Kotchman Making The Most Of An Opportunity

It looks like Kotchman may have found a
home in Tampa Bay.

With the departures of Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, and Rafael Soraino this offseason many believed the defending American League East champion Tampa Bay Rays would take a step back in 2011.


And while they have done just that, they've still exceeded many expectations with a surprising supporting cast.

First basemen Casey Kotchman is no longer a feel good story around the majors, but a prime candidate for the AL Comeback Player of the Year.

In Tampa's 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals Monday, Kotchman put this stamp on the game once again. With the Rays trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning the eight-year veteran singled home Ben Zobrist for the game-tying run. Then in the ninth he launched the first pitch he saw from reliever Blake Wood over the center field wall for his his career walk-off home run. It was his seventh home run on the year.

Kotchman finished the game 3-4 and could have just as easily had a four hit game if not for an outstanding play by Royals' rookie second baseman Johnny Giavotella. With those three hits Kotchman raised his season average to .341, trailing only Boston's Adrian Gonzalez not only for the American League lead, but throughout the majors as well.

Along with his bat, the twenty-eight-year-old has wowed many with his glove this season, making only 1 error in 754 chances, accumulating to an AL best .999 fielding percentage among first basemen.

The Gold Glove caliber first baseman's story is similar to that of the first baseman he replaced. Pena, who won his first and only Gold Glove in 2008 with the Rays, called Tampa his home the past four seasons before signing a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs this offseason.

Pena signed with the Rays following the 2006 season after limited playing time in Boston, joining his fifth team in seven years. His first year in Tampa, Pena hit career-high 46 home runs, finished ninth in the MVP voting, and captured his first career Silver Slugger, launching his career in the right direction.

The same now could be said for Kotchman.

Pena helped lead the Rays to their first
World Series appearance back in '08.

In January, the Rays signed Kotchman to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league camp, rejoining former Angels bench coach Joe Maddon, hoping a change in scenery could ignite a spark. Kotchman was coming off a season where he batted .217 in 125 games with the last-place Seattle Mariners and his career at a crossroad.

Kotchman was originally drafted by the Anaheim Angels in the first-round of the 2001 amateur draft, becoming a fixture and fan favorite in Southern California upon making his debut in 2004. In 2008, the Angels, in a debatable move, shocked many by trading Kotchman at the trading deadline to the Atlanta Braves for fellow first baseman and All-Star Mark Teixeira.

Kotchman had been having arguably the best season of his career batting .287 with 12 home runs in the teams' first 100 games, but was seen as expendable with a player of Teixeira's caliber on the market.

The former Angel struggled to get comfortable in the National League batting only .237 the rest of the way. Tampa Bay is now Kotchman's fifth major league team and might just be the one that saves his once highly touted career.

The St. Peterburgs native has returned to where it all began, proving once again there's no place like home.