# Mike Tonis
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{{short description|American baseball player (born 1979)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
| name = Mike Tonis
| image =
| caption =
| position = [Catcher](/source/Catcher)
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|2|9}}
| birth_place = [Sacramento, California](/source/Sacramento%2C_California), U.S.
| bats = Right
| throws = Right
| debutleague = MLB
| debutdate = June 20
| debutyear = 2004
| debutteam = Kansas City Royals
| finalleague = MLB
| finaldate = June 24
| finalyear = 2004
| finalteam = Kansas City Royals
| statleague = MLB
| stat1label = [Batting average](/source/Batting_average_(baseball))
| stat1value = .000
| stat2label = [Home run](/source/Home_run)s
| stat2value = 0
| stat3label = [Runs batted in](/source/Run_batted_in)
| stat3value = 0
| teams =
* [Kansas City Royals](/source/Kansas_City_Royals) ({{By|2004}})
}}
'''Michael Timothy Tonis''' (born February 9, 1979)[{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ko/mike-koutsantonakis-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418071911/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ko/mike-koutsantonakis-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |accessdate=18 July 2012}}] is a Greek-American former professional [baseball](/source/baseball) [catcher](/source/catcher). He played in [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) (MLB) for the [Kansas City Royals](/source/Kansas_City_Royals).
==Career==
Tonis attended Elk Grove High School and was drafted in the 52nd round of the {{By|1997}} [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) draft by the [New York Mets](/source/New_York_Mets), but did not sign, instead choosing to attend the [University of California](/source/University_of_California). In 1998, he played [collegiate summer baseball](/source/collegiate_summer_baseball) with the [Brewster Whitecaps](/source/Brewster_Whitecaps) of the [Cape Cod Baseball League](/source/Cape_Cod_Baseball_League) and was named a league all-star.[{{cite web|author= |url=http://capecodbaseball.org.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/2012website/archives/Current%20Year/All_Time_MLB_CCBL_Alumni.pdf |title=Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League |publisher=capecodbaseball.org |date= |accessdate=January 9, 2020}}][{{cite web|url=http://master.v2.capecodbaseball.org.ismmedia.com/ftp/archives/Arc1998/east_allstars.htm |title=Cape Cod Baseball League 1998 All-Star Teams |publisher=capecodbaseball.org |access-date=May 6, 2020}}] The [Royals](/source/Kansas_City_Royals) drafted him again in the 2nd round of the {{By|2000}} [draft](/source/2000_Major_League_Baseball_draft) and he did sign. Tonis's best season was {{By|2001}}, when he [batted](/source/Batting_average_(baseball)) .264 with 12 [home run](/source/home_run)s and 61 [RBI](/source/Run_batted_in) with the Single-A [Wilmington Blue Rocks](/source/Wilmington_Blue_Rocks) and Double-A [Wichita Wranglers](/source/Wichita_Wranglers). Prior to the 2002 season, Tonis suffered multiple injuries, which sidelined him for most of the season. When he returned, he was hit in the jaw with a pitch while rehabbing, and was forced to have his jaw wired shut. He was called up from Double-A Wichita in {{By|2004}} to make his major league debut on June 20. He played his last game on June 24 before being sent back down to Double-A. He has not played for an MLB affiliated team since.
Tonis joined the [Greek](/source/Greece) baseball team for the [2004 Athens Olympics](/source/2004_Athens_Olympics). Mike played for Greece and used his complete Greek name which is Michael Koutsantonakis. As was the case with many [Greek immigrants](/source/Greek_Americans) [to America](/source/Immigration_to_the_United_States), Mike's grandfather abbreviated his original Greek last name to an easier to pronounce and spell "Americanized" name.
After the Athens 2004 Olympics, Mike continued to be an active roster player for the [Greek National Baseball Team](/source/Greece_national_baseball_team). He played for Greece in the 2008 European Qualifier Cup in Abrandes, [Portugal](/source/Portugal); in the 2010 European Seniors Championship in [Stuttgart](/source/Stuttgart), [Germany](/source/Germany); and in the 2011 IBAF Baseball World Cup in [Panama](/source/Panama).
==See also==
*[List of baseball players who have represented more than one nation](/source/List_of_baseball_players_who_have_represented_more_than_one_nation)
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{baseballstats|mlb=408223|espn=6004|br=t/tonismi01|fangraphs=2083|brm=tonis-001mic}}
*[http://www.kffl.com/player/10799/MLB KFFL]
*[http://www.royalsreview.com/2009/2/9/753668/remembering-former-royal-m Remembering Mike Tonis - Royals Review]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tonis, Mike}}
Category:1979 births
Category:Living people
Category:American people of Greek descent
Category:Sportspeople of Greek descent
Category:Baseball players from Sacramento, California
Category:Major League Baseball catchers
Category:Kansas City Royals players
Category:California Golden Bears baseball players
Category:Baseball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic baseball players for Greece
Category:Greek baseball players
Category:Omaha Golden Spikes players
Category:Wilmington Blue Rocks players
Category:Charleston AlleyCats players
Category:Wichita Wranglers players
Category:Peoria Javelinas players
Category:Gulf Coast Royals players
Category:Brewster Whitecaps players
Category:2010 European Baseball Championship players
{{US-baseball-catcher-1970s-stub}}
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mike Tonis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Tonis) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Tonis?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.