John Courtright

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1970)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name = John Courtright

| position = Pitcher

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|5|30}}

| birth_place = Marion, Ohio

| bats = Left

| throws = Left

|debutleague = MLB

| debutdate = May 6

| debutyear = 1995

| debutteam = Cincinnati Reds

|finalleague = MLB

| finaldate = May 6

| finalyear = 1995

| finalteam = Cincinnati Reds

|statleague = MLB

| stat1label = Innings pitched

| stat1value = 1

| stat2label = Earned run average

| stat2value = 9.00

| stat3label = Strikeouts

| stat3value = 0

| teams =

• Cincinnati Reds ({{mlby|1995}})

}}

John Charles Courtright (born May 30, 1970) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds.

Courtright graduated from Marion Harding High School in Marion, Ohio, played college baseball at Duke and was selected in the eighth round of the 1991 Major League Baseball draft by the Reds.{{cite news |last1=McCurdy |first1=Rob |title=Column: Marion's Moonlight Graham played one game, too |url=https://www.marionstar.com/story/sports/local/2016/06/18/rob-mccurdy-marion-star-john-courtright-cincinnati-reds/85830046/ |accessdate=6 July 2020 |work=Marion Star |date=June 18, 2016 |language=en}}

In April 1994, while pitching for the Chattanooga Lookouts, Courtright was the first pitcher to face Birmingham Barons outfielder Michael Jordan in a regular season game. He struck Jordan out twice but asked for his autograph on the following day.{{cite magazine |author-link1=Tim Kurkjian |last1=Kurkjian |first1=Tim |title=Baron von Bloop |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1994/04/18/baseball |accessdate=6 July 2020 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=April 18, 1994 |language=en-us}}{{cite news |author-link1=Sweeny Murti |last1=Murti |first1=Sweeny |title='30 with Murti': John Courtright on Pitching Against Michael Jordan |url=https://wfan.radio.com/articles/news/30-with-murti-pitching-against-michael-jordan |accessdate=6 July 2020 |work=WFAN Sports Radio |date=4 May 2020 |language=en}}

On May 6, 1995, he and Scott Sullivan were promoted to Cincinnati's Major League roster to replace Willie Greene and Johnny Ruffin.{{cite news |title=Reds Dispatch Best Prospect |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1995/may/06/reds-dispatch-best-prospect/ |accessdate=7 July 2020 |work=Spokesman-Review |agency=Associated Press |date=May 6, 1995}} He made his debut on the same day at the age of 25 at Riverfront Stadium against the New York Mets. In the eighth inning, manager Davey Johnson double-switched him and Jerome Walton into the game for Deion Sanders and Scott Sullivan respectively. He pitched one inning and gave up one earned run and never pitched in the big leagues again.{{cite web |title=New York Mets at Cincinnati Reds Box Score, May 6, 1995 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN199505060.shtml |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference |accessdate=6 July 2020 |language=en}}

A month after his Major League debut, he was traded to the Minnesota Twins for David McCarty.{{cite web |title=John Courtright Stats |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/courtjo01.shtml#all_transactions_other |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference |accessdate=7 July 2020 |language=en}}

Courtright served as an agent after retiring, representing such players as Zack Greinke, Jon Lester, Patrick Corbin, J. A. Happ, Clay Buchholz, Adam Lind, B.J. Ryan, Glen Perkins and Austin Kearns.{{cite news |last1=Matthews |first1=Wallace |title=Patrick Corbin meeting with Yankees "went very well" according to a source |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-sports-patrick-corbin-yankees-visit-20181129-story.html |accessdate=6 July 2020 |work=New York Daily News |date=November 29, 2018}}{{cite magazine |last1=Kotloff |first1=Brian |title=Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz to visit Dr. James Andrews for second opinion |url=https://www.si.com/si-wire/2013/07/21/red-sox-clay-buchholz-james-andrews |accessdate=6 July 2020 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=July 21, 2013 |language=en-us}}{{cite news |last1=Bremer |first1=George |title=Lind optimistic about his fresh start |url=https://www.heraldbulletin.com/sports/local_sports/lind-optimistic-about-his-fresh-start/article_cb5de3bd-05d0-5f5f-b573-50063640e610.html |accessdate=6 July 2020 |work=Herald Bulletin |date=December 6, 2010 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Phill |title=Perkins makes contract extension offer Twins gladly accept |url=https://www.startribune.com/perkins-makes-contract-extension-offer-twins-gladly-accept/250420591/ |accessdate=6 July 2020 |work=Star Tribune |date=March 15, 2014}}{{cite news |title=Mets' GM ready to make offers to closers Wagner, Ryan |url=https://billingsgazette.com/sports/mets-gm-ready-to-make-offers-to-closers-wagner-ryan/article_914f23ea-4dbc-52ed-9061-c92784e98605.html |accessdate=6 July 2020 |work=The Billings Gazette |date=November 11, 2005 |language=en}} He also represented manager John Farrell and former Reds teammate Scott Sullivan.{{cite news |last1=Greenstein |first1=Teddy |title=Arbitration offer likely for Colon |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2003-12-07-0312070302-story,amp.html |accessdate=6 July 2020 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=December 7, 2003}}