Michael Restovich

Michael Restovich

Restovich with the Chicago White Sox during spring training in 2009.
Outfielder
Born: (1979-01-31) January 31, 1979
Rochester, Minnesota
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 18, 2002, for the Minnesota Twins
Last MLB appearance
May 5, 2007, for the Washington Nationals
MLB statistics
Batting average .239
Home runs 6
Runs batted in 21
Teams

Michael Jerome Restovich (born January 31, 1979) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and outfielder.

High school career

Restovich attended Mayo High School where after his senior season in 1997 he was named player of the year for the state of Minnesota, and also made the All-American team.[1] He also played basketball in high school. He was scheduled to attend Notre Dame University to play baseball but chose to sign with a professional team instead. His brother and father had previously played baseball at Notre Dame.

Professional career

Minnesota Twins

He was drafted in the second round of the 1997 MLB draft by the Minnesota Twins. In 1998 he played for the Rookie-Class Elizabethton Twins, where he hit .355 with 13 home runs in 65 games. He was chosen as the Appalachian League Most Valuable Player. In 1999 with the Quad Cities River Bandits he hit .312 with 19 home runs in 131 games and was selected to both the mid-season and post-season Midwest League All-Star teams. He made it to Triple-A in 2002, where he hit 29 home runs for Edmonton and was selected to the Pacific Coast League post-season all-star team. He also played for the U.S. team in the 2002 All-Star Futures Game. He also played in the AAA All-Star Game in 2003.

Restovich made his Major League debut on September 18, 2002 for the Twins against the Detroit Tigers. He was hitless in four at-bats in that game. His first Major League hit was a home run against Kelly Wunsch of the Chicago White Sox on September 21. He played in parts of three seasons with the Twins from 2002–2004, appearing in 61 games with a batting average of .274 and 3 home runs.

Colorado Rockies / Pittsburgh Pirates

He was put on waivers by the Twins at the end of spring training in 2005, and picked up by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, only to be claimed off of waivers again, just seven days later, by the Colorado Rockies. He got into 14 games with the Rockies in 2005, hitting .290 in 31 at-bats, before being traded, on May 11, 2005, to the Pittsburgh Pirates for a player to be named later. He appeared in 52 games as a Pirate, but hit just .214.

Chicago Cubs

After the 2005 season, he was released by the Pirates, and signed by the Chicago Cubs to a minor league contract. He played almost the entire year in Triple-A Iowa, where he hit 27 homers and batted .293.

Washington Nationals

At the end of the season, he opted for minor league free agency, and was signed by the Washington Nationals.At the end of spring training in 2007, Restovich failed to make the team, but outfielder Kory Casto, after starting poorly, was optioned to Triple-A Columbus to play every day, and Restovich was called up. On the day Restovich was called up, April 18, he debuted for the Nats as a pinch hitter, hit a single, then stayed in the game, and hit a double in the 13th inning that lead to the winning run in a Nats 5-4 game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The following day, he got his first start. But after hitting .143, and going hitless in his last 19 at-bats, he was sent back to Columbus in early May. At Columbus, Restovich finished the season well, hitting .270 with 20 home runs and 58 RBI over 356 AB. After the season, he was granted free-agency.

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

On November 24, 2007, Restovich signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, but then signed with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, of Japan's Pacific League on December 8, 2007. He played in 48 games in Japan, with a .223 batting average.

Chicago White Sox

In January 2009, he signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox with an invitation to spring training.[2] He began the 2009 season with the team's Triple-A affiliate, the Charlotte Knights.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On January 8, 2010, Restovich signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers with an invite to spring training.[3] He was assigned to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes to start the season. He hit .305 in 111 games with the Isotopes, including 12 homers and 50 RBI.

Chicago White Sox

In 2011, Restovich signed a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox and was assigned to the team's Triple-A affiliate, the Charlotte Knights. In 26 games (96 at-bats), he hit .229, 3 home runs and 8 RBI.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Restovich was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks from the Chicago White Sox on July 27, 2011.

References

  1. ↑ Official Player Profile
  2. ↑ "White Sox invite 18 to camp". iht.com. Associated Press. 2009-01-12. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  3. ↑ Gurnick, Ken (2010-01-08). "Dodgers sign Ortiz, Restovich to Minors". mlb.com.
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