Russell Michael Canzler (born April 11, 1986) is a Major League Baseball

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...

 first baseman

First baseman

First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...

 for the Tampa Bay Rays

Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...

.

Professional career

Canzler was drafted by the Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...

 in the 30th round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft

2004 Major League Baseball Draft

The 2004 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 7 and 8. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams...

 out of Hazleton Area High School

Hazleton Area School District

The Hazleton Area School District is a public school district in Pennsylvania, stretching over portions of Luzerne, Schuylkill, and Carbon Counties...

. He played in the Cubs organization from 2004 to 2010. Before the 2011 season he signed a minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays

Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...

. He was the 2011 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...

 MVP after hitting .314/.401/.530 with 18 home runs and 83 runs batted in in 131 games.

Canzler was called up to the majors for the first time on September 11, 2011.

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