Kevin Russo

Kevin Russo
Third baseman/Left fielder
Born: (1984-07-08) July 8, 1984 (age 40)
West Babylon, New York, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
May 8, 2010, for the New York Yankees
Last MLB appearance
September 23, 2010, for the New York Yankees
MLB statistics
Batting average.184
Home runs0
Runs batted in4
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams

Kevin Alexander Russo (born July 8, 1984) is a former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees in 2010.

Early years

Russo attended Fairview High School in Boulder, Colorado. As a running back on the Fairview High School football team, Russo rushed for 2,416 yards during his senior year, leading the team to a state title.[1] He and LenDale White were named as the two all-state running backs by the Rocky Mountain News.[1]

He attended San Jacinto College before transferring to Baylor University. At Baylor, he helped the Baylor Bears baseball team reach the 2005 College World Series.[1] In 2005, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[2][3]

Professional career

New York Yankees

Russo was drafted by the Yankees in the 20th round (614th overall) of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft. In 2007, he was a Mid-Season All-Star with the Tampa Yankees. In 2009, he was named an International League All-Star and a Triple-A All-Star.[4]

Following the 2009 season, Russo was added to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.[5] He was called up to the major leagues for the first time on May 8, 2010.[6] He recorded his first hit in the Majors on May 21, 2010, in an interleague game against the New York Mets and added the decisive two-run double later in the game to lead the Yankees to a 2–1 win over the Mets.[7]

The Yankees designated him for assignment on May 6, 2011, to make room for Jess Todd on the 40-man roster.[8]

Detroit Tigers

On November 18, 2012, Russo signed a minor league deal with the Detroit Tigers with an invitation to spring training.[9] Russo spent the 2013 season with the Toledo Mud Hens. He was re-signed for the 2014 season but was released by the end of March.[10][4]

Sugar Land Skeeters

Russo signed with the Sugar Land Skeeters of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball for the 2015 season.[11] He became a free agent after the 2015 season.

Coaching career

After retiring, Russo has served as a coach and instructor for Slammers North.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c Cacciola, Scott (May 24, 2010). "An Atypical Yankee: Rookie Russo Hasn't Had to Meet High Expectations". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 28, 2010.
  2. ^ "Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League" (PDF). capecodbaseball.org. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  3. ^ "2005 Wareham Gatemen". thebaseballcube.com. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Kevin Russo Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  5. ^ "Seven added to 40-man roster | The LoHud Yankees Blog". November 24, 2009. Archived from the original on November 24, 2009. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  6. ^ Bryan Hoch (April 28, 2010). "With bench thin, Yankees promote Russo from Triple-A". Newyork.yankees.mlb.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
  7. ^ "Russo gets first MLB RBIs to back Vazquez, Yanks". ESPN. Associated Press. May 22, 2010. Archived from the original on December 3, 2023.
  8. ^ "Yankees claim RHP Jess Todd, DFA utility man Kevin Russo | The Lohud Yankees Blog". April 2, 2012. Archived from the original on April 2, 2012. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  9. ^ Silva, Drew (November 18, 2012). "Tigers ink minor league deal with Kevin Russo". NBC Sports.
  10. ^ "Tigers re-sign Kevin Russo to minor-league deal". CBSSports.com. December 25, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  11. ^ "Kevin Russo - Baseball Stats - The Baseball Cube". TheBaseballCube.com. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  12. ^ "SLAMMERS COACHES & INSTRUCTORS". slammersnorthbaseball.com. Slammer Baseball. Retrieved July 20, 2024.