Scott Eric Podsednik (; born March 18, 1976) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...

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), ...

(MLB). Best known for his baserunning, Podsednik led the major leagues in

stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...

s in with 70, in times caught stealing in with 23, and the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

in times caught stealing in with 19. He won the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

with the

2005 Chicago White Sox The 2005 Chicago White Sox season was the White Sox's 105th season. They finished with a 99–63 record in the regular season and first place in the American League Central division by six games over the Cleveland Indians. In the playoffs, they wo ...

, hitting a walk-off home run in Game 2.

Early life

Podsednik was born to Duane and Amy Podsednik in

West, Texas West is a city in McLennan County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 2,531. It is named after Thomas West, the first postmaster of the city. The city is located in the north-central part of Texas, approximate ...

. Duane worked at a glass plant in

Waco Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...

and Amy worked at West High School. Podsednik ran

track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...

and played baseball at West High School and received scholarship offers to run the

hurdles Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. In the early 19th century, hurdlers ran at and jumped over each hurdle (sometimes known as 'burgles'), landing on both feet and checking their forward motion. Today, ...

and

200 meters The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightl ...

at such schools as

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...

and TCU. Podsednik was his high school's

prom king A promenade dance, commonly called a prom, is a dance party for high school students. It may be offered in semi-formal black tie or informal suit for boys, and evening gowns for girls. This event is typically held near the end of the school ye ...

in 1994.

Professional career

Minor leagues

Podsednik was drafted out of West High School in the 3rd round, 85th overall, in the

1994 Major League Baseball draft First round selections The following are the first round picks in the 1994 Major League Baseball draft. Compensation picks Compensation Picks Other notable players *Troy Glaus, 2nd round, 37th overall by the San Diego Padres, but did not ...

by the Texas Rangers. He began his professional career with the Gulf Coast Rangers in 1994. The Rangers traded him (along with

Wilson Heredia Wilson Heredia (born March 30, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played two seasons with the Texas Rangers. He batted and threw right-handed. Career Heredia was signed by the Rangers as an amateur free agent prior to the 1990 ...

) to the

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...

for pitcher

Bobby Witt Robert Andrew Witt Sr. (born May 11, 1964) is a former professional baseball pitcher, who played all or parts of 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Florida Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay ...

on October 8, 1995. He spent the next two seasons playing for the Marlins class-A affiliates. On December 15, 1997, he returned to the Rangers in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft. He was promoted to the Double-A

Tulsa Drillers The Tulsa Drillers are a minor league baseball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club. Stadium The Drillers play at ONEOK Field (pronounc ...

in 1998. He remained with Tulsa through the 2000 season when he was granted free agency. He signed with the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...

as a minor league free agent and was placed at the Triple-A level with the

Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, which opened in 1960 ...

. Podsednik spent nine years in the minors with significant time lost to injury.

Major leagues

Seattle Mariners

He made his Major League debut on July 6, 2001, against the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

, pinch-running for

Ichiro Suzuki , also known mononymously as , is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder who played professionally for 28 seasons. He played nine years of his career with the Orix BlueWave of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), where he began his ...

. In his first career major league

at-bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a bat ...

, against the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...

on July 15, he

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

a bases loaded

triple Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a " treble": Sports * Triple (baseball), a three-base hit * A basketball three-point field goal * A figure skating jump with three rotations * In bowling terms, three strikes in a row * ...

. In , Podsednik played mostly at Triple-A Tacoma, but was activated for 14 Major League games, hitting his first major-league home run during that time.

Milwaukee Brewers

After the 2002 season, Podsednik was acquired by the

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 ...

organization from Seattle for $20,000. Podsednik rebounded with a fine rookie season in Milwaukee, compiling a .314 batting average, 43 stolen bases, 100 runs scored, 175 hits, 29 doubles, eight triples, nine home runs, 58 runs batted in, 56 walks and a .379 on-base percentage for the Brewers. While only inserted permanently into the starting lineup in mid-May, Podsednik still finished second to the

Dontrelle Willis Dontrelle Wayne Willis (born January 12, 1982), nicknamed "The D-Train", is an American former left-handed professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinn ...

in the official Rookie of the Year balloting. The 2004 season saw Podsednik lead the league with 70 stolen bases.

Chicago White Sox

In December 2004, Podsednik was dealt to the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

(along with Travis Hinton and

Luis Vizcaíno Luis Vizcaíno Árias (born August 6, 1974) is a Dominican Republic former professional baseball pitcher. He played for the Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, Colorado Rockies, Chi ...

) for

Carlos Lee Carlos Noriel Lee (born June 20, 1976), nicknamed "El Caballo", is a Panamanian former professional baseball first baseman and left fielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1999–2012 with the Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, ...

. After leading all of the Major Leagues in steals the first half of 2005, he was selected to his first

All-Star game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or div ...

via the MLB's

All-Star Final Vote The All-Star Final Vote was an annual Internet and text message ballot by Major League Baseball (MLB) fans to elect the final player for each team that participates in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, after all other selections were m ...

. He saw only defensive time in the All-Star game in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

that year and did not get a chance to bat. Podsednik ended 2005 with 59 steals (second in the

) and 23 times caught stealing (leading the major leagues) despite missing several games due to injury. In the postseason he started all 12 games and hit .286 while stealing six bases on nine attempts. In Game 2 of the

2005 World Series The 2005 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2005 season. The 101st edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Chicago White Sox and the National ...

