Bobby Korecky

Infobox MLB player


width = 150px
name=Bobby Korecky
position=Relief pitcher
team=Minnesota Twins
number=41
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1979|9|16
birthplace=city-state|Hillside|New Jersey
debutdate=April 26
debutyear=2008
debutteam=Minnesota Twins
statyear=2008
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=2-0
stat2label=Earned run average
stat2value=4.58
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=6
teams=
*Minnesota Twins (by|2008-present)

Robert John Korecky (born September 16, 1979 in city-state|Hillside|New Jersey) is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Minnesota Twins.

Korecky graduated from Saline High School (Michigan) in 1998, where he led the Hornets to the Division 1 State Championship baseball game. During his senior season, he led the team with an 11-1 record on the mound with a 1.43 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings pitched. Korecky also had a .516 batting average striking out only once in 155 at bats. [cite web|url=http://eteamz.active.com/salinehornetsbaseballcom/files/1998SHS-VARSITY--PlayerStats.pdf|title=1998 Saline Varsity Baseball Stats|format=PDF] Also in Korecky's senior season, he set the Michigan High School Baseball record for most hits in a season with 80. [cite web|url=http://www.mhsbca.org/indiv.records.htm|title=Michigan High School Baseball Record Book]

Korecky is a graduate of the University of Michigan, which he attended for four years. His best season came in by|2001, when he made 12 starts and one relief appearance and went 6-4 with a 3.39 ERA.

Korecky was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 19th round (569th overall) in the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft.

In the first professional season of his career in by|2002, Korecky played in Single-A for the Batavia Muckdogs and the Lakewood Blue Claws. He went a combined 4-4 with a 2.61 ERA.

In by|2003, Korecky pitched for the Single-A Clearwater Phillies. Converting full time to a relief pitcher, Korecky went 5-4 with a 2.26 ERA and led the team in 25 saves as their closer.

On December 3, 2003, Korecky was traded by the Philadelphia Phillies along with Carlos Silva and Nick Punto to the Minnesota Twins for Eric Milton.

In by|2004, Korecky played for the Double-A New Britain Rock Cats and served as their closer. Making a team high 55 relief appearances, he went 3-4 with a 3.36 ERA and had 31 saves. Korecky was also named to the Eastern League postseason All-Star game. Korecky played for the Rock Cats again in by|2005, but was limited to just two games after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Korecky returned in by|2006 and played for the Rock Cats again and the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings. In a combined 50 games, he went 6-4 with a 3.32 ERA and 13 saves.

In by|2007, Korecky played for the Red Wings again. Appearing in a career high 66 games, he went 5-6 with a 3.71 ERA and saved a career high 35 games. Korecky was named to the International League midseason All-Star game that year.

On November 20, 2007, Korecky's contract was purchased by the Twins, protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft.

On April 25, mlby|2008, he was promoted to Minnesota from Rochester for the first time [cite web|url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080425/SPORTS06/804250366/1007/SPORTS|title=Korecky gets big-league call] when All-Star Francisco Liriano was sent down. [cite web|url=http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080425&content_id=2587679&vkey=news_min&fext=.jsp&c_id=min|title=Recovering Liriano sent to Triple-A] He made his Major League debut April 26 at Texas pitching one inning, giving up one run on one hit and two walks.

In only his sixth major league appearance, on May 19, 2008, he made a name for himself in the Twins organization by becoming the first Twins pitcher to get a hit in an American League game since the introduction of the designated hitter, while also picking up his first major league victory in a 7-6, 12-inning victory over the Texas Rangers.

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