Bruce Bochte
Bruce Anton Bochte is an American former utility baseball player with a 12-year career from –, -. He played for the California Angels, Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners and Oakland A's all of the American League. Bochte, a first baseman, outfielder and designated hitter, played collegiate ball for Santa Clara University until he was drafted in the second round of the 1972 Major League Baseball Draft.
He was called up to the Angels after hitting.355 in 92 games for the Salt Lake City Angels of the Pacific Coast League, and made his major league debut on July 19, 1974. He spent the next four seasons with the Angels, hitting.272 during that span. On May 11, 1977, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians along with Sid Monge and cash for Dave LaRoche and Dave Schuler. After finishing 1977 with Cleveland, he became a free agent and signed with the Seattle Mariners, who he played with for the next five seasons.
Bochte was selected for the American League All-Star team in 1979 when he hit.316 with 100 RBIs and set career highs in virtually every major offensive category. He sat out the entire 1983 season for reasons he never made clear.
In a 12-year, 1538 game major league career, Bochte compiled a.282 batting average with 643 runs, 250 doubles, 21 triples, 100 home runs, 658 RBI, 653 walks, 662 strikeouts,.360 on-base percentage and.396 slugging percentage. Defensively, he recorded a career.991 fielding percentage playing at first base and all three outfield positions.
