George Kottaras

Infobox MLB player
name = George Kottaras


width = 150
caption =
team = Boston Red Sox
number = 68
position = Catcher
birthdate = birth date and age|1983|5|16
birthplace = Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
bats = Left
throws = Right
debutdate = September 13
debutyear = 2008
debutteam = Boston Red Sox
statyear = 2008
stat1label = Batting average
stat1value = .200
stat2label = Home runs
stat2value = 0
stat3label = Runs batted in
stat3value = 0
teams =
*Boston Red Sox (by|2008-present)
awards =

George Kottaras (born May 16, 1983 in Scarborough, Ontario) is a Major League Baseball catcher for the Boston Red Sox. Kottaras attended Milliken Mills High School in Markham, Ontario, Canada.

Professional Baseball Career

Kottaras was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 20th round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft. He signed with the Padres in May by|2003 after spending one year at Connors State College in Warner, Oklahoma.

Kottaras began his professional career playing for the Idaho Falls Padres of the Pioneer League and worked his way up through the Padres minor league system to the Triple-A Portland Beavers in by|2006. He played in the 2006 All-Star Futures Game for Team World [cite web
url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/K/George-Kottaras.shtml | title=George Kottaras | publisher=The Baseball Cube | accessdate=2008-03-18] and was named number 48 in the 2006 Minor League News FAB50 List. [cite web
url=http://www.minorleaguenews.com/baseball/features/articles2006/08/fab50/48.html | title=# 48 - George Kottaras | publisher=Minor League News | accessdate=2008-03-18]

On September 5, 2006, he was officially traded to the Boston Red Sox to complete a August 31 deal for David Wells and was immediately added to the team's 40-man roster. [cite web |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2574698 | title=Red Sox acquire catcher to complete Wells trade | publisher=ESPN |date=2006-09-05 | accessdate=2008-03-18] [cite web
url=http://www.soxprospects.com/players/kottaras-george.htm | title=#26 George Kottaras | publisher=Soxprospects.com | accessdate=2008-03-18]

After being traded to the Red Sox, Kottaras played the entire by|2007 season for the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox. He reported for spring training in mlby|2008 but was optioned back to Pawtucket on March 17, 2008. [cite news |first=Mike |last=Hayakawa |title=Baseball in Kottaras' blood |work=The Markham Economist and Sun |date=2008-08-21 |accessdate=2008-08-22] Kottaras played the regular and post season 2008 schedule for Pawtucket, but after Pawtucket was eliminated from the International League playoffs he was called up to Boston. [cite web |url=http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view/2008_09_09_Club_calls_up_catcher_George_Kottaras_for_1st_big_league_stint/srvc=redsox&position=2 | title=Club calls up catcher George Kottaras for 1st big league stint | publisher=Boston Herald |author=Steve Buckley |date=2008-09-09 | accessdate=2008-09-09]

On September 8, 2008, he was called up from Pawtucket [cite news |title=Red Sox recall C George Kottaras and 1B-OFChris Carter from Pawtucket |url=http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20080908&content_id=3439507&vkey=pr_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos |work=Boston Red Sox |publisher=MLB |date=2008-09-08 |accessdate=2008-09-18] and on September 13, 2008, he made his major league debut in the 6th inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays and scored the only run for the Red Sox that game. [cite news |first=Mike |last=Hayakawa |title=Markham ball player joins big league team |page=27 |work=Markham Economist and Sun |date=2008-09-18]

2004 Olympics

In by|2004 Kottaras played for Greece's national baseball team during the 2004 Summer Olympics. His eligibility derived from his parents, both of whom are Greek immigrants to Canada. During the Olympics, Kottaras served as first baseman and backup catcher. As one of the few members of the team that actually spoke Greek, he also served as an interpreter. [cite web
url=http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/gen/articles/printer_friendly/milb/y2007/m06/d01/c251240.jsp | title=Kottaras finds place to hang mask |author=Evan Mohl | publisher=MLB.com |date=2007-06-01 | accessdate=2008-03-18]

On July 21, 2004, Kottaras had three hits helping Greece come from behind to defeat Italy 11-7 for the team's first and only win in the tournament. [cite web
url=http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer04/baseball/news/story?id=1864627 | title=Greek team gets first-ever victory | publisher=ESPN |date=2004-08-21 | accessdate=2008-03-18]

References

External links

*baseballstats | mlb=435459 | espn=28665 | br=k/kottage01 | fangraphs=5506 | cube=K/George-Kottaras
* [http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/players/playerpage/546236 Kottaras] at CBS Sportsline
* [http://www.soxprospects.com/players/kottaras-george.htm Sox Prospects]
* [http://www.minorleaguesplits.com/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?pl=435459 Kottaras at MinorLeagueSplits.com]
* [http://minors.baseball-reference.com/players.cgi?pid=7902 Baseball Reference] minor league statistics