Joe Borchard
From BR Bullpen
Joseph Edward Borchard
- Bats Both, Throws Right
- Height 6' 5", Weight 220 lb.
- School Stanford University
- Debut September 2, 2002
- Born November 25, 1978 in Panorama City, CA USA
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[edit] Introduction
Joe Borchard, who has played six seasons in the majors, was a non-roster invitee with the Atlanta Braves in 2008 spring training, hitting .317, but was sent down to Richmond on March 28. After playing a couple months, he had Tommy John surgery and was out for the rest of 2008. Richmond moved to Gwinnett in 2009, and Borchard was one of the team's outfielders in 2009 until released. A month later he signed with the San Francisco Giants and is currently (as of June 2009) playing for the Fresno Grizzlies.
[edit] Early career
He was a college baseball star out of Stanford University. He played for Stanford from 1998-2000, and in 1998, his baseball teammates included many other future major leaguers: John Gall, Jody Gerut, Eric Bruntlett, Jason Young, Jeff Austin, Chad Hutchinson, Justin Wayne, and Tony Cogan. Borchard was also a quarterback on the football team.
He was in both the 1999 College World Series and the 2000 Rose Bowl.
Playing in the minors from 2000 to 2002, he got his first shot in 2002 with the White Sox. Thereafter, he was to bounce back and forth between Charlotte in Triple-A and the parent White Sox each year. In the 2001 Baseball World Cup, Borchard hit .147/.326/.382 as the Team USA right fielder with 7 walks and a key homer to help the USA to a semifinals win.
[edit] Majors
While with the White Sox he got his most major league at-bats in 2004, when outfielder Magglio Ordonez was injured.
He hit .417 in 7 games with the 2005 White Sox, but did not appear in post-season play.
In 2006, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners, appearing in 6 games before moving to the Florida Marlins in mid-season after being designated for assignment by Seattle. With the Marlins, he appeared in 108 games, making 2006 the major league season in which he had the most appearances and at-bats. While his batting average was low, he drew walks well and showed some power.
His wife was in the Olympic trials in 2004 as a diver. His father, Joe Sr., was drafted in 1969 by the Kansas City Royals.
He was with the Florida Marlins again for most of 2007 after hitting over .280 in spring training. In early August 2007 he was sent to Triple A, to the Albuquerque Isotopes, where in his first 19 games he hit .385 and slugged .800. On August 27, 2007, he was named PCL Player of the Week.
Borchard has hit nearly 120 minor league home runs to go along with his 26 major league homers through 2008.
