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Kevin Stocker

Kevin Douglas Stocker (born February 13, 1970) is an American former professional baseball who played in (MLB) and currently works as a radio broadcaster. Stocker was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the second round (54th overall pick) of the 1991 MLB Draft out of the . He made his MLB debut with the Phillies on July 7, 1993, and quickly became their starting that season, contributing to the team's division title, victory, and appearance in the , where they lost to the Toronto Blue Jays. Over his eight-season MLB career from 1993 to 2000, Stocker played for the Phillies (1993–1997), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998–2000), and Anaheim Angels (2000), appearing in 846 games primarily as a switch-hitter with a .254 , 703 hits, 23 home runs, 248 runs batted in, and 45 stolen bases. After retiring from playing, Stocker pursued business ventures, including owning his own company, before transitioning to . He first joined the Phillies' radio broadcast team on a part-time basis in prior years and rejoined in 2022 as an analyst, providing color commentary alongside play-by-play announcer and others during select games.

Early life and amateur career

Early life and high school

Kevin Stocker was born on February 13, 1970, in Spokane, Washington. He grew up in the Spokane Valley area as one of four children in an athletic family, with parents Chuck and Lu Stocker, who encouraged their children's involvement in sports; Chuck, a teacher and later administrator at Central Valley High School, supported the school's athletic programs through his educational roles. Stocker had an older brother, Steve, a younger brother, Mike, and a twin sister, Jill, who also excelled in athletics and academics. Stocker attended Central Valley High School in Spokane Valley, where he graduated in 1988. During his high school years, he participated in both and , showcasing versatility as an . In , as a senior, he helped lead the Central Valley Bears to a fourth-place finish at the state tournament. On the diamond, Stocker played as a and established himself as a switch-hitter, setting a Greater Spokane League (GSL) record for stolen bases before suffering an injury that limited his senior season. Following high school, Stocker continued his development at the .

College baseball

Stocker enrolled at the in 1989, where he played for the Huskies baseball team as a from 1989 to 1991. During his time on campus, he was a member of the fraternity. As a in 1990, Stocker batted .292 with 35 stolen bases, contributing to the team's efforts in the Pac-10 Conference. In his junior season of 1991, he emerged as a team leader, starting at and posting a .374 —tops on the squad—along with 28 stolen bases, also leading the Huskies in that category. His performance earned him All-Pac-10 First Team honors as a . That year, the Huskies compiled an overall record of 27–23 and went 8–12 in conference play, finishing fourth in the Pac-10 North Division. Following his standout junior campaign, Stocker left the without completing his degree to enter the professional ranks.

Professional career

Draft and minor leagues

Stocker was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the second round (54th overall) of the out of the . He signed with the organization shortly thereafter and began his professional career that summer with the Spartanburg Phillies of the . In 70 games, the 21-year-old switch-hitting hit .220/.310/.272 with 15 stolen bases, while committing 18 errors at . Promoted within the Phillies' system in 1992, Stocker spent the first half of the season with the Clearwater Phillies of the , where he batted .283 in 63 games, before advancing to Double-A Reading in the Eastern League for 62 games. Across 125 total games between the two affiliates, he achieved a .267/.339/.349 slash line, scored 74 runs, drove in 46, and stole 32 bases in 45 attempts, demonstrating improved plate discipline and speed. He committed 30 errors while transitioning levels. Entering the 1993 season, Stocker reached Triple-A with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons of the , the Phillies' top farm club. In 83 games before his midseason call-up to the majors, he posted a .233/.312/.313 line with 17 stolen bases, focusing on refining his switch-hitting approach and infield reliability against advanced pitching. This rapid progression from rookie ball to Triple-A over three years highlighted his potential as a versatile, defense-oriented .

