Corky Miller

Miller signed with the Cincinnati Reds as an undrafted free agent in 1998. Miller played for the Billings Mustangs, in Billings Montana. He made his Major League debut at age 25 on September 4, 2001, in a 7-1 Reds home loss to the Houston Astros, a game which he started and went hitless in three at-bats.[5] He got his first big-league hit six days later, a single off Tony McKnight in a 3-1 road loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.[6] Miller remained with the Reds organization through 2004. On September 27, 2001, Miller was credited with stealing home.[7]

Miller played in five games with 12 plate appearances for the Minnesota Twins in 2005. In 2005, he also pitched for the first time in a professional game with the Twins AAA-affiliate the Rochester Red Wings. (He has since pitched a number of times—using a knuckleball—for the Louisville Bats.)[8]

He was signed by the Boston Red Sox on April 25, 2006, and added to the Pawtucket Red Sox Triple-A roster. Miller was promoted to Boston on August 5, 2006, but his tenure in Boston would not last long. After appearing in just one game (a 7–6 defeat against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on August 6, 2006), Miller would be designated for assignment on August 14, 2006, to make room for Craig Breslow, who was promoted from Pawtucket.

Miller was granted free agency after the season and signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves.

On July 31, 2007, the Braves called up Miller to fill up the backup catcher role after previous backup catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia was traded that day. He made his debut on August 2, hitting a pinch-hit infield single. On August 5, Miller hit a game-tying RBI double, his first extra-base hit since 2002, against the Colorado Rockies. On September 15, Miller hit his first home run since 2002.

On August 1, 2008, Miller was designated for assignment, and was eventually sent outright to the minors. He returned to the Braves' active roster on September 1.

Miller became a free agent following the 2008 season and signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox.[9]

As a non-roster invitee to White Sox spring training, Miller impressed enough to be awarded the back-up catcher's role to A. J. Pierzynski. In his first regular season game for the White Sox on April 11, 2009 (vs. the Minnesota Twins) Miller went 2–4, with 2 RBI and a run scored. The game resulted in an 8–0 White Sox victory.

On June 26, 2009, Miller was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for outfielder Norris Hopper. On August 25, 2009, Miller was called up to the Cincinnati Reds from the Louisville Bats. He became a free agent following the season, but re-signed to a minor league deal.

Miller started the 2010 season not on the Reds 40-man roster, but after the injury of Ryan Hanigan, he was placed on the active roster and took over backup duties to Ramón Hernández. He continued to fill the backup role, now with Hanigan and Hernandez switching spots on the disabled list. His starts came mostly as catcher for the Reds' young arms, such as Travis Wood and Matt Maloney, since he caught them in Louisville. He was outrighted back to Louisville on July 22, 2010, after Hanigan came back from the DL. Miller was called up on September 1. The Reds outrighted him from the roster in the offseason and he refused his assignment, becoming a free agent. They re-signed him to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.[10]

On April 21, 2013, Miller was promoted to the Reds, replacing the injured Ryan Hanigan.[11] He made his first start of the season on April 23, 2013, against the Chicago Cubs. The Reds lost this game in extra innings. On May 10, 2013, Miller was outrighted back to Louisville, after Hanigan was activated from the DL. He was called up by the Reds again on July 11, 2013, after placing Hanigan on the disabled list again. On August 7 Miller started behind the plate and hit two RBI doubles in the game before leaving in the fifth inning after a home plate collision; he was later placed on the 15-day disabled list.[11] Miller played in a total of 17 games with the Reds in 2013.[2]

At the conclusion of the 2013 regular season, the Reds outrighted him from the roster. He refused his assignment, becoming a free agent. However, during the Reds annual Redsfest an unsigned Miller appeared signing autographs. Miller would resign to a minor league deal with the Reds the next day.

Miller started the 2014 season in Triple-A Louisville. Miller served as a primary catcher for the Bats due to Tucker Barnhart starting the season in Cincinnati with Devin Mesoraco on the DL. On April 13, 2014, while pitching for the Bats, Miller used a knuckleball to strike out a batter.[12]

Miller was placed on the inactive list in May before being placed on the disabled list in June for a back strain. The Bats announced on August 5, 2014, that they would retire Miller's jersey. Corky Miller is known to many Louisville Bats baseball fans for his mustache, but he'll be remembered by his No. 8 jersey, the first to be retired by the franchise.[13] Who at the time of his retirement held the franchise record for number of games played.