Hiram Bocachica
Hiram Gabriel Bocachica Colon (born March 4, 1976) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, Oakland Athletics, and San Diego Padres. Bocachica also played for the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Hiram Bocachica | |||
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Outfielder | |||
Born: Ponce, Puerto Rico | March 4, 1976|||
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Professional debut | |||
MLB: September 13, 2000, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
NPB: March 20, 2008, for the Saitama Seibu Lions | |||
Last appearance | |||
MLB: July 17, 2007, for the San Diego Padres | |||
NPB: September 6, 2009, for the Saitama Seibu Lions | |||
MLB statistics | |||
Batting average | .215 | ||
Home runs | 15 | ||
Runs batted in | 37 | ||
NPB statistics | |||
Batting average | .251 | ||
Home runs | 20 | ||
Runs batted in | 47 | ||
Teams | |||
Career
Major league career
He was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the first round (21st overall) of the 1994 Major League Baseball draft and played for the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Seattle Mariners before being released in 2005 and signed by Oakland Athletics from free agency.
Bocachica impressed scouts with his amazing spring training performance of 2006, and would have been on the MLB roster for that season, had he not suffered from a bone growth in his right hand. He was claimed off waivers by the San Diego Padres on May 31, 2007. He became a free agent at the end of the season.
Nippon Professional Baseball
Bocachica signed with the Saitama Seibu Lions on December 3, 2007. Despite playing only 78 games during the 2008 season, he hit 20 home runs, including one in the seventh game of the Japan Series, which the team won.[1]
Atlantic League
On April 12, 2010, Bocachica, along with fellow MLB alums Brian Barton and Tike Redman, was signed by the Bridgeport Bluefish for the 2010 season.[2]
Immediately upon arriving in New York, Hiram was called by a friend who was coaching in Mexico. He briefly played with the Broncos de Reynosa in Mexico, but he is now back with Bridgeport.
Family
Hiram is married to his wife Jocelyn and has two daughters and a son.
References
- "Lions defeat Giants to win Japan Series in seven". SI.com. Associated Press. November 11, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2008.
- "Trio Of Former Big Leaguers Join 'Fish". Bridgeport Bluefish. April 12, 2010. Archived from the original on November 20, 2010. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)