Mike Cervenak | |
---|---|
Third baseman | |
Born: Trenton, Michigan, U.S. | August 17, 1976|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
Professional debut | |
KBO: April 8, 2006, for the Kia Tigers | |
MLB: July 11, 2008, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
CPBL: March 23, 2013, for the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions | |
Last appearance | |
KBO: June 15, 2006, for the Kia Tigers | |
MLB: September 28, 2008, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
CPBL: April 26, 2013, for the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions | |
KBO statistics | |
Batting average | .224 |
Home runs | 4 |
Runs batted in | 15 |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .154 |
Home runs | 0 |
Runs batted in | 1 |
CPBL statistics | |
Batting average | .260 |
Home runs | 2 |
Runs batted in | 13 |
Stats at Baseball Reference | |
Teams | |
Michael Christopher Cervenak (born August 17,1976) is an American former professional baseball third baseman,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008. [1]
Until Cervenak made his big league debut with the Phillies on July 11,2008,he was a career minor leaguer,and the embodiment of a journeyman player,having spent time in three minor league organizations at several levels of play, [2] overseas in the KBO League, [3] and in an independent league. [2] Having spent an extensive part of his career playing for the Norwich Navigators,residents of the area dubbed him the "Mayor of Norwich." [4]
Cervenak's mother is from a city in the former Czechoslovakia (which is now in Slovakia). [5]
While a college student,Cervenak played for the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks in 1998,an independent team,as a teammate of Aaron Heilman. [6] He made an appearance in the annual Midnight Sun Game. After graduating from the University of Michigan,Cervenak was not drafted in 1999. [7] This led him to sign with the Chillicothe Paints of the Frontier League,where he played into the 2000 season. [8] [9]
Cervenak was signed out of the Frontier League by the New York Yankees organization,playing 38 games and batting .329 at Single-A Greensboro over the rest of the year. [10] He spent all of 2001 and 2002 at Double-A Norwich,hitting 21 home runs and tallying 91 RBI in the last year of his Yankees career. [11] He was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the Rule 5 draft at the end of the 2002 season. [12] [13] Cervenak remained at Norwich for the 2003 [14] and 2004 seasons,now a member of the Giants' farm system. [15] He batted .270 with 20 home runs and 91 RBI in 2003 when he was named to the All-Star team,and he won the minor league triple crown in 2004. He led the Giants organization in batting average (.328),home runs (26),and RBIs (98) between Norwich and Triple-A Fresno. [16] The Giants sent him to the Arizona Fall League to aid his development at the end of the season. [16] He was named a post-season All-Star for the 2004 season. [3]
Cervenak spent the entire 2005 season at Fresno,leading the league in RBIs with 103. [17] He also batted .338 with runners in scoring position over the course of the 2005 season,had two 11-game hitting streaks in the year,and was named a mid-season All-Star. [3] His overall batting average for the year was .312,and he led the team in games played at third base with 50,though he also played 75 games at first base. [17] Cervenak led the team in games played,at-bats,hits and runs batted in; [17] however,the Giants released him at the end of the season. [18] Rather than returning to American affiliated baseball,Cervenak chose to sign with the Kia Tigers of the Korean Baseball League. He opened the season poorly,batting only .224. The Tigers released him,and Cervenak returned to Fresno,batting .413 over his first 12 games. Throughout the year,he managed to play all over the infield,playing first base,second base and third base,and as a designated hitter. [19] Cervenak played for Norfolk,an Orioles affiliate,in 2007,where he batted .283 in 140 games. He hit 15 home runs,batted in 78 runs,and had an OPS of .740. [3] He led the team in RBIs and home runs,as well as games played (140),at-bats (554),runs scored (69),and hits (157). [20]
In between,Cervenak played winter ball from 2006 through 2013 for several clubs of the Dominican Republic PBL,Mexican PL,and Venezuelan PBL circuits. [11]
After the 2007 season,he signed with the Phillies and began the season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley,where he recorded a franchise-record 18-game hitting streak during the season. [21] Cervenak was first called up to the major leagues on July 10,2008,to replace J. A. Happ on the Phillies' roster, [22] after spending 1,088 games in the minor leagues. [9] Cervenak's role was to provide an extra bat off the bench,since the Phillies did not need their fifth starter over the All-Star break. He was batting .310 with 7 home runs and 52 RBIs at the time of his call-up. [3] He made his major league debut pinch-hitting for J. C. Romero against the Arizona Diamondbacks, [23] but was optioned back to Triple-A on July 21. [24] He was recalled to take Pedro Feliz' place on the roster on July 29,after Feliz sat out three straight games with a back injury. [25] His first major league hit came on August 6,a single to left field against the Florida Marlins,which also notched his first RBI,driving in third baseman Eric Bruntlett. [26] After compiling a total of seven major league at-bats,Cervenak was optioned to the minors on August 16 to make room on the roster for Rudy Seánez. [27] After being brought up on September 1 for roster expansion, [28] Cervenak promptly raised his average to .250 with a pinch-hit single up the middle,his second major-league hit. [29] The Phillies would win the World Series in 2008. Though Cervenak was not part of the postseason roster,he did travel with the team and was in uniform for all of the club's playoff games. In November 2009 Cervenak was released by the Phillies,and on December 18,2009 he signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets. He signed a minor league contract with the Florida Marlins for the 2011 season. Cervenak began the 2013 season with the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions of the Chinese Professional Baseball League. On June 3,2013,Cervenak signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers and was assigned to Triple-A Toledo. [30]
Cervenak played for the Czech Republic in the qualifying rounds of the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
Michael Jack Schmidt is an American former professional baseball third baseman who spent his entire 18-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1972 to 1989. Schmidt was a 12-time All-Star and a three-time winner of the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player award (MVP),and he was known for his combination of power hitting and strong defense. As a hitter,he compiled 548 home runs and 1,595 runs batted in (RBIs),and led the NL in home runs eight times and in RBIs four times. As a fielder,Schmidt won the National League Gold Glove Award for third basemen ten times. Schmidt was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995 in his first year of eligibility,and is widely considered to be one of the greatest third basemen in baseball history.
