Zack Cozart

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Zack Cozart
Zack Cozart 20130625.jpg
Cozart with the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds – No. 2
Shortstop
Born: (1985-08-12) August 12, 1985 (age 38)
Memphis, Tennessee
Bats: Right Throws: Right
MLB debut
July 7, 2011, for the Cincinnati Reds
MLB statistics
(through May 20, 2016)
Batting average .250
Hits 498
Home runs 47
Runs batted in 183
Teams
Zack Cozart
Medal record
Men's baseball
Representing  United States
World University Championship
Gold medal – first place 2006 Havana National team

Zachary Warren Cozart (born August 12, 1985) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Early life

Cozart attended Collierville High School in Collierville, Tennessee. He played football, basketball, and baseball. He played baseball for the University of Mississippi. He was a third-team All-American while at Mississippi.[1] Zack's Cozart grand parents and great grandparents are of Calhoun County, Miss. His grand parents are Durell and Martha Nell (Murphree) Cozart and his Cozart great grandparents were Emry and Anna (Terry) Cozart. His Murphree great grandparents were Clarence and Mae (Tiner) Murphree.

Professional career

Minor leagues

The Cincinnati Reds drafted Cozart in the second round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft, along with other prospects Todd Frazier and Devin Mesoraco. The Reds started Cozart at a single-A team the Dayton Dragons. He batted .239 in 184 at-bats for Dayton with two home runs and 18 RBI, along with two triples.

Cozart spent 2008 at Dayton as well, this time hitting .280 for a full season. He hit 14 home runs, including two multi-homer games and one grand slam. Cozart drove in 49 runs and hit six triples in 418 at-bats. His performance earned him a trip to the Midwest League All-Star game. Midwest League managers voted him the best defensive shortstop of the year. Cozart led the Dragons in batting average for the season.

He earned a promotion to double-A team the Carolina for the 2009 season. He hit six of his ten home runs in June and drove in 12 runs, earning him the Reds' Minor League Player of the Month honors. He had a 13-game hitting streak from May 28 to June 9, during which he hit four home runs. Cozart finished the season hitting with a .262 batting average, and ten homers and 59 RBI. He also had two triples and ten stolen bases. His performance earned him an invitation to the Arizona Fall League. In 13 games for the Peoria Saguaros of the AFL, he hit .340 batting average with two homers, ten RBI, and three stolen bases.

File:Zack cozart 2010.jpg
Cozart playing for the Louisville Bats, Triple-A affiliates of the Reds, in 2010.

Cozart was invited to the 2010 Major League spring training camp. He spent 2010 with the triple-A Louisville Bats, hitting .255 with four triples and 30 stolen bases. Cozart put up career highs in power with 17 home runs and 67 RBI. He was named a Baseball America Triple-A All-Star for 2010. As one of six players to spend all of the season with Louisville, he led the International League with 553 at-bats and 91 runs, and was fourth in games (136) and fifth in hits and stolen bases (141, 30). He also led all IL shortstops with a .977 fielding percentage. Cozart was rated the 10th-best prospect in the Reds organization.

Cincinnati Reds

2011

He was placed on the Reds 40-man roster after the 2010 season, but was optioned to Louisville on March 21, 2011. Cozart enjoyed a hot start to 2011, hitting .310 through his first 77 games. He went 100-for-323 with 26 doubles, two triples, seven homers, and 32 RBI, along with nine steals. The Reds shortstops, Paul Janish and Edgar Rentería, were hitting a combined .226 with one homer and 29 RBI through July 6, and Reds fans everywhere were calling for a change at shortstop. On July 7, 2011, less than 24 hours after an article on Reds.com said there would be no transaction,[2] the Reds optioned Janish and recalled Cozart. Switching uniform numbers from #60 to #2, Cozart started that night at Milwaukee, playing shortstop and batting seventh. In his debut game, he went 1-3 with a run scored. Cozart hit his first home run in the eighth inning off of his college teammate Lance Lynn, on July 17, against the rival Cardinals. Zack had 10 hits in his first 25 Major League at-bats, and at least 1 hit in each of his first 6 games.

On July 23, in a game against the Atlanta Braves, Cozart hyper-extended his left elbow on a play at second. Joey Votto fielded a bunt and threw to second. Cozart covered second and had to reach into the line of the runner, Nate McLouth, to field the throw. McLouth slid into Cozart's arm, hyper-extending his elbow. Replays showed that McLouth would have likely been safe anyway. On August 12, Cozart had Tommy John surgery on his left elbow, ending his season.[3] In 11 Major League games, Cozart batted .324 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI.

2012

Cozart was named the opening day starting shortstop for the Reds on April 5, 2012. The Reds won that game, 4-0 with Cozart going 2-4. On April 7, 2012, Cozart went 3-4 with a single, triple, and a home run going a double shy of the cycle in the Reds 8-3 loss. In 138 games, he finished the year with a .246 batting average, 33 doubles, 15 home runs, and 35 RBI.

2013

In 2013, Cozart had a NL-leading 10 sac flies along with a .284 batting average, 30 doubles, 12 home runs, and 63 RBI in 151 games played.

2014

Cozart had a down year at the plate, batting only .221 and posting lower offensive numbers in nearly every statistical category.[4] On October 23, 2014, Zack was nominated for the Gold Glove for National League Shortstops.[5] In 147 games, he had 4 home runs and 38 RBI.

2015

In 2015, Cozart got off to a solid start, batting .258 and hitting 9 homeruns in 53 games.[6] On June 10, during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Cozart slipped on first base, tearing ligaments and the biceps tendon in his right knee. He would need surgery following the injury, causing him to miss the remainder of the season.[7]

References

  • [1] - Zack Cozart Stats, Bio on MiLB.com
  • [2] - Zack Cozart Stats, Bio on MLB.com
  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110706&content_id=21509326&notebook_id=21509328&vkey=notebook_cin&c_id=cin
  3. ↑ http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110812&content_id=23113826&notebook_id=23113844&vkey=notebook_cin&c_id=cin
  4. ↑ http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cozarza01.shtml
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cozarza01.shtml
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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