Dan Cortes

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name = Dan Cortes

| image = B87F0419 Dan Cortes.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Cortes with the Seattle Mariners

| position = Pitcher

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|3|4}}

| birth_place = Pomona, California, U.S.

| bats = Right

| throws = Right

|debutleague = MLB

| debutdate = September 24

| debutyear = 2010

| debutteam = Seattle Mariners

|finalleague = MLB

| finaldate = September 12

| finalyear = 2011

| finalteam = Seattle Mariners

|statleague = MLB

| stat1label = Win–loss record

| stat1value = 0–3

| stat2label = Earned run average

| stat2value = 5.06

| stat3label = Strikeouts

| stat3value = 9

| teams =

Seattle Mariners ({{mlby|2010}}–{{Baseball year|2011}})

}}

Daniel Adam Cortes (born March 4, 1987) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the seventh round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft.{{cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050607&content_id=1080460&vkey=news_cws&fext=.jsp&c_id=cws |title=White Sox lean toward pitching depth |author=Scott Merkin |date=June 9, 2005 |work=Major League Baseball |publisher=mlb.com |access-date=2009-12-08}} He also played in the Kansas City Royals organization.

Professional career

=Chicago White Sox=

Cortes began his professional career in {{baseball year|2005}} with the Rookie-Level Bristol White Sox of the Appalachian League. While playing under manager Jerry Hairston, Cortes went 1–4 with a 5.17 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 15 games, even started. Baseball America ranked Cortes as the 22nd best prospect in the White Sox organization.

In {{baseball year|2006}} Cortes began his season with the Class-A Kannapolis Intimidators of the South Atlantic League. He went 3–9 with a 4.01 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 20 games, 19 starts. He was then traded to the Kansas City Royals along with pitcher Tyler Lumsden in exchange for pitcher Mike MacDougal on July 24.{{cite magazine |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/baseball/mlb/07/24/whitesox.trade/?cnn=yes |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025182304/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/baseball/mlb/07/24/whitesox.trade/?cnn=yes |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 25, 2012 |title=White Sox trade for MacDougal |author=Jon Heyman |date=July 24, 2006 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |publisher=si.com |access-date=2009-12-08}}{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2528494 |title=ChiSox acquire MacDougal; Soriano far behind? |author= |date=July 25, 2006 |work=ESPN |publisher=ESPN.com |access-date=2009-12-08}}

=Kansas City Royals=

Cortes finished the 2006 season with the Class-A Burlington Bees of the Midwest League. He went 1–2 with a 6.69 ERA with 30 strikeouts in seven games, all starts.

In {{baseball year|2007}} Cortes played for the Class-A Advanced Wilmington Blue Rocks of the Carolina League. He went 8–8 with a 3.07 ERA with 120 strikeouts in 23 games, all starts. He was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of August 20 to August 26.{{cite web |url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3533404 |title=Cortes Claims Carolina League Pitching Award |author= |date=August 28, 2007 |work=OurSports Central |publisher=oursportscentral.com |access-date=2009-12-08}} Cortes was again awarded Pitcher of the Week for the week of August 27 to September 2.{{cite web |url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3537134 |title=Cortes Once Again Named League's Pitcher Of The Week |author= |date=September 4, 2007 |work=OurSports Central |publisher=oursportscentral.com |access-date=2009-12-08}}

He played for the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals of the Texas League in {{baseball year|2008}}. Cortes went 10–4 with a 3.78 ERA with 109 strikeouts in 23 games, all starts. Before the season he was ranked as the second best prospect in the Royals' organization by Baseball America.{{cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080123&content_id=2354150&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |title=Notes: Aviles, Hardy win awards |author=Dick Kaegel |date=January 23, 2008 |work=Major League Baseball |publisher=mlb.com |access-date=2009-12-08}}{{cite web |url=http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/organization-top-10-prospects/2008/265472.html |title=Kansas City Royals Top Ten Prospects |author=Josh Leventhal |date=January 23, 2008 |work=Baseball America |publisher=baseballamerica.com |access-date=2009-12-08}} He was also named to the Texas League All-Star team.{{cite web |url=http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080825&content_id=3365781&vkey=news_sea&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617081123/http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080825&content_id=3365781&vkey=news_sea&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 17, 2011 |title=Ka'aihue named Double-A's top player |author=Dick Kaegel |date=August 25, 2008 |work=Major League Baseball |publisher=mlb.com |access-date=2009-12-08}} He did miss playing time while on the disabled list.{{cite web |url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3628636 |title=Cortes placed on DL, Hayes promoted from Wilmington |author= |date=April 23, 2008 |work=OurSports Central |publisher=oursportscentral.com |access-date=2009-12-08}} The Royals recognized Cortes as the top pitcher for the Double-A Naturals and he was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League at the end of the '08 season.{{cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080829&content_id=3385564&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |title=Royals recognize top Minor Leaguers |author=Dick Kaegel |date=August 29, 2008 |work=Major League Baseball |publisher=mlb.com |access-date=2009-12-08}}{{cite web |url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3709171 |title=Five Naturals Selected by Royals for Arizona Fall League |author= |date=August 27, 2008 |work=OurSports Central |publisher=oursportscentral.com |access-date=2009-12-08}}

