Willie Bloomquist

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**Willie Bloomquist**

Seattle Mariners — No. 16
Infielder
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
September 1, 2002 for the Seattle Mariners
Selected MLB statistics (through 2006)
Hits	236
Stolen bases	50
Batting average	.257
Home runs	4

William "Willie" Paul Bloomquist (born November 27, 1977 in Bremerton, Washington) is a Major League Baseball utility player who plays for the Seattle Mariners. He bats and throws right-handed, and he has played every position, aside from either of the battery positions, during his major league career.

Through 2004, Bloomquist was a .264 hitter with 3 home runs and 20 stolen bases in 194 games. In his minor league career, he batted .281 with 12 home runs and 99 stolen bases in 387 games.

Bloomquist debuted with the Mariners in the 2002 season at the age of 24. At 5 ft 11 in, 195 lb, he is a versatile player that can play many positions, but is a limited contributor due to his below average offensive and defensive production and prowess. He has above-average speed and good baseball senses, leading him to be often used in late innings as a pinch runner for slower players. He is also sometimes used as a defensive specialist, though he does not excel at any given position. Although he is applauded for his versatility and intangibles, his place on the roster is oft criticized by some fans because of his limitations as a Major League Baseball player.

Bloomquist had his greatest offensive contribution during his brief major league callup at the end of the 2002 season. In 33 at bats, Bloomquist had a batting average of .455 and an on-base plus slugging of 1.102.

Bloomquist was drafted out of South Kitsap High School in Port Orchard, Washington by the Mariners in the eighth round (237th overall) of the 1996 amateur draft but was not signed. He was drafted again by the Mariners out of Arizona State University in the third round (95th overall) of the 1999 amateur draft and signed.

The Mariners signed Bloomquist to a contract extension through the 2008 season worth $1,875,000^[1].

The Book, a book about the management of Major League games, recently voted Willie Bloomquist the worst player in baseball. ^[2].

Bloomquist has attracted the ire of most, if not all, of the Mariner blogging community, due to his lack of offensive contributions and disproportionately large casual fan base. As a result, some of the Seattle community has been known to call him by various nicknames including "Wee Willie", "Ballgame", "The Ignitor", "Effin", "WFB", "WMFB", "W2008FB", "The Spork", "Princess Willie", and "Willie Boom-Boom".