Bobby Korecky
Encyclopedia
Robert John Korecky is a Major League Baseball
relief pitcher
who is currently in the Toronto Blue Jays
organization. Korecky's best friend is Minnesota Twins' Kevin Slowey
.He is married to his wife, Jillian.
and 118 strikeout
s in 78 1/3 innings pitched. Korecky also had a .516 batting average
striking out only once in 155 at bat
s. Also in Korecky's senior season, he set the Michigan High School Baseball record for most hits
in a season with 80.
, which he attended for four years. His best season came in , when he made 12 starts
and one relief appearance and went 6-4 with a 3.39 ERA.
in the 19th round (569th overall) in the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft
.
In the first professional season of his career in , 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 , 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 , 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 , but was limited to just two games after undergoing Tommy John surgery
.
Korecky returned in 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 , 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
.
was sent down. 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
. The hit -- and the at-bat -- occurred in what is to date the only ML plate appearance of Korecky's career.
On February 18, 2009, Korecky was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks
. He pitched 5 games in relief for Arizona in 2009. He was later traded to The Angels. The Angels did not know that Korecky had surgery with Arizona and they released him. He was picked up by the Blue Jays in 2011. He pitches for the Blue Jay's Double-A team, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
who is currently in the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
organization. Korecky's best friend is Minnesota Twins' Kevin Slowey
Kevin Slowey
Kevin Michael Slowey is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Minnesota Twins. Slowey was selected by the Twins with the 73rd pick in the 2nd round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft.-College:...
.He is married to his wife, Jillian.
High school
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 ERAEarned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
and 118 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s in 78 1/3 innings pitched. Korecky also had a .516 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
striking out only once in 155 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s. Also in Korecky's senior season, he set the Michigan High School Baseball record for most hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in a season with 80.
College
Korecky is a graduate of the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, which he attended for four years. His best season came in , when he made 12 starts
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
and one relief appearance and went 6-4 with a 3.39 ERA.
Draft & minor leagues
Korecky was drafted by the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
in the 19th round (569th overall) in the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft
2002 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 4 and 5.This year's draft is featured in Michael Lewis' 2003 book Moneyball.-First Round Selections:-Supplemental First Round Compensation Selections:...
.
In the first professional season of his career in , Korecky played in Single-A for the Batavia Muckdogs
Batavia Muckdogs
The Batavia Muckdogs are a minor league baseball team based in Batavia, a city in Genesee County, New York, United States. The Muckdogs are the current Short-Season A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals...
and the Lakewood Blue Claws. He went a combined 4-4 with a 2.61 ERA.
In , 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
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
.
On December 3, 2003, Korecky was traded by the Philadelphia Phillies along with Carlos Silva and Nick Punto
Nick Punto
Nicholas Paul Punto is a Major League Baseball utility player. He has played second base, third base, shortstop, and center field. Punto is a switch hitter and throws right-handed....
to the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
for Eric Milton
Eric Milton
Eric Robert Milton is a former American left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball...
.
In , Korecky played for the Double-A New Britain Rock Cats
New Britain Rock Cats
The New Britain Rock Cats are the Double-A minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball club. They compete in the Eastern League and play their home games at New Britain Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut.-History:...
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 , but was limited to just two games after undergoing Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
.
Korecky returned in and played for the Rock Cats again and the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
. In a combined 50 games, he went 6-4 with a 3.32 ERA and 13 saves.
In , 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
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
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
Rule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
.
Major leagues
On April 25, , he was promoted to Minnesota from Rochester for the first time. when All-Star Francisco LirianoFrancisco Liriano
Francisco Liriano y Casillas is a left-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Minnesota Twins.-Professional career:...
was sent down. He made his Major League debut April 26 at Texas
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
pitching one inning, giving up one run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
on one hit and two walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
.
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
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in an American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
game since the introduction of the designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
, while also picking up his first major league victory
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
in a 7-6, 12-inning victory over the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. The hit -- and the at-bat -- occurred in what is to date the only ML plate appearance of Korecky's career.
On February 18, 2009, Korecky was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
. He pitched 5 games in relief for Arizona in 2009. He was later traded to The Angels. The Angels did not know that Korecky had surgery with Arizona and they released him. He was picked up by the Blue Jays in 2011. He pitches for the Blue Jay's Double-A team, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.