Philadelphia Phillies (1993–1997)

Stocker made his debut on July 7, 1993, at against the in a marathon 20-inning game that the Phillies won 7-6. Playing the full game at , he recorded 0-for-6 at the plate with two walks, resulting in a record nine plate appearances for a debut without a hit. Despite the hitless outing and an error, Stocker contributed defensively, including a key play in the ninth inning to help preserve the tie. In his season of , Stocker appeared in 70 games for the Phillies, batting .324 with 12 , two home runs, and 31 , providing a spark to the team's lineup after his midseason call-up from Triple-A. He became the everyday and played a role in Philadelphia's pennant-winning campaign, which culminated in a World Series appearance against the Toronto Blue Jays. In Game 5 of the series, Stocker hit an in the second inning off , helping the Phillies take a 2-0 lead in a 6-3 victory that forced a Game 6. From 1994 to 1997, Stocker solidified his position as the Phillies' starting , playing in at least 82 games each season and anchoring the infield during a period of transition following the strike-shortened year. His performance peaked in 1997, when he appeared in 149 games, batting .266 with 23 doubles, four home runs, and 40 , offering consistent contact and speed from the leadoff spot. Throughout his tenure, Stocker's sure-handed defense—evidenced by solid fielding percentages and double-play turns—supported the team's efforts, though only the squad reached the .

Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998–2000)

Stocker joined the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays via a trade from the Phillies on November 18, 1997—the same day as Baseball's —in exchange for Bobby . The deal provided the fledgling franchise with an established to anchor its infield during its inaugural season. As the Devil Rays' shortstop in 1998, Stocker started at the position in the team's first-ever game against the Detroit Tigers at on March 31. He appeared in 112 games that season, batting .208 with 6 home runs and 25 while handling shortstop duties in 110 contests, where his steady defensive play contributed to infield stability amid the team's 63-99 finish in the AL East. Stocker's role began to decline in subsequent years as the integrated younger talent. In 1999, he played 79 games primarily at , posting a , 1 , and 27 . His time with ended early in 2000 after 40 games at , where he hit .263 with 2 and 8 ; the Devil Rays released him on May 25. Over his three seasons, Stocker offered veteran reliability as the club's original , supporting a developing roster in the challenging early years of the expansion era.

Anaheim Angels (2000)

On May 25, 2000, Stocker was released by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays following a slow start to the season, and he signed a minor league contract with the Anaheim Angels five days later on May 30. With the Angels, Stocker served primarily in a bench role as a utility and , providing depth behind starters like amid injuries and roster adjustments. In 70 games with Anaheim during the 2000 season, Stocker batted .197 with 45 hits in 229 at-bats, along with 13 doubles, 0 home runs, and 16 , while appearing mostly as a substitute and occasional starter at . He spent time on the disabled list during the year, limiting his availability further, and his final major league appearance came on September 29, 2000, against the Seattle Mariners, where he went hitless in four at-bats. Over his eight-year MLB career, Stocker appeared in 846 games, compiling a .254 with 703 hits, 23 home runs, and 248 . Following the 2000 season, he was granted free agency on October 31 and briefly signed a minor league deal with the in early 2001, but retired at age 31 before reporting to , citing a lack of desire to continue playing amid persistent injuries and diminishing opportunities.

Post-playing career

Broadcasting roles

Following his retirement from professional baseball in 2000, Kevin Stocker transitioned into , beginning as a color for College Sports Television (CSTV), which later became the , around 2002. His early work focused on coverage, drawing on his experience as a former to provide analysis of infield play and game strategy. In 2012, Stocker joined the as a analyst, where he contributed to broadcasts for over a decade, including regular season games and postseason regionals, until the conference's realignment and dissolution in 2024. He also handled select games for during this period, establishing himself as a familiar voice in West Coast . Stocker entered Philadelphia Phillies broadcasting in 2016, calling six radio games over the 2016 and 2017 seasons alongside play-by-play announcer . He returned as a part-time color analyst in 2018, handling road games in rotation with other former players. In 2022, he joined a rotating group of analysts for approximately 20 road games, and by 2023, he secured a multi-year deal to serve as Franzke's primary radio partner for full seasons. His role extended into the postseason, including NLDS coverage in 2025, where he alternated with as color commentator. He has also appeared on Phillies pre- and postgame radio shows, offering insights into team history and player performance during select home stands. Stocker's commentary style emphasizes his firsthand knowledge of Phillies lore from the 1993 championship team, combined with detailed breakdowns of infield defense and situational baseball, making his analysis particularly valued by fans.

