Bruce Bochte

:"Not to be confused with Bruce Bochy, a former Major League Baseball player and current manager of the San Francisco Giants."Infobox MLB retired
name=Bruce Bochte
position=First baseman / Left fielder
bats=Left
throws=Left
birthdate=birth date and age|1950|11|12
Pasadena, California
debutdate=July 19
debutyear=by|1974
debutteam=California Angels
finaldate=October 5
finalyear=by|1986
finalteam=Oakland Athletics
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.282
stat2label=Hits
stat2value=1,478
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=658
teams=
* California Angels (by|1974-by|1977)
* Cleveland Indians (by|1977)
* Seattle Mariners (by|1978-by|1982)
* Oakland Athletics (by|1984-by|1986)
highlights=
* All-Star selection (1979)

Bruce Anton Bochte (born November 12, 1950, in Pasadena, California) was a utility 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 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.

Bochte was elected to the American League All-Star team in 1979 when he hit .316 with 100 RBIs and set career standards in virtually every major offensive category.

Bochte boycotted the entire 1984 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 humynkind'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. [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/allstar/30690_bochte09.shtml]

References

*1975 Baseball Register published by The Sporting News
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/bochtbr01.shtml Baseball Reference]