Bill Bathe

William David Bathe

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 200 lb.
• School Rio Hondo College, Fullerton College, Pepperdine University
• High School La Serna High School
• Debut April 12, 1986
• Final Game October 3, 1990
• Born October 14, 1960 in Downey, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Catcher Bill Bathe played parts of three seasons in the majors.

After attending Fullerton College and Pepperdine University, Bathe was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the eighth round of the 1981 amateur draft and made his pro debut that summer with the San Jose Missions. With the Triple A Tacoma Tigers, he was a teammate of his twin brother, third baseman Bob Bathe. He made the A's Opening Day roster in 1986 and made his big league debut behind the plate on April 12th against the California Angels. He got his first start and his first plate appearance versus the Minnesota Twins on April 15th, going 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored and a pair of RBI. In a May 7th game against the Milwaukee Brewers, he hit two home runs off Bill Wegman, and he homered twice off Ron Guidry in late May games. However, he hit just .184 in 39 games and was back in Tacoma by midseason.

Following the 1986 season, Bathe was traded to the Chicago Cubs for Joe Hicks. He spent the next two summers with the Iowa Cubs, hitting .312 with 8 home runs and was an American Association All-Star in 1988. After that season, he became a free agent and signed with the San Francisco Giants. He began 1989 with the Phoenix Firebirds but was called up to the majors in June. In his first plate appearance, he grounded out against San Diego Padres pitcher Dave Leiper, a Little League teammate of his. He did not homer in 30 regular season major league games, but San Francisco reached the World Series and he hit a home run in his first Fall Classic at-bat. With a three-run shot coming in the 9th inning of Game 3, he became one of just a small number of players to homer in his first World Series plate appearance. He hit .229 with 3 home runs for the Giants in 1990, splitting the year with Phoenix and spent the next two seasons playing for the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan.

After his playing days, Bathe joined the Tucson Fire Department and became a Captain, as well as a paramedic.

Related Sites

• Pro Baseball Drills And Equipment