Curtis John Leskanic (; born April 2, 1968) is an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
former
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
relief pitcher
In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...
. During a 12-year baseball career, he pitched from 1993 to 2004 for the
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
,
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
,
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
and
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
. He is currently a
professional scout for the Red Sox.
Career
Leskanic was drafted in the eighth round of the 1989 baseball amateur entry draft out of
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...
by the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
, but was traded in 1992 to the
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
with
Oscar Múñoz for
Paul Sorrento
Paul Anthony Sorrento (born November 17, 1965) is the Los Angeles Angels assistant hitting coach. He is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball. From 1989 through 1999, Sorrento played for the Minnesota Twins (1989–1991), Cleveland Indi ...
. Later that same year, he was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the
1992 Expansion Draft. In 1993, he made his major league debut with the Rockies.
In 2004, during the Kansas City Royals disastrous 58–104 season he was released on June 18. On June 22, he was picked up by the Boston Red Sox and then made three appearances during the
2004 ALCS
The 2004 American League Championship Series was the Major League Baseball playoff series to decide the American League champion for the 2004 season, and the right to play in the 2004 World Series. A rematch of the 2003 American League Champions ...
against the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
and was credited with the Game 4 win. His innings of shutout baseball during Game 4 were the last he would ever throw; he retired following the 2004 season. He did make a return to
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...
for Opening Day 2005; there he received his
World Series ring
A World Series ring is an award given to Major League Baseball players who win the World Series. Since only one Commissioner's Trophy is awarded to the team, a World Series ring is an individual award that players and staff of each World Series ...
, as well as a large ovation. For Opening Day 2008, he got to carry out the World Series trophy.
Leskanic was a Little League coach in
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
and a scouting consultant for Boston before joining the Red Sox professional scouting staff for the 2008 season.
Personal life
Leskanic has a son, Brandon, and two daughters, Chloe and Chandler.
See also
*
List of Colorado Rockies team records
These are lists of Colorado Rockies records from their inception all the way through the 2018 season.
Single season records
Batting
*Games: Vinny Castilla, 162 (1998), Neifi Pérez, 162 (1998), Neifi Pérez, 162 (2000)
*Batting Average: Larry W ...
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leskanic, Curtis
1968 births
Living people
Major League Baseball pitchers
Baseball players from Pennsylvania
Boston Red Sox players
Kansas City Royals players
Colorado Rockies players
Milwaukee Brewers players
People from Homestead, Pennsylvania
LSU Tigers baseball players
Kinston Indians players
Orlando Sun Rays players
Portland Beavers players
Wichita Wranglers players
Colorado Springs Sky Sox players
Salem Avalanche players
Huntsville Stars players
Indianapolis Indians players
Pawtucket Red Sox players
Boston Red Sox scouts
American people of Slovak descent