The Oakland A’s have hired former Milwaukee Brewers outfield Mark Kotsay as their next manager. Jon Heyman was the first to report the news.
Kotsay replaces Bob Melvin, who was hired to be the next manager of the San Diego Padres.
Mark Kotsay’s Early Playing Career
Mark Kotsay began his playing career with the Florida Marlins in 1997. The following year, 1998, was his first full season in the Majors. He hit .279/.318/.403 with 11 home runs and 68 RBI. He played with the Marlins through the year 2000. His best season with the team in those first four years was that 2000 season. That year, he hit .298/.347/.443 with 12 home runs and 57 RBI.
That offseason, Kotsay was traded to the San Diego Padres. He spent the next three seasons with the Padres, which would turn out to be his first stint with the team. His best season in this stint was the 2002 campaign. That year, he hit .292/.359/.452 with 17 home runs and 61 RBI. His 17 home runs that season were the most he hit in any season of his career.
Following the 2003 season, Kotsay was traded to the Oakland A’s, the team he is now managing. Kotsay would spend the next four seasons in Oakland, but his first year there was his best. That season, 2004, he hit .314/.370/.459 with 15 home runs and 63 RBI. The following year, his batting average dropped to .280, but he also was more productive at the plate. He hit 15 home runs while driving in 82, a career high.
Mark Kotsay as a MLB Journeyman
What followed for Mark Kotsay was a four-year stretch that saw him play for four different Major League teams. He spent the 2008 season with the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox. The next season, he split time between the Red Sox and Chicago White Sox. After spending 2010 with the South Side Sox, Kotsay signed signed a one-year deal to play for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Mark Kotsay appeared in 104 games with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2011. He hit .270/.329/.373 with three home runs and 31 RBI. As a fourth outfielder, Kotsay was known as a clubhouse leader on a Brewers team that advanced all the way to the National League Championship Series.
Following his one year in Milwaukee, Kotsay spent the last two seasons of his playing career with the San Diego Padres. He retired following the 2013 season.
Coaching Career
On December 1, 2014, the San Diego Padres made Mark Kotsay their hitting coach. He spent one season with his former club in that role before being hired as bench coach by the Oakland A’s in 2015. Kotsay served as the A’s bench coach until 2017 when he was named the quality control coach. He held that position until his hire as manager.
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