Willie Bloomquist

Willie Bloomquist
Arizona Diamondbacks – No. 18
Utility player
Born: November 27, 1977 (1977-11-27) Port Orchard, Washington
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
September 1, 2002 for the Seattle Mariners
Career statistics (through 2011)
Batting average	.264
Home runs	17
Runs batted in	170
Teams
Seattle Mariners (2002–2008) Kansas City Royals (2009–2010) Cincinnati Reds (2010) Arizona Diamondbacks (2011-present)

William Paul Bloomquist (born November 27, 1977 in Bremerton, Washington) is a Major League Baseball (MLB) utility player. He has played every position, aside from catcher and pitcher, in his baseball career.

At 5'11", 195 pounds, he is a versatile player, but is a limited contributor due to below average offense. He has above-average speed, leading him to be often used in late innings as a pinch runner for slower players. He is used as a defensive specialist, though he does not excel at any given position.^{[citation needed]}

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 named ASU On Deck Circle Most Valuable Player; other winners include Dustin Pedroia, Ike Davis, Paul Lo Duca, and Barry Bonds.

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. 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. 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. 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. He hit .266 in 97 games with the Diamondbacks in 2011 and re-signed with the team after the season.

Personal life

He is married and has two daughters, Natalie and Ava.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Baseball Prospectus (statistics)