Joe Koshansky

Infobox MLB player
name = Joe Koshansky

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width =
caption =
team = Colorado Rockies
number = 47
position = First baseman
birthdate = birth date and age|1982|5|26
birthplace = city-state|Shreveport|Louisiana
bats = Left
throws = Left
debutdate = September 1
debutyear = 2007
debutteam = Colorado Rockies
statyear = 2008
stat1label = Batting average
stat1value = .180
stat2label = Home runs
stat2value = 3
stat3label = Runs batted in
stat3value = 10
teams =
*Colorado Rockies (by|2007-present)

Joseph S. Koshansky (born May 26, 1982 in Shreveport, Louisiana) is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Colorado Rockies.

Koshansky graduated from Chantilly High School in Virginia in 2000. He played baseball there in which he was a pitcher as well as a first baseman. He attended college for four years at the University of Virginia. He was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 6th round (170th overall) in the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft.

After getting drafted, Koshansky played for the Single-A Tri-City Dust Devils. He played in 66 games and batted .234 with 12 home runs. His strikeout numbers were a problem though as he ranked second in the league with 84.

Koshansky began the by|2005 season with the Single-A Asheville Tourists. He played 120 games for the Tourists, in which he batted .291 with 36 home runs in 453 at-bats. He was promoted to the Double-A Tulsa Drillers on August 23. He played 12 games for them in which he batted .267 with 2 home runs. His performance earned him "Baseball America's" Rockies Minor League Player of the Year. He was second in the league to Brandon Wood in home runs, was third in extra base hits, fourth in total bases, and was fifth in RBI. He was also awarded the South Atlantic League Hitter of the Week on two occasions.

In by|2006, Koshansky played for the Double-A Drillers. He was selected as the Rockies Minor League Player of the Year again when he hit .284 with 31 home runs in 132 games for the Drillers. He set the Drillers franchise record for RBI with 109. He was also second in the league in home runs and slugging percentage. He also played in the Future's Game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. In the game, he hit a two-run home run to help lead the U.S. team over the World team, 8-5. Following the season, he was named Baseball America's 13th best prospect in the Texas League and was also named the best power hitter in the Rockies minor league organization.

Koshansky began by|2007 with the Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Through 136 games, he batted .295 with 21 home runs and 99 RBI. His strong performance earned him a callup to the Colorado Rockies on September 1 when rosters expanded. He made his major league debut on that same day against the Arizona Diamondbacks as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning against Brandon Lyon. He grounded out to end that game.

On August 12, by|2008, Koshanksky hit for the cycle for the Sky Sox for the second time that season; he also hit for the cycle on May 24. He became the first player in Sky Sox history to hit for the cycle twice in one season and the first player in the minors to do it since 2006. [ [http://ww2.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080813&content_id=445156&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp "Koshansky gets back on his cycle"] . August 13, 2008, "Milb.com". Retrieved on September 3, 2008.]

On July 5, mlby|2008, Koshansky started an MLB game for the first time in his career; he started at first base for the Rockies. Koshansky also hit his first career home run, a solo shot in the bottom of the second inning off Ryan Tucker, in a 12-6 home win over the Florida Marlins. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=280705127 ESPN - Marlins vs. Rockies - Recap - July 05, 2008 ] ]

References

External links

* [http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=459423 mlb.com Player Profile]
* [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/K/Joe-Koshansky.shtml The Baseball Cube Player Profile]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/k/koshajo01.shtml Career Stats at Baseball Reference]
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=28674 Joe Koshansky Stats, News, and Photos at ESPN]