In January, {{baseball year|2009}} Cortes received the "Paul Splittorff Pitcher of the Year Award" from the Royals.{{cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090107&content_id=3736401&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |title=Royals Awards winners announced |author=Dick Kaegel |date=January 7, 2009 |work=Major League Baseball |publisher=mlb.com |access-date=2009-12-08}} He attended spring training with the Royals in '09 as a non-roster invitee.{{cite web |url=http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/sports_article.asp?aID=112430.44818.124549 |title=Texas League: Several Naturals Join Royals In Major League Camp |author= |date= February 13, 2009 |work=NWANaturals.com |publisher=arkansasbusiness.com |access-date=2009-12-08}}{{cite web |url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-509097 |title=Several Naturals Report to Major League Spring Training |author=Frank Novak |date=February 13, 2009 |work=Northwest Arkansas Naturals |publisher=Minor League Baseball |access-date=2009-12-13}} Cortes was named a "Player to Watch" by MLB.com before the season.{{cite web |url=http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090320&content_id=4040834&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp&c_id=kc |title=10 Royals prospects to watch |author=Jonathan Mayo |date=March 22, 2009 |work=Major League Baseball |publisher=mlb.com |access-date=2009-12-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090328100345/http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090320&content_id=4040834&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp&c_id=kc |archive-date=March 28, 2009 |url-status=dead }} He went 6–6 with a 3.92 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 16 games, 15 starts with the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals. On July 10 he was traded by the Royals with Derrick Saito to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Yuniesky Betancourt.{{cite web |url=http://www.kansascity.com/164/story/1317956.html |title=Royals acquire Betancourt from Mariners for two minor-league pitchers |author=Bob Dutton |date=July 10, 2009 |work=KansasCity.com |access-date=2009-12-08}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}{{cite web |url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-5803196 |title=Naturals RHP Cortes dealt to Seattle Mariners |author= |date=July 10, 2009 |work=Northwest Arkansas Naturals |publisher=Minor League Baseball |access-date=2009-12-13}}

=Seattle Mariners=

After the trade Cortes was assigned to the Double-A West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. Cortes went 1–5 with a 4.94 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 10 games, all starts. He was added to the Mariners 40-man roster on November 20.{{cite web |url=http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/playerbreakingnews.asp?sport=MLB&id=5438&line=278877&spln=1 |title=Mariners add six to 40-man roster |date=November 20, 2009 |work=NBC Sports |publisher=rotoworld.com |access-date=2009-12-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616123305/http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/playerbreakingnews.asp?sport=MLB&id=5438&line=278877&spln=1 |archive-date=June 16, 2011 |url-status=dead }}

On December 12, 2011, the Mariners announced via their Twitter feed that Cortes had been non-tendered along with catcher Chris Gimenez.[https://www.twitter.com/Mariners/status/146454568367173632 #Mariners non-tender RHP Dan Cortes and C Chris Gimenez. 40-man roster is now at 36.]{{cite web |url=http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111213&content_id=26152690&vkey=pr_sea&c_id=sea |title=Mariners non-tender right-hander Dan Cortes and catcher Chris Gimenez (mlb.com) |date=December 13, 2011 |work=Major League Baseball |publisher=mlb.com |access-date=2011-12-13 |archive-date=2013-11-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113192141/http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111213&content_id=26152690&vkey=pr_sea&c_id=sea |url-status=dead }}

=Washington Nationals=

Cortes signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals on January 4, 2012. His contract was voided on February 29, after he failed his physical with the Nationals.

=Arizona Diamondbacks=

Cortes signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 15, 2013.

Personal life

Cortes, who had taken a summer job at a sporting goods store, was taken bowling by his new co-workers and when he attempted to leave the bowling alley he was stabbed after trying to break up a confrontation between his co-worker and the stabber.{{cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081106&content_id=3669494&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |title=Cortes making most of second chance |author=Kevin T. Czerwinski |date=November 7, 2009 |work=Major League Baseball |publisher=mlb.com |access-date=2009-12-08}} His co-worker died and Cortes was hospitalized.{{cite web |url=http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090304&content_id=3918012&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp&c_id=kc |title=Cortes uses past as motivation in camp |author=Dick Kaegel |date=March 4, 2009 |work=Major League Baseball |publisher=kansascity.royals.mlb.com |access-date=2009-12-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090308052038/http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090304&content_id=3918012&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp&c_id=kc |archive-date=2009-03-08 |url-status=dead }} He questioned if he would be able to pitch again since the injury was on his throwing arm. He did however make a full recovery.

{{blockquote|text=I told the guys I was going to leave and they said OK, they'd come too and we started to walk out...There were three gangsters outside and they picked a fight with one of my co-workers. I tried to mellow everyone out, but I got caught up in it and two guys tried to fight me. I started fighting and I got stabbed eight times.|author=Dan Cortes|source=MLB.com: November 7, 2008.}}

On January 1, 2009, Cortes was arrested on charges of public intoxication and disorderly conduct in Fayetteville, Arkansas.{{cite web |url=http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlesports/archives/173478.asp |title=Newly-acquired Mariners' pitcher was recently arrested |author=Greg Johns |date=July 10, 2009 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |publisher=seattlepi.com |access-date=January 21, 2010}}{{cite web |url=http://www.wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10635621 |title=Naturals pitcher Dan Cortes arrested |author= |date=July 2, 2009 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=wmctv.com |access-date=January 21, 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} According to police accounts, Cortes was arrested after he allegedly urinated on a fence outside Grub's Bar & Grille. After five hours in jail, Cortes was released when he posted a $655 bond.