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.
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League" (PDF). capecodbaseball.org. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
- ^ "2005 Wareham Gatemen". thebaseballcube.com. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ a b "Kevin Russo Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Yankees 2-1 Mets (May 21, 2010) Game Recap". ESPN. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Silva, Drew (November 18, 2012). "Tigers ink minor league deal with Kevin Russo". NBC Sports.
- ^ "Tigers re-sign Kevin Russo to minor-league deal". CBSSports.com. December 25, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
- ^ "Kevin Russo - Baseball Stats - The Baseball Cube". TheBaseballCube.com. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)