This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (August 2007) (Find sources: Scott Podsednik – news, books, scholar)

Scott Podsednik
Podsednik at bat
Free Agent — No. --
Outfielder
Born: March 18, 1976 (1976-03-18) (age 33) West, Texas
Bats: Left	Throws: Left
MLB debut
July 6, 2001 for the Seattle Mariners
Career statistics (through 2009)
Batting average	.277
Home runs	35
Runs batted in	249
Stolen bases	266
Teams
Seattle Mariners (2001-2002) Milwaukee Brewers (2003-2004) Chicago White Sox (2005-2007) Colorado Rockies (2008) Chicago White Sox (2009)
Career highlights and awards
All-Star selection (2005) World Series champion in 2005 Led MLB in stolen bases in 2004

Scott Eric Podsednik (born March 18, 1976 in West, Texas) is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. Podsednik led the major leagues in stolen bases in 2004 with 70.

[edit] Professional career

[edit] Minor leagues

Podsednik was drafted out of West High School in the 3rd round, 85th overall, in the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft by the Texas Rangers. Dogged with nagging injuries, he would play only on minor league clubs for the next 8 years. While his play was not stellar initially, he showed gradual improvement until he was promoted to Texas' Double-A team, the Frisco RoughRiders. Here, he began to struggle so much as to be demoted back to the Rangers organization's rookie club in 1999, but he immediately responded by hitting .412 with 5 RBI in just 5 games. After being recalled back to Frisco for the remainder of that season and the 2000 season, the Rangers gave up on him as a future prospect, and he then moved to the Seattle Mariners organization.

Seattle immediately placed Podsednik at the Triple-A level, where he hit .564, good enough for his first promotion to a major league team in September, 2001. He was mostly used in a pinch-running role or as a late defensive replacement. In his first career major league at-bat, he hit a bases loaded triple.^[1]

In 2002, 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.

[edit] Major leagues

After the 2002 season, Podsednik was acquired by the Milwaukee Brewers organization from Seattle for $20,000. In Milwaukee, Podsednik had a fine rookie season, 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 Florida Marlins' Dontrelle Willis in the official Rookie of the Year balloting.

The 2004 season saw Podsednik's average drop to .244. Despite his more limited time on base, Podsednik led the league with 70 stolen bases, an unusual total for a sub-.250 hitter.

In December 2004 Posednik was dealt to a generally well rounded yet below average offensive White Sox team, enabling him to concentrate on his strengths: getting on base and using his speed rather than hitting for power and driving in runs . He quickly became a huge fan favorite in Chicago; indeed, the "Podsednik effect", the threat of him stealing, unnerved opposing pitchers. After leading all of the Major Leagues in steals the first half of 2005 he was selected to his first All-Star game via the MLB's All-Star Final Vote. He saw only defensive time in Detroit that year and did not get a chance to bat.

Podsednik ended 2005 with 59 steals, second in the American League despite missing several games due to injury. He had a good postseason run, starting all 12 games and hitting .286 while stealing 6 bases on 9 attempts. His most memorable moment came in Game 2 of the 2005 World Series. Facing Brad Lidge in the bottom of the 9th inning, with the White Sox and Astros tied at 6, Podsednik hit a 2-1 fastball into the right field stands for a walk-off home run, 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 1 in the ALDS against the Red Sox.

On November 20, 2007, Podsednik was designated for assignment and the White Sox had 10 days to trade, waive, release, or outright him to the minors. Podsednik was released on November 28, 2007.^[2] On February 5, 2008, he signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with the Colorado Rockies.^[3] A free agent at the end of the season, he re-signed with the Rockies on January 14, 2009.^[4] On April 1, 2009, Podsednik was released.

On April 14, 2009, Podsednik agreed to return to the White Sox on a minor-league deal, assigning him to the AAA Charlotte Knights. 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 and Brian Anderson, as well as left fielder Carlos Quentin. He impressed upon his return, solving the Sox's leadoff problem, and batting .319 through his first 45 games back on the South Side.

On September 12, 2009, Podsednik had an inside the park home run against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

[edit] Personal

He is married to Playboy playmate Lisa Dergan.

[edit] See also

• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
• List of Major League Baseball stolen base champions

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube