Casey Kotchman

Infobox MLB player
name=Casey Kotchman

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width=250
position=First Baseman
team=Atlanta Braves
number=22
bats=Left
throws=Left
birthdate=birth date and age|1983|2|22
debutdate=May 9
debutyear=2004
debutteam=Anaheim Angels
statyear=2008 season
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.269
stat3label=Home runs
stat3value=33
stat4label=Runs batted in
stat4value=185
teams=
*Anaheim Angels/Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (by|2004-by|2008)
*Atlanta Braves (by|2008-present) Casey John Kotchman (born February 22, 1983 in St. Petersburg, Florida) is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Atlanta Braves. He was on the National Champion team Seminole High School. The Anaheim Angels selected Kotchman with the thirteenth overall pick in the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft. He is the son of Tom Kotchman, longtime Angels' minor league manager and scout.

Professional career

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

In by|2006, the Angels moved by|2005 starter Darin Erstad back to center field, announcing that Kotchman would likely open the season at first base. After struggling in his at-bats early in 2006 because of mononucleosis, Kotchman was placed on the disabled list in early May. In by|2007, Kotchman proclaimed himself fully healthy and proved it by winning the Angels' opening day first baseman job for the second straight year. Kotchman missed 128 games in 2006, as he was kept away from the field with complications stemming from mononucleosis. After a spring in which the Opening Day starting first baseman batted better than .400, he hit just .152 with one home run and six RBI in 29 games with the Angels. Kotchman tried to return to the field, but his rehab assignment was cut short when he experienced dizzy spells in July while playing for Triple-A Salt Lake. He spent much of the rest of the season at home in Florida, performing cardio exercises.

In 2007, he was one of seven Angels regulars to hit over .290 (most in Majors) and established career highs in several offensive categories including batting average (.296), home runs (11) and RBI (68). He also hit .320 at Angel Stadium and .274 on the road. He had a 7-game hit streak (7-8/31-8/7), his 4th seven-game streak of season (each matching a career-high). On June 25, he returned to the starting linup after missing seven games. He left the June 16 game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 7th after being hit on the helmet by a pickoff throw at second base by Dodgers catcher Russell Martin and was diagnosed with a mild concussion and received three stitches behind his right ear. He logged the first three triples of his career. He connected for his second career grand slam in the first inning on May 14 against the Texas Rangers. He had a .997 fielding percentage and was ranked fourth among AL first basemen (3 E/1049 TC)in the 2007 season. He hit a solo home run on Opening Night against the Texas Rangers in his first at-bat of the season, his first home run since May 4, 2006, against the Detroit Tigers. He connected for the game winning RBI single in the 9th inning on July 13 against the Rangers. He collected a career-best four hits in 1 game on August 17 against the Boston Red Sox.

Atlanta Braves

On July 29, by|2008, Kotchman was traded to the Atlanta Braves along with minor-league pitcher Stephen Marek for first baseman Mark Teixeira. [ [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gkRkYRce2LfanU95_frxdy9LIHggD9280KVG0 Big deal: Angels acquire Teixeira from Braves] ]

External links

*baseballstats |mlb=425773 |espn=5918 |br=k/kotchca01 |fangraphs=1930 |cube=K/Casey-Kotchman

References