Joe Borchard
Encyclopedia
Joseph Edward Borchard (born November 25, 1978) is a former Major League Baseball
outfielder
. He last played in the major leagues in 2007. Borchard was the 12th pick of the first round in the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft
out of Stanford University
by the Chicago White Sox
. In high school he won a division III state football championship at Adolfo Camarillo High School
as the starting quarterback. He also played quarterback
for Stanford
and took a $5.3 million
signing bonus
to play for the White Sox. The signing bonus was the highest ever given to a player for a minor league
contract
until Justin Upton
received $6.1 million to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks
in . Drafted for his blend of talent
and baseball
intellect, Borchard posted extremely impressive numbers while at Stanford University, both as an outfielder
and a quarterback.
Borchard's career with the White Sox was less than impressive, as he struggled to make consistent contact, which has continued to plague him throughout his career. Borchard's most significant big league playing time came in the season, where he received 201 at-bats. He hit .174 that year with 9 home run
s and 20 RBI
. Borchard's most notable feat was setting the US Cellular Field home run
distance record, yet to be eclipsed at 504 feet off Philadelphia Phillies
pitcher
Brett Myers
. Chicago White Sox general manager
Kenny Williams believes that Borchard still has a great professional baseball
career ahead of him if he can "get the football
mentality out of him." To which Borchard replied, "have you ever won a state championship for football?"
Borchard was traded to the Seattle Mariners
on March 20, , for Matt Thornton
, a left-handed
relief pitcher
. On May 3, 2006, the Florida Marlins
claimed Borchard off waivers.
The Atlanta Braves signed Borchard to a minor league contract during the 2007 MLB winter meetings
in Nashville, Tennessee
.
On May 28, , Borchard had season ending Tommy John surgery
, but was re-signed by the Braves for the season. However, on April 24, Borchard was released.
On May 28, 2009 Borchard signed with the Giants. He played for the organization's AAA affiliate, the Fresno Grizzlies
, for the next two years. On May 3, 2010, he became the second Grizzly to hit for the cycle (joining Nate Schierholtz
) when he went five for six in the Grizzlies' 14–4 victory over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox
.
On March 25, 2011 Borchard signed with the Bridgeport Bluefish
of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
. On June 2, 2011, he announced his retirement from baseball.
, Borchard attended Adolfo Camarillo High School
in Camarillo, California
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
. He last played in the major leagues in 2007. Borchard was the 12th pick of the first round in the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft
2000 Major League Baseball Draft
-First Round Selections:-Compensation picks:- Background :The Florida Marlins made Adrian Gonzalez of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, CA the first overall selection in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft...
out of Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
by the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
. In high school he won a division III state football championship at Adolfo Camarillo High School
Adolfo Camarillo High School
Adolfo Camarillo High School is a high school located at 4660 Mission Oaks Boulevard in Camarillo, California. It was recognized as a California Distinguished School in 1996 and in 2009 and a National Blue Ribbon School in 1998. It is part of the Oxnard Union High School District. The land was...
as the starting quarterback. He also played quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for Stanford
Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...
and took a $5.3 million
Million
One million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian millione , from mille, "thousand", plus the augmentative suffix -one.In scientific notation, it is written as or just 106...
signing bonus
Signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive to the employee, e.g., if the annual salary is lower than he or she desires...
to play for the White Sox. The signing bonus was the highest ever given to a player for a minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
contract
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
until Justin Upton
Justin Upton
Justin Irvin Upton is a National Major League Baseball right fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks....
received $6.1 million to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
in . Drafted for his blend of talent
Skill
A skill is the learned capacity to carry out pre-determined results often with the minimum outlay of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
intellect, Borchard posted extremely impressive numbers while at Stanford University, both as an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
and a quarterback.
Borchard's career with the White Sox was less than impressive, as he struggled to make consistent contact, which has continued to plague him throughout his career. Borchard's most significant big league playing time came in the season, where he received 201 at-bats. He hit .174 that year with 9 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 20 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
. Borchard's most notable feat was setting the US Cellular Field home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
distance record, yet to be eclipsed at 504 feet off Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Brett Myers
Brett Myers
Brett Allen Myers is a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who is currently playing for the Houston Astros.-High school career:...
. Chicago White Sox general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
Kenny Williams believes that Borchard still has a great professional baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
career ahead of him if he can "get the football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
mentality out of him." To which Borchard replied, "have you ever won a state championship for football?"
Borchard was traded to the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
on March 20, , for Matt Thornton
Matt Thornton
Matthew J. Thornton , is a left-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Chicago White Sox. Before the season, Thornton was with the Seattle Mariners.-College and minor league baseball:...
, a left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
. On May 3, 2006, the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
claimed Borchard off waivers.
The Atlanta Braves signed Borchard to a minor league contract during the 2007 MLB winter meetings
Winter meetings
The Baseball Winter Meetings are an annual event, held each December, attended by representatives from all 30 Major League Baseball organizations, more than 160 minor league baseball teams, various league offices, companies associated with baseball and guests from international baseball-playing...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
.
On May 28, , Borchard had season ending Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
, but was re-signed by the Braves for the season. However, on April 24, Borchard was released.
On May 28, 2009 Borchard signed with the Giants. He played for the organization's AAA affiliate, the Fresno Grizzlies
Fresno Grizzlies
The Fresno Grizzlies are a minor league baseball team based in Fresno, California. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League , is the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club. The Grizzlies play in Chukchansi Park , located in downtown Fresno and built in 2002...
, for the next two years. On May 3, 2010, he became the second Grizzly to hit for the cycle (joining Nate Schierholtz
Nate Schierholtz
Nathan John Schierholtz is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the San Francisco Giants. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed. Schierholtz commonly bats without batting gloves, one of the few Major Leaguers to do so...
) when he went five for six in the Grizzlies' 14–4 victory over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox
Colorado Springs Sky Sox
The Colorado Springs Sky Sox are a minor league baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team's colors are red and blue. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the major league Colorado Rockies...
.
On March 25, 2011 Borchard signed with the Bridgeport Bluefish
Bridgeport Bluefish
The Bridgeport Bluefish is an American professional baseball team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. They are a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is a professional, independent baseball organization located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, especially the greater metropolitan areas of the Northeast megalopolis. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League...
. On June 2, 2011, he announced his retirement from baseball.
Personal
Born in the Panorama City neighborhood of Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Borchard attended Adolfo Camarillo High School
Adolfo Camarillo High School
Adolfo Camarillo High School is a high school located at 4660 Mission Oaks Boulevard in Camarillo, California. It was recognized as a California Distinguished School in 1996 and in 2009 and a National Blue Ribbon School in 1998. It is part of the Oxnard Union High School District. The land was...
in Camarillo, California
Camarillo, California
Camarillo is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. The population was 65,201 at the 2010 census, up from 57,084 at the 2000 census. The Ventura Freeway Camarillo is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. The population was 65,201 at the 2010 census, up from 57,084 at...
.