Kevin Barker

{{Infobox baseball biography

| image = Kevin Barker (3668171162) (cropped).jpg

|caption = Barker with the Louisville Bats in 2009

| name = Kevin Barker

| position = First baseman

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|7|26}}

| birth_place = Bristol, Virginia, U.S.

| bats = Left

| throws = Left

|debutleague = MLB

| debutdate = September 19

| debutyear = 1999

| debutteam = Milwaukee Brewers

|finalleague = MLB

| finaldate = October 4

| finalyear = 2009

| finalteam = Cincinnati Reds

|statleague = MLB

| stat1label = Batting average

| stat1value = .249

| stat2label = Home runs

| stat2value = 6

| stat3label = Runs batted in

| stat3value = 36

| teams =

Milwaukee Brewers ({{mlby|1999}}–{{mlby|2000}})
San Diego Padres ({{mlby|2002}})
Toronto Blue Jays ({{mlby|2006}})
Cincinnati Reds ({{mlby|2009}})

}}

Kevin Stewart Barker (born in July 26, 1975) is an American baseball analyst and former professional baseball player. In his career, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, and Cincinnati Reds. He currently co-hosts the sports talk show Blair and Barker alongside Jeff Blair on Sportsnet 590 the FAN radio and on multiple Sportsnet TV channels, out of Toronto. He began co-hosting Blair and Barker after Sportsnet parted ways with Gregg Zaun.{{Cite web | url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/590/baseball-central-at-noon/ |title = Baseball Central - Sportsnet.ca}}

Player Career

Barker is from the small community of Mendota in Washington County, Virginia. He played for three years at John S. Battle High School, before transferring to Virginia High School in Bristol, Virginia as a senior in 1993.

Barker attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he played college baseball for the Virginia Tech Hokies. The Milwaukee Brewers selected Barker in the third round of the 1996 MLB draft. He made his major league debut on August 19, 1999, with the Brewers. He went 2 for 5 in his debut, with his first hit a single to right field off Chris Holt of the Astros.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU199908190.shtml August 19, 1999 Brewers at Astros box score] He hit his first home run on September 5, 1999, off of Larry Luebbers of the Cardinals.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIL/MIL199909050.shtml September 5, 1999 Cardinals at Brewers box score] Though the Brewers hoped that Barker would be their long-term first baseman, he was soon surpassed by Richie Sexson.{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MWSB&p_theme=mwsb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB82E0245469FEC&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Baseball Beat Barker doesn't live up to hype|first=Tom|last=Haudricourt|newspaper=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|date=September 10, 2000|accessdate=August 21, 2013}} {{subscription required|date=August 2013}} He played in a total of 78 games with the Brewers in 1999 and 2000 and hit .253.

After spending the 2001 season in the minors, the Brewers traded him to the San Diego Padres on March 24, 2002, in exchange for Dusty Wathan. He appeared in only 7 games for the Padres and spent most of the season in AAA with the Portland Beavers.

He spent 2003–2006 in the minor league systems of the Florida Marlins, Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays and was named the International League player of the week in 2006 while playing with the Syracuse SkyChiefs.{{Cite web | url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-82059 |title = IL names Players of the Week}}

He received a September call-up with the Blue Jays and on September 3, 2006, Barker recorded his first hit as a Blue Jay, a home run off Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Josh Beckett. After the 2007 season, Barker signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds and played for the Triple-A Louisville Bats the entire year. In 2009, he appeared in 29 games for the Reds, batting .281.

He spent the 2010 and 2011 seasons in the Mexican League.

Barker currently co-hosts the sports talk show Blair and Barker alongside Jeff Blair on Toronto radio station Sportsnet 590 the FAN and on multiple Sportsnet TV channels.

Personal life

Barker is married to Hazel Mae of Sportsnet.{{cite web

|url=http://www.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view.bg?articleid=1310749=5

|title=Sorry fellas, Hazel Mae's hitch | date=2011-01-20 |publisher=Boston Herald | author=Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa with Megan Johnson |accessdate=2011-01-20}}

References

External links

{{Baseballstats|mlb=150070|espn=4155|br=b/barkeke01|fangraphs=1019|brm=barker001kev}}, or [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B/Pbarkk001.htm Retrosheet]

Category:1975 births

Category:Living people

Category:Águilas Cibaeñas players

Category:American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic

Category:Albuquerque Isotopes players

Category:21st-century American sportsmen

Category:Algodoneros de Guasave players

Category:American expatriate baseball players in Canada

Category:American expatriate baseball players in Mexico

Category:Baseball players from Virginia

Category:Canadian radio sportscasters

Category:Cincinnati Reds players