Kevin Kouzmanoff

Infobox MLB player
name=Kevin Kouzmanoff


caption=Kouzmanoff, playing for the Padres in 2007
width=212
position=Third baseman
team=San Diego Padres| number=5
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1981|7|25
birthplace=city-state|Newport Beach|California
debutdate=September 2
debutyear=2006
debutteam=Cleveland Indians
statyear=2008 season
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.264
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=44
stat4label=Runs batted in
stat4value=169
teams=
*Cleveland Indians (by|2006)
*San Diego Padres (by|2007-present)

Kevin Kouzmanoff (born July 25, 1981 in Newport Beach, California), known as "Kooooz","The Crushin' Russian" (despite being of Macedonian descent [ [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/scores108/108173/MLB798008.htm Thames meets heroes, hits game-winning homer for Tigers] ] [ [http://www.pe.com/sports/baseball/padres/stories/PE_Sports_Local_D_padres_kouzmanoff.126de25.html Boos turn into Kooooz PE.com] ] [ [http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=192380 Call it a hunch: the final 2007 NL standings] ] ), or "Mashin' Macedonian"fact , is a Major League Baseball third baseman with the San Diego Padres. He became the third player to hit a grand slam in his first major league at-bat after Bill Duggleby in mlby|1898 and Jeremy Hermida in mlby|2005 [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=260902113 ESPN article on Kouzmanoff's first game] ] , and the first to do so on the first pitch.

High school, college, and minor leagues

Kouzmanoff grew up in Evergreen, Colorado where he played high school baseball at Evergreen High School. In by|2002, he attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock where he hit .364. In by|2003, he attended the University of Nevada-Reno where as a walk-on he hit .361.

In the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft, the Cleveland Indians selected Kouzmanoff in the 6th round (168th overall).

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 by|2004, Kouzmanoff hit 16 home runs, 87 RBI and a .330 average with the Lake County Captains of the South Atlantic League. Bothered by back problems in by|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 by|2006 season with Double-A Akron, Kouzmanoff flirted with a .400 average [ [http://www.akron.com/20060518/wsl100.asp May 18, 2006 Leader article about Kouzmanoff] ] before finishing at .389 and being promoted to the Buffalo Bisons in July.

Major leagues

Cleveland Indians

On September 2, mlby|2006, Kouzmanoff became the 23rd major leaguer to hit a home run in his first Major League at bat, the 12th American Leaguer to do so, and the second of 2006 (along with Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals). He was only the third player to have the home run be a grand slam. [cite video
people = Kevin Kouzmanoff
title = Kouzmanoff's Grand Debut
medium = [http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/media/player/mp_tpl.jsp?w_id=515338&w=mms%3A//a1503.v108692.c10869.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/10869/v0001/mlb.download.akamai.com/10869/2006/open/tp/archive09/090206_cletex_kouzmanoff_hr_tp_350.wmv&pid=mlb_tp&gid=2006/09/02/clemlb-texmlb-1&mid=200609031643078&cid=mlb&fid=mlb_tp350&v=2&mType=w&urlstr=&mUrl=&type=v_free&_mp=1 video clip]
publisher = MLB.com
year2 = 2006] Kouzmanoff is the only player in Major League Baseball history to hit a grand slam on his first "pitch" ever seen in the big leagues.

On November 8, 2006, Kouzmanoff was traded with pitcher Andrew Brown to San Diego in exchange for second baseman Josh Barfield.

an Diego Padres

Padres fans were slow to embrace Kouzmanoff at the beginning of the season; Barfield had been popular with fans, and Kouzmanoff endured a slow start. However, he has since increased his production and fans affectionately root "Koooz" when he makes a play, comes to bat, or has a hit, leading some uninitiated spectators to believe he is being booed.

In mlby|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).

References

External links

* [http://thebaseballcube.com/players/K/kevin-kouzmanoff.shtml Minor League stats"]