Bruce Bochte

Bruce Anton Bochte (born November 12, 1950) is a former utility baseball player with a 12-year career from 1974–1982, 1984-1986. 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 (34th overall) 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 elected to 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.

Bochte boycotted the entire 1983 season as a personal protest over rising player salaries. He believed that money was destroying the game he loved, but he returned without explanation the next season. Bochte is now an avowed agnostic and is working to "save the Mother Earth from humankind's destructive ways." He states that he has no contact with anyone from his baseball days except for Dusty Baker. It is unknown how and why he and Baker still communicate.^[1]

References

• 1975 Baseball Register published by The Sporting News

External links

• Baseball Reference