Willie Bloomquist

Willie Bloomquist

Bloomquist with the Arizona Diamondbacks
Utility player
Born: (1977-11-27) November 27, 1977
Bremerton, Washington
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 1, 2002, for the Seattle Mariners
Last MLB appearance
June 28, 2015, for the Seattle Mariners
MLB statistics
Batting average .269
Home runs 18
Runs batted in 225
Teams

William Paul Bloomquist (/ˈbluːmkwɪst/; born November 27, 1977) is an American former professional baseball utility player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, and Arizona Diamondbacks. Primarily an outfielder and shortstop, he played every position, aside from catcher and pitcher, during his baseball career.

Early baseball career

High School

Bloomquist was All-State and all-league MVP in baseball at South Kitsap High School in Port Orchard, Washington and was an eighth round pick in 1996 MLB draft. He was a high school teammate with former Major Leaguer Jason Ellison.

College

He chose to accept a scholarship to Arizona State University. In 1998, Bloomquist tied a College World Series single-game record with five hits in a game with Long Beach State. He was honored as Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1999 and was named first-team All-American by Baseball America. He finished his college career with a .394 (256/649) average over three seasons and was named ASU On Deck Circle Most Valuable Player, an award also won by MLB players, such as Dustin Pedroia, Ike Davis, Paul Lo Duca, and Barry Bonds.[1][2]

Professional career

Seattle Mariners

Bloomquist with the Seattle Mariners in 2008

Bloomquist was drafted out of South Kitsap High School in Port Orchard, Washington by the Seattle Mariners in the eighth round (237th overall) of the 1996 amateur draft, but was not signed. He was drafted again by the Mariners out of Arizona State University in the third round (95th overall) of the 1999 Major League Baseball draft and signed.

The Mariners signed Bloomquist to a contract extension through the 2008 season worth $1,875,000, in 2006.[3] On June 15, 2007, he hit an inside-the-park home run in Minute Maid Park. On June 26, 2007, Bloomquist hit a lead-off home run in the second inning—on what was his 1,000th career at-bat.

Kansas City Royals

On January 9, 2009, Bloomquist signed a two-year deal with the Kansas City Royals.[4] He played in 197 games with the Royals over parts of 2 seasons, hitting .265.

Cincinnati Reds

On September 13, 2010, Bloomquist was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for a player to be named later, or cash.[5] In 11 games with the Reds, he hit .333.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On January 18, 2011, Bloomquist signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.[6] He hit .266 in 97 games with the Diamondbacks in 2011 and re-signed with the team after the season.

Second stint with Mariners

On December 5, 2013, Bloomquist signed a two-year deal to return to the Seattle Mariners.[7] On July 2, 2015, Bloomquist was designated for assignment, and shortstop Chris Taylor called up from the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers to take his roster spot.

On March 11, 2016, Bloomquist announced his retirement on Twitter.[8][9]

Personal life

Bloomquist is married and has four daughters, Natalie, Ava, Layla and Sydney. He is Roman Catholic.[10] Bloomquist was a guest on a national sports radio show called Blessed2Play where he talked about how his Catholic faith assists him in his personal and professional lives.

References

  1. ↑ "#1 in College Sports". CSTV.com. May 27, 2008. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  2. ↑ MLB Profile
  3. ↑ "ESPN – Mariners sign Bloomquist to two-year, $1.875M deal". Sports.espn.go.com. November 27, 2006. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Royals sign Willie Bloomquist to two-year deal". Kansascity.royals.mlb.com. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
  5. ↑ "Reds acquire Bloomquist from KC". Marksheldon.mlblogs.com. September 13, 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
  6. ↑ Gilbert, Steve (January 18, 2011). "Heilman returns to D-Backs with eye on rotation". MLB.com. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Willie Bloomquist rejoins Mariners". ESPN. December 5, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Willie Bloomquist on Twitter". Twitter. March 11, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Make Your Last Swing Your Best Swing". Twitter. March 11, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  10. ↑ Importance of Catholicism Hits Home for Diamondbacks Player, National Catholic Register. April 24, 2012

External links

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