Kevin Stocker

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1970)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Kevin Stocker

|position=Shortstop

|bats=Switch

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1970|2|13}}

|birth_place=Spokane, Washington, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=July 7

|debutyear=1993

|debutteam=Philadelphia Phillies

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=September 29

|finalyear=2000

|finalteam=Anaheim Angels

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.254

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=23

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=248

|teams=

• Philadelphia Phillies ({{By|1993}}–{{By|1997}})
• Tampa Bay Devil Rays ({{By|1998}}–{{By|2000}})
• Anaheim Angels ({{By|2000}})

}}

Kevin Douglas Stocker (born February 13, 1970) is an American former Major League Baseball shortstop and switch hitter. Stocker played with the Philadelphia Phillies (1993–1997), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998–2000) and Anaheim Angels (2000).

A 1988 graduate of Central Valley High School in Spokane Valley,{{Cite web |date=1996-02-24 |title=Stocker Ready To Prove Worth After Dismal 3rd Year, CV Grad Claims He's Through Pouting |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/feb/24/stocker-ready-to-prove-worth-after-dismal-3rd/ |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=Spokesman.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2006-03-25 |title=Former major leaguer adjusts to quieter life |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2006/mar/25/former-major-leaguer-adjusts-to-quieter-life/ |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=Spokesman.com |language=en}} Stocker attended the University of Washington in Seattle, where he played college baseball for the Huskies from 1989–1991.{{cite web|title=University of Washington Baseball Players Who Made It to a Major League Baseball Team |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/college/university_of_washington_baseball_players.shtml |work=Baseball-Almanac.com |accessdate=21 August 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20051202092907/http://www.baseball-almanac.com/college/university_of_washington_baseball_players.shtml |archivedate=2 December 2005 |url-status=dead }} Stocker was also a member of the fraternity Lambda Chi Alpha.

Stocker was selected by Philadelphia in the 1991 MLB draft, taken in the second round with the 54th overall selection. He made his major league debut in 1993 on July 7 at Veterans Stadium in a marathon game that lasted 6 hours and 10 minutes. Stocker played all 20 innings in the defeat of the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-6. Stocker had nine plate appearances in the game, the most by any player in his Major League debut. {{asof|2020}}, no other player has had more than seven.{{cite web |title=Batting Game Finder |url=https://stathead.com/baseball/game_finder.cgi?request=1&match=basic&order_by_asc=0&order_by=PA&series=any&series_game=any&min_year_game=1901&max_year_game=2020&firstgames=1&as=result_batter&class=player&offset=0&type=b&number_matched=1&team_id=ANY&opp_id=ANY&bats=any&throws=any&pos_1=1&pos_2=1&pos_3=1&pos_4=1&pos_5=1&pos_6=1&pos_7=1&pos_8=1&pos_9=1&pos_10=1&pos_11=1&pos_12=1&GS=anyGS&GF=anyGF&is_birthday=either&location=pob&locationMatch=is&game_length=any&HV=any&temperature_min=0&temperature_max=120&wind_speed_min=0&wind_speed_max=90 |website=Stathead.com |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=4 January 2021 |language=en}}

In his rookie season, Stocker batted .324 with two home runs and 31 RBI in 70 games. He was the regular Phillies shortstop through the 1997 season. In 1997 he enjoyed his best season, compiling career-highs in games played (149), runs (51), doubles (23) and stolen bases (11), adding five triples, four homers and 41 RBI.

During the 1997 expansion draft, Stocker was traded to Tampa Bay in exchange for Bobby Abreu. After two-plus seasons, he was released and signed with Anaheim. In an eight-season career, Stocker batted .254 with 23 home runs and 248 RBI. He now owns an Emerald City Smoothie franchise in Washington.{{cite web|last=Wasson |first=Juli |title=Emerald City Smoothie Has Drink to Fit Your Needs |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2008/oct/25/emerald-city-smoothie-has-drink-to-fit-your-needs/ |work=Spokesman.com |publisher=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=21 August 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220213158/http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2008/oct/25/emerald-city-smoothie-has-drink-to-fit-your-needs/ |archivedate=20 February 2015 |location=Spokane, Washington, USA |date=25 October 2008 |quote=And nowadays inside you can find former Philadelphia Phillies and Central Valley High School shortstop Kevin Stocker fielding nutritional advice instead of pop flies. |url-status=dead }}