Eric Sogard becomes 96th Sun Devil to play MLB

September 15, 2010

Former Arizona State standout <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/sogard_eric00.html">Er… Sogard</a> became the 96th Sun Devil to play Major League Baseball when he pinch hit for the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night in Kansas City. He walked in his first Major League at bat against 2009 Cy Young Award winner Zach Greinke, and later collected his first Big League hit.<separator></separator>Sogard, who was acquired by Oakland from the San Diego Padres last offseason, hit .300 for the AAA Sacramento River Cats, helping them to the Pacific Coast League playoffs. He collected 154 hits in 137 games, including 28 doubles and five homers. His 154 hits led the River Cats, as did his 75 walks. He also drove in 65 runs and scored 82 times. During his career in the Minors, he has earned four different All-Star honors.<separator></separator>Sogard was a Sun Devil from 2005 to 2007, leaving ASU with a .371 lifetime average. He earned Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2007, a year in which he hit .400 with 11 homers and 62 RBI. He earned All-American honors in 2006 and 2007 and was a two-time First Team All-Pac-10 selection. Over his three seasons in Tempe, Sogard hit 20 home runs and drove in 116 runs. After not being drafted following high school, Sogard was selected in the second round of the 2007 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres.<separator></separator>Sogard becomes the fifth Sun Devil to make his MLB debut in 2010, joining <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/leake_mike00.html">Mike Leake</a> (Cincinnati Reds), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/davis_ike00.html">Ike Davis</a> (New York Mets), <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/curtis_colin00.html">C… Curtis</a> (New York Yankees) and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/wallace_brett00.html">… Wallace</a> (Houston Astros). Sogard was teammates with all of them at some point during his Sun Devil career.