Edward James Delahanty,nicknamed "Big Ed",was an American professional baseball player,who spent his Major League Baseball (MLB) playing career with the Philadelphia Quakers,Cleveland Infants,Philadelphia Phillies,and Washington Senators. He was renowned as one of the game's early power hitters,and while primarily a left fielder,also spent time as an infielder. Delahanty won two batting titles,batted over .400 three times,and has the seventh-highest career batting average in MLB history. In 1945,Delahanty was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Delahanty died as a result of falling into the Niagara River or being swept over Niagara Falls (undetermined),after being removed from a train for being drunk and disorderly.
Gus Edward Zernial was an American professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball,most notably for the Philadelphia Athletics with whom he remained when they moved west and became the Kansas City Athletics in 1955.
Peterson Thomas "Pete" Orr is a Canadian former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves,Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies.
Jason Jerome Ellison is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He attended Lewis-Clark State in Lewiston,Idaho,and made his major league debut on May 9,2003. As of the 2015 season,he was an area scout for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim based in Issaquah,Washington.
Raúl Javier Ibañez is an American former professional baseball left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) now serving as vice president of baseball development and special projects for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played 11 of his 19 big league seasons for the Seattle Mariners,while also playing for the Kansas City Royals,Philadelphia Phillies,New York Yankees,and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. While primarily a left fielder,Ibañez often saw considerable time as a designated hitter (DH),throughout his career.
Ryan James Howard,nicknamed "the Big Piece",is an American former professional baseball first baseman. Howard spent his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career playing for the Philadelphia Phillies,from 2004 to 2016. He is known for being the fastest player in baseball history to reach both 100 home runs and 200 home runs. Howard holds numerous Phillies franchise records.
Robb William Quinlan is an American former Major League Baseball utility player who played first base,third base,corner outfield,catcher and designated hitter for the Anaheim Angels / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim between 2003 and 2010.
Michael Anthony Easler,nicknamed "the Hit Man",is an American former professional baseball outfielder,designated hitter,and coach,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros,California Angels,Pittsburgh Pirates,Boston Red Sox,New York Yankees,and Philadelphia Phillies,from 1973 to 1987.
Eliézer Jesús Alfonzo is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher. He has played all or parts of six seasons in Major League Baseball,most recently in 2011 with the Colorado Rockies. He bats and throws right-handed. Eliézer is the second cousin of former MLB star Edgardo Alfonzo.
Michael Eugene Fontenot Jr. is an American former professional baseball infielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs,San Francisco Giants,and Philadelphia Phillies. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Fontenot was commonly used at second base,shortstop,or third base during his career. He won a World Series with the Giants in 2010.
Dane Kealoha A. A. Sardinha is an American former Major League Baseball catcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds,Detroit Tigers,and Philadelphia Phillies between 2003 and 2011.
John Brite Bowker is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants,Pittsburgh Pirates,and Philadelphia Phillies and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yomiuri Giants and Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. Bowker stands 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and weighs 205 pounds (93 kg);he bats and throws left-handed.
Damon Reed Minor is an American professional baseball coach for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). As a former first baseman,he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants,and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. He currently serves as the hitting coach for Triple–A Sacramento River Cats.
Thomas Wilkey Mendonca is an American former professional baseball third baseman. Mendonca won the 2008 College World Series Most Outstanding Player award while a sophomore at Fresno State University.
John Claiborn Mayberry Jr.,is an American former professional baseball outfielder,who played in the Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies,Toronto Blue Jays,and New York Mets.
Domonic Larun Brown,is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2010,after being named the Phillies' top prospect in 2009 and the top prospect in all of MLB,in 2010 by Baseball America.
Michael Joseph "Mickey" Haslin,born Michael Joseph Hazlinsky,was a Jewish-Austrian American professional baseball player whose career spanned 13 seasons,six of which were spent in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Philadelphia Phillies (1933–36),Boston Bees (1936),and New York Giants (1937–38). Over his career in the majors,Haslin batted a combined .272 with 265 hits,33 doubles,eight triples,nine home runs,and 109 runs batted in (RBIs) in 318 games played. He played shortstop,second base,and third base,defensively. Haslin also played in the semi-pros,and minor leagues before breaking into the majors.
Emmanuel Allen Burriss is an American former professional baseball utility player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants,Washington Nationals,and Philadelphia Phillies. He is a switch-hitter who throws right-handed. While primarily a second baseman,Burriss played a variety of positions during his career.
Stephen James Susdorf,is an American former professional baseball outfielder,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies briefly,in 2013. He batted and threw left-handed.