Henry Cotto

From BR Bullpen

Henry Cotto

Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 6' 2", Weight 178 lb.

Debut April 5, 1984
Final Game September 30, 1993
Born January 5, 1961 in New York, NY USA

[edit] Biographical Information

Henry Cotto played with four big league teams in a decade in the majors but is perhaps best known for his time with the Seattle Mariners from 1988 to 1993. In 1992, he had 9 hits in 18 pinch at-bats. The next year, with the Florida Marlins, one of his highlights was a seventh inning pinch hit single against the New York Mets, which drove in a run and helped his team win 2-1.

Cotto was born in the Bronx. His Puerto Rican family moved back to the island when he was three months old (New York Times, March 24, 1985). Pedrín Zorrilla scouted him for the Chicago Cubs, with whom he broke in during the 1984 season. He was the fourth outfielder on their division-leading team. Cotto went to the New York Yankees in 1985, suffering a bizarre injury that May. While using a Q-Tip on the bench, he was bumped by Ken Griffey Sr. and sustained a punctured eardrum. He shuttled between Columbus and New York from 1985 to 1987 before sticking for good with Seattle.

After his big league career, Cotto played for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan in 1994. He returned to the U.S. the next year, playing briefly for the Nashville Sounds in the Chicago White Sox organization before retiring in July. He has been a coach in the Seattle Mariners system since 1996.