsay
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