{{Short description|American baseball player (born 1993)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2014}} {{Infobox MLB player |name=Cody Kukuk |team= |position=Starting pitcher |bats=Left |throws=Left |birth_date={{birth date and age|1993|4|10}} |birth_place=McLouth, Kansas, U.S. }} '''Cody Scott Kukuk''' (born April 10, 1993) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played from 2012 to 2014 in the Boston Red Sox organization. In 2015, he was sentenced to prison for an armed robbery.
==Pitching career== Kukuk attended Lawrence Free State High School in Lawrence, Kansas, playing for the school's baseball team as a pitcher and outfielder. In his junior year, Kukuk earned Sunflower League Player of the Year and the Gatorade Kansas Baseball Player of the Year honors. He committed to attend the University of Kansas on a college baseball scholarship to play for the Kansas Jayhawks baseball team.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/nov/18/pair-firebirds-headed-ku/|title=Free State Firebirds Cody Kukuk, Colin Toalson sign with KU baseball|work=LJWorld.com|accessdate=December 18, 2014}}</ref> The Boston Red Sox selected Kukuk in the seventh round (232nd overall) of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft, and he received a $800,000 signing bonus to join the Red Sox organization rather than attend college.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2011/aug/16/lefty-pitcher-cody-kukuk-red-sox-agree-800000/|title=Lefty pitcher Cody Kukuk, Red Sox agree for $800,000|work=LJWorld.com|accessdate=December 18, 2014}}</ref><ref name=dismissed/>
In May 2012, Kukuk was arrested for driving under the influence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jrn.com/fox4now/news/151758565.html|title=Baseball player arrested for DUI|author=Kathleen Lorraine|work=Fox4Now|accessdate=December 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218225341/http://www.jrn.com/fox4now/news/151758565.html|archive-date=December 18, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2012/may/16/ex-firebird-cody-kukuk-arrested/|title=Ex-Firebird Cody Kukuk arrested|work=LJWorld.com|accessdate=December 18, 2014}}</ref> The charge was dismissed in August when a judge determined that the officer did not have sufficient probable cause to pull over Kukuk.<ref name=dismissed>{{cite web|url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2012/aug/10/dui-charges-dismissed-against-former-free-state-ba/|title=DUI charges dismissed against former Free State baseball player Cody Kukuk|work=LJWorld.com|accessdate=December 18, 2014}}</ref> He missed most of the 2012 season as a result of the charge, pitching in only five games for the Gulf Coast League Red Sox of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2014/11/19/red-sox-minor-leaguer-cody-kukuk-arrested-for-robbery/|title=Full Count » Red Sox minor leaguer Cody Kukuk arrested for robbery|work=Full Count|accessdate=December 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218230144/http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2014/11/19/red-sox-minor-leaguer-cody-kukuk-arrested-for-robbery/|archive-date=December 18, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Kukuk joined the Greenville Drive of the Single-A South Atlantic League in 2013, returning to Greenville in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/sports/baseball/greenville-drive/2014/04/02/kukuk-among-drive-players-who-feel-at-home/7190453/|title=Kukuk among Drive players who feel at home|date=April 2, 2014|publisher=|accessdate=December 18, 2014}}</ref> After opening the season with a 3–0 record and a 1.88 ERA in five starts, the Red Sox promoted him to the Salem Red Sox of the High-A Carolina League.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://linedrive.blogs.goupstate.com/12813/greenville-drive-notes-cody-kukuk-promoted-safe-kids-mothers-day-etc/|title=Greenville Drive notes: Cody Kukuk promoted, Safe Kids, Mother's Day, etc.|accessdate=December 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219002641/http://linedrive.blogs.goupstate.com/12813/greenville-drive-notes-cody-kukuk-promoted-safe-kids-mothers-day-etc/|archive-date=December 19, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Kukuk struggled at Salem, going 4–7 with a 5.26 ERA and 87 strikeouts, while walking 71 batters in {{frac|78|2|3}} innings pitched.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roanoke.com/sports/salem-red-sox-season-ends-with-shutout-loss-in-first/article_dcc4c663-53dc-5912-ab23-e8aed0eb43ba.html|title=Salem Red Sox season ends with shutout loss in first round playoffs|work=www.roanoke.com|date=September 5, 2014 |accessdate=December 18, 2014}}</ref>
==Criminal history== In November 2014, Kukuk was arrested in Long Beach, California, due to a warrant issued for an aggravated robbery committed in Lawrence earlier in the month.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2014/nov/19/two-lawrence-men-arrested-california-aggravated-ro/|title=Two Lawrence men, one a pro baseball player, arrested in California on aggravated robbery warrants out of Douglas County|work=LJWorld.com|accessdate=December 18, 2014}}</ref> He was extradited to Lawrence to await trial.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2014/dec/17/defendent-testifies-against-codefendants-one-pro-b/|title=Defendant testifies against codefendants, one a pro baseball player, in Lawrence aggravated robbery case|work=LJWorld.com|accessdate=December 18, 2014}}</ref> Afterwards, the Red Sox put Kukuk on the restricted list (making him ineligible to play, but still part of the organization).
On May 7, 2015, Kukuk pleaded no contest to aggravated robbery, robbery, and aggravated burglary.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2015/may/07/lawrence-man-red-sox-farm-player-found-guilty-nove/|title=Lawrence man, Red Sox farm player found guilty in November robbery case|work=LJWorld.com|accessdate=May 7, 2015}}</ref> Facing up to 519 months (over 43 years) in prison if given the maximum sentence, on June 9 he was sentenced to three and a half years for his actions. In addition to his 42-month prison sentence, Kukuk was ordered to serve 36 months of post release supervision after he is released from prison. He was also ordered to register as a violent offender for 15 years after his sentence is complete. Additionally, Judge Paula Martin ordered Kukuk to pay restitution to the victims and pay the cost of his extradition from California to Kansas.<ref>[http://www.6lawrence.com/news/crime-fire-courts/14810-boston-red-sox-minor-league-player-cody-kukuk-sentenced-to-prison-for-lawrence-armed-robbery Kukuk sentenced to prison for Lawrence armed robbery]. ''6Lawrence.com''. Retrieved on June 9, 2015.</ref> The Red Sox released Kukuk following his sentencing.<ref>[http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2015/jun/19/cody-kukuk-released-boston-red-sox-following-35-ye/ Lawrence man released by Boston Red Sox following prison sentence]. ''LJWorld.com''. Retrieved on June 20, 2015.</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== {{baseballstats|brm=kukuk-000cod}}, or [http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=605325#/career/R/pitching/2015/ALL MiLB.com]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kukuk, Cody}} Category:1993 births Category:Living people Category:American people convicted of burglary Category:American people convicted of robbery Category:American sportspeople convicted of crimes Category:Baseball pitchers Category:Baseball players from Kansas Category:Greenville Drive players Category:Gulf Coast Red Sox players Category:People from Jefferson County, Kansas Category:Salem Red Sox players