Business ventures

After retiring from professional baseball in 2000, Kevin Stocker shifted focus to family-oriented business and community endeavors in the Spokane, Washington area, where he settled with his wife Brooke and their children. In 2009, Stocker and his wife opened an Emerald City Smoothie franchise, differentiating it by offering customizable smoothies tailored to nutritional needs, such as protein boosts for athletes. The venture served as a hands-on, community-based enterprise that aligned with their post-retirement lifestyle in Liberty Lake. They sold the franchise around 2012 to allow Stocker to pursue other professional opportunities. Stocker also engaged in local sports coaching and community business initiatives in Liberty Lake, including serving as field manager for the Spokane RiverHawks, a local independent summer league team, in 2003 and lending a to the HUB Sports Center to support youth athletics starting around 2010. These activities reflected his commitment to fostering development in his hometown community while balancing family priorities. roles provided complementary income during this period.

Personal life

Family

Kevin Stocker met his wife, Brooke, while attending the , where she had graduated from University High School in Spokane. The couple dated long-distance for several years following Stocker's selection in the 1991 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies, and they married during the 1994 Major League Baseball strike. Stocker and Brooke have three children: daughter McKenna, born in 1996, and sons Logan and Zach, born in 1998 and 2000, respectively—all during his active playing career from 1993 to 2000. Brooke provided essential support during Stocker's MLB travels, embracing the lifestyle and managing , including offseasons spent near both sets of parents in the Spokane area. However, as the children grew young— all under age 5 by 2000—the demands of the 162-game schedule, including frequent road trips, increasingly strained life, with challenges such as airlines restricting Brooke's solo travel with the children. Stocker grew up in Spokane Valley as one of four athletic children of parents , a retired educator and former school superintendent, and Lu, who encouraged their pursuits in sports and education. His twin sister, Jill Halkias, a graduate, pursued a career in consulting while raising a family; his older brother Steve became a law enforcement commander in ; and younger brother Mike worked in sports and entertainment. Prioritizing a stable home life, Stocker retired from professional baseball at age 30 in 2000, citing the toll on his young family and a shift toward faith and domestic stability as key factors, which also prompted his return to Washington state to be near extended family. The family settled in Liberty Lake, close to both parents' homes, allowing for greater involvement in his children's activities, such as coaching their sports teams.

Residence and community involvement

Kevin Stocker relocated to Liberty Lake, Washington, in 1999 during the later stages of his playing career with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, establishing it as his residence following his retirement from in 2000. The move brought him closer to his Spokane Valley roots, where he grew up and attended Central Valley High School, allowing for a more stable family life amid the demands of professional baseball. In the Spokane area, Stocker maintained strong community ties through involvement in local youth sports and events. He volunteered as a coach for the Central Valley High School A Legion team, sharing his expertise with young players, and participated in MLB Players Alumni Association Legends for Youth clinics in Spokane to promote fundamentals among children. Additionally, he served as an advocate for the HUB Sports Center in Spokane Valley, having loaned batting cages to support youth athletic programs there. His regional philanthropy included support for Hutton Settlement, a Spokane children's home providing care and opportunities for at-risk youth. Post-retirement, Stocker embraced a quieter life in Liberty Lake, contrasting the "grind" of MLB's constant travel and 162-game schedule, which he described as leaving little free time beyond "living out of a suitcase." The initial years of adjustment were challenging for his family, but he now prioritizes supporting his wife's community roles in church and school while balancing part-time work. As of 2025, Stocker resides in , with his family, while maintaining ties to the Spokane area alongside his broadcasting role with the Phillies radio team.

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