Luke Hochevar

Infobox MLB player


width = 150
name=Luke Hochevar
position=Pitcher
team=Kansas City Royals
number=44
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1983|9|15
debutdate=September 8
debutyear=2007
debutteam=Kansas City Royals
statyear=September 17, 2008
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=6–13
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=77
stat2label=Earned Run Average
stat2value=5.21
teams=
*Kansas City Royals (by|2007-present)

Luke Anthony Hochevar (pronEng|hoʊ̪ˈtʃeɪ̪vɚ; born September 15, 1983, Denver, Colorado [ [http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=460024 MLB.com] ] ) is a Major League Baseball pitcher, currently playing for the Kansas City Royals. While attending Fowler High School (Fowler, Colorado), he was the 2A Player of the Year (senior year). Also during his senior year, he was a member of the National Honor Society and he was crowned Prom King. His slightly crooked face is the result of a suspected birth defect. He throws and bats right handed. He is an alumnus of the University of Tennessee. He made his Major League debut September 8, 2007 in a game against the New York Yankees.

MLB Draft

Hochevar was selected by Los Angeles Dodgers in the 39th round (1,171st overall) of the 2002 MLB amateur entry draft, but did not sign. The Dodgers would select Hochevar again, this time in the first round (40th overall) of the 2005 draft. After heated, desperate negotiations between the Dodgers, Hochevar and his agent, Scott Boras, Hochevar suddenly switched agents to Matt Sosnick, accepted a $2.98 million signing bonus from scouting director Logan White, then returned to Boras the next day and reneged on the deal. Several months of lukewarm talks continued with Hochevar pitching in an independent league, but amidst much bitterness, the two sides never came close to reaching a new agreement.

He re-entered the draft again in 2006 and was selected first overall by the Kansas City Royals to the dismay of some fans who felt he should not be rewarded for his repeated post-draft holdouts and controversies, and others who felt he simply was not the best pitcher available.fact|date=June 2008 On August 3, nearly two months after the draft, Hochevar signed a four-year major league contract worth $5.3 million guaranteed with the Royals. He received a $3.5 million signing bonus with the ability to earn as much as $7 million over the four years.

References

External links

* [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/H/luke-hochevar.shtml Luke Hochevar at "The Baseball Cube"]
* [http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/050109hochevar.html Healthy Hochevar Poised For Success]
* [http://www.clemensaward.com/05winner.html Hochevar Wins Clemens Award]
* [http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/news/262111.html Royals, Hochevar Agree To Terms]
* [http://lukehochevar.blogspot.com/ Luke Hochevar Blog]