, while facing

Brad Lidge Bradley Thomas Lidge (born December 23, 1976) nicknamed "Lights Out" is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Lidge played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 2002–2012. He played for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phi ...

in the bottom of the 9th inning, with the White Sox and

Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division, having moved to the div ...

tied at 6, Podsednik hit a 2–1 fastball into the right field stands for a

walk-off home run In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning of the game and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will not ...

, only the 14th in World Series history. The feat was all the more improbable because Podsednik did not hit any home runs during the regular season in 2005, and had only hit one in the ALDS against the

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 ...

. Two days later in Game 3, he set a World Series record of eight at-bats in a single World Series Game. In 2006, Podsednik once again led the league with 19 times caught stealing. On November 20, 2007, Podsednik was designated for assignment and released on November 28, 2007.

Colorado Rockies

On February 5, , he signed a minor league contract with an invitation to

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

with 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 ...

. He appeared in 93 games for the Rockies and hit .253. A free agent at the end of the season, he re-signed with the Rockies on January 14, 2009. But he was released before the 2009 season started.

Return to Chicago White Sox

On April 14, 2009, Podsednik agreed to return to the White Sox on a minor-league deal, assigning him to the AAA

Charlotte Knights The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field, which opened in 20 ...

. On April 30, the White Sox called Podsednik from Charlotte to play on White Sox 25-man roster. Podsednik was given plenty of playing time upon his recall, with injuries to Sox center fielders

DeWayne Wise Larry DeWayne Wise (born February 24, 1978) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He graduated from Chapin High School in 1997 and was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the fifth round (158th overall) of the 1997 Major League Ba ...

and Brian Anderson, as well as left fielder

Carlos Quentin Carlos José Quentin (born August 28, 1982) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox and San Diego Padres. In 2008 and 2011, Quentin was sel ...

. He hit .304 in his return to the South Side.

Kansas City Royals

On January 8, 2010, Podsednik signed a contract with the

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 ...

. He hit .309 in 94 games with the Royals, including stealing 30 bases.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On July 28, 2010, the Royals traded Podsednik to the Los Angeles Dodgers in return for two minor league players, catcher

Lucas May Lucas James May (born October 24, 1984) is an American former professional baseball catcher who played for the Kansas City Royals in Major League Baseball (MLB). May graduated from Parkway West High School in Ballwin, Missouri. From there, he ...

and pitcher Elisaul Pimentel. He appeared in 39 games for the Dodgers, with a .262 batting average and five stolen bases. He was shut down for the season in early September because of a foot injury. After the season, he declined his half of a mutual option and became a free agent.

Toronto Blue Jays

On February 16, 2011, Podsednik signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. He played for the Las Vegas 51s in the

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays organization. He was released on May 11.

Philadelphia Phillies

Podsednik signed a minor league contract with the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

on May 22, 2011. He was assigned to their Triple-A affiliate, the

Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and are named in reference to pig iron, used in the ...

, but was limited to playing in just 14 games due to injuries. The Phillies signed Podsednik to another minor league deal on November 30, 2011.Seidman, Corey
Phils add depth with Podsednik, Misch, Frandsen
,

Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia NBC Sports Philadelphia is an American regional sports network owned by the NBC Sports Group unit of NBCUniversal, which in turn is owned by locally based cable television provider Comcast (and owns a controlling 75% interest), and the Philadelph ...

. Published November 30, 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2011. Even after an impressive Spring training, Podsednik was again sent to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Boston Red Sox

On May 11, 2012, Podsednik was traded to the

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 ...

for cash considerations. Podsednik was promoted to Boston May 22 to help with an outfield that saw seven players on the disabled list. On May 22, 2012 he made his debut, pinch hitting for

Marlon Byrd Marlon Jerrard Byrd (born August 30, 1977) is an American former professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, New Yo ...

in the seventh inning of a game against the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

. On the following day also against the Baltimore Orioles, Podsednik made his first start in right field and hit a home run. On July 31, 2012, Podsednik was traded to the

, along with RHP

Matt Albers Matthew James Albers (born January 20, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Indians, Chicag ...

, for LHP

Craig Breslow Craig Andrew Breslow (pronounced BREHZ-loh; born August 8, 1980) is an American baseball executive and former professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently the Assistant General Manager/Vice President, Director of Pitch ...

. He was released the next day after refusing a Triple-A assignment. On August 9, 2012, Podsednik re-signed with the Red Sox on a major league contract. He retired after the 2012 season.

Personal life

He divorced in 2017. His sister Shana is married to former Texas Rangers baseball player,

Kevin Mench Kevin Ford Mench (born January 7, 1978) is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played eight years in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Texas Rangers (2002–2006), Milwaukee Brewers (2006–2007), Toronto Blue Jays ...

. He was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2019, though said in a statement that doctors had caught the cancer at an early stage. In 2021, he gave an interview in which he said that after two rounds of chemotherapy he is now cancer-free.

References

External links

: {{DEFAULTSORT:Podsedonik, Scott 1976 births Living people Seattle Mariners players Milwaukee Brewers players Chicago White Sox players Colorado Rockies players Kansas City Royals players Los Angeles Dodgers players Boston Red Sox players American League All-Stars American people of Czech descent Baseball players from Texas Major League Baseball outfielders National League stolen base champions People from West, Texas Gulf Coast Rangers players Hudson Valley Renegades players Brevard County Manatees players Kane County Cougars players Charlotte Rangers players Tulsa Drillers players Tacoma Rainiers players Charlotte Knights players Colorado Springs Sky Sox players Dunedin Blue Jays players Las Vegas 51s players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players Florida Complex League Phillies players Pawtucket Red Sox players