Kevin Stocker
Shortstop
Born: (1970-02-13) February 13, 1970
Spokane, Washington, U.S.
Batted: Switch
Threw: Right
MLB debut
July 7, 1993, for the Philadelphia Phillies
Last MLB appearance
September 29, 2000, for the Anaheim Angels
MLB statistics
Batting average.254
Home runs23
Runs batted in248
Teams

Kevin Douglas Stocker (born February 13, 1970) is an American former Major League Baseball shortstop and switch hitter. Stocker played with the Philadelphia Phillies (1993–1997), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998–2000) and Anaheim Angels (2000).

A 1988 graduate of Central Valley High School in Spokane Valley, Stocker attended the University of Washington in Seattle, where he played college baseball for the Huskies from 1989–1991.[1] Stocker was also a member of the fraternity Lambda Chi Alpha.

Stocker was selected by Philadelphia in the 1991 MLB draft, taken in the second round with the 54th overall selection. He made his major league debut in 1993 on July 7 at Veterans Stadium in a marathon game that lasted 6 hours and 10 minutes. Stocker played all 20 innings in the defeat of the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-6. Stocker was credited with a game-saving play in the tenth inning when he made a miraculous throw to home-plate for a force-out. Stocker had nine plate appearances in the game, the most by any player in his Major League debut. As of 2020, no other player has had more than seven.[2]

In his rookie season, Stocker batted .324 with two home runs and 31 RBI in 70 games. He was the regular Phillies shortstop through the 1997 season. In 1997 he enjoyed his best season, compiling career-highs in games played (149), runs (51), doubles (23) and stolen bases (11), adding five triples, four homers and 41 RBI.

During the 1997 expansion draft, Stocker was traded to Tampa Bay in exchange for Bobby Abreu. After two-plus seasons, he was released and signed with Anaheim. In an eight-season career, Stocker batted .254 with 23 home runs and 248 RBI. He now owns an Emerald City Smoothie franchise in Washington.[3]

Post-playing career

Stocker has served as a color analyst for 14 seasons (as of 2014). He is currently in his second season with the Pac-12 Network, after a stint with CBS Sports Network.[4]

In January 2018, it was announced that Stocker would be serving as a part-time color analyst for Phillies radio broadcasts during the 2018 season.[5] Stocker rejoined the radio broadcast team in 2022.[6]

Heading into the 2023 season, the Phillies named Stocker as their radio color commentator for road broadcasts. Stocker will also handle about 20 home games for the 2023 season.

References

  1. ↑ "University of Washington Baseball Players Who Made It to a Major League Baseball Team". Baseball-Almanac.com. Archived from the original on 2 December 2005. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  2. ↑ "Batting Game Finder". Stathead.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  3. ↑ Wasson, Juli (25 October 2008). "Emerald City Smoothie Has Drink to Fit Your Needs". Spokesman.com. Spokane, Washington, USA: The Spokesman-Review. Archived from the original on 20 February 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2012. And nowadays inside you can find former Philadelphia Phillies and Central Valley High School shortstop Kevin Stocker fielding nutritional advice instead of pop flies.
  4. ↑ "Baseball TV schedule released; former Pac-12 stars Snow, Stocker join Pac-12 Networks as analysts". Website Article. Pac-12 Digital. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  5. ↑ Gross, Stephen (January 8, 2018). "Three former Phillies to join Scott Franzke in radio booth in 2018". The Morning Call.
  6. ↑ Morgenstern, Leo (2022-03-05). "The brief but meaningful Phillies careers of the new radio broadcasters". The Good Phight. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
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