Chad Mottola is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues for several teams. He was born on October 15, 1971, in Augusta, Georgia, and grew up in Florida. Mottola attended the University of Central Florida, where he played college baseball and was named an All-American in 1992.
Mottola was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the first round of the 1992 MLB draft. He spent several years in the minor leagues before making his Major League debut with the Reds in 1996. Mottola played in 13 games for the Reds that season, hitting .200 with one home run and three RBIs.
Over the next few years, Mottola bounced around between the Major Leagues and the minor leagues. He played for the Reds, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Baltimore Orioles, and the Florida Marlins. Mottola had some success at the plate, hitting .200 or better in several seasons and hitting a career-high .333 in 2000 with the Blue Jays.
Mottola's best season in the Major Leagues came in 2000, when he played in 48 games for the Blue Jays and hit .333 with four home runs and 16 RBIs. He also had a .400 on-base percentage and a .500 slugging percentage that season.
After the 2001 season, Mottola signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He played in 29 games for the Devil Rays in 2002, hitting .200 with one home run and six RBIs. Mottola spent the rest of the 2002 season in the minor leagues.
Mottola played in the minor leagues for several more years, playing for the Devil Rays, the New York Yankees, and the Washington Nationals. He retired from professional baseball in 2007.
Overall, Mottola played in 59 games in the Major Leagues, hitting .200 with two home runs and nine RBIs. He also played in over 1,300 games in the minor leagues, hitting .274 with 214 home runs and 864 RBIs.
After his playing career, Mottola became a coach and manager in the minor leagues. He served as a hitting coach for several teams, including the Blue Jays, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Tampa Bay Rays. In 2019, Mottola was named the International League Manager of the Year after leading the Buffalo Bisons to a division title.
In conclusion, Chad Mottola had a solid career in professional baseball, playing in the Major Leagues for several teams and having success at the plate. He also had a successful career in the minor leagues and has continued to work in baseball as a coach and manager.
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