Tagg Bozied
Encyclopedia
Robert Tanios Taggert "Tagg" Bozied (born July 24, 1979) is an American professional baseball
first baseman
. He was an All-American college baseball player as well as member of the United States national baseball team
.
Tinetti) Bozied.
in Arvada, Colorado
. At Arvada, Bozied was named to the Class 4A All-State football team.
(USF). In 1999, he won a Triple Crown in the West Coast Conference
, earning him Player of the Year honors. He hit .412 with 30 home runs and 82 RBI; he was 10 homers ahead of runner-up Jason Bay
. Bozied also led the Conference with 71 runs. He slugged .936, the highest mark in all of NCAA Division I and tied for the second-most homers in Division I. Baseball America
named him second-team All-American at designated hitter
behind Ken Harvey. He was named a first-team third baseman Collegiate Baseball All-American.
Bozied spent 1999 with the United States national baseball team
, hitting .303 with a .439 slugging percentage as their main first baseman (Xavier Nady
manned third, Bozied's position at the University of San Francisco. The collegiate Team USA did not play in any major international tournaments that year.
Bozied fell to .359 with 14 homers and 52 RBI as a junior in 2000, finishing sixth in the West Coast Conference in average and fourth in homers. He made All-Conference at third base.
In 2001, his senior season, Bozied hit .335 with 12 homers, 20 steals and 51 runs for USF. He was once again the All-Conference pick at third base. USF retired Bozied's #19.
in the 50th round of the 1997 amateur draft
but did not sign. After his junior season at USF, Bozied was taken by the Minnesota Twins in the second round of the 2000 amateur draft
, the 42nd-overall pick, but did not sign.
The San Diego Padres
chose him in the third round of the 2001 amateur draft
as the 90th overall pick. Negotiations fell through and Bozied joined the independent Sioux Falls Canaries of the Northern League for the remainder of the 2001 season.
Bozied signed with the Padres for the 2002 and played with the Class-A Lake Elsinore Storm
, hitting .298/.377/.546 with 15 homers as their main first baseman. That earned him a promotion to the Double-A Mobile BayBears
, for whom he hit .214/.268/.389 in 60 games. Overall, his 24 home runs led Padres farmhands, as did his 92 RBI.
By 2003, Bozied was playing full-time in Triple-A. He hit .273/.331/.431 for the Portland Beavers
. His 59 RBI tied old Conference rival Jason Bay for the team lead and his 14 homers were second to Bay's 20. He led the Pacific Coast League
with 77 assists at first base.
Bozied started off 2004 hitting .315/.374/.629 with 16 homers and 58 RBI in his first 57 games for Portland. On July 19, he hit a game-winning game-ending grand slam to give Portland a victory over the Tacoma Rainiers. During his celebration at home plate, he ruptured the patella tendon
in his left knee and had to be hospitalized. He did not return to the field that year. Bozied battled knee problems throughout 2005, hitting .333/.388/.533 in 12 games for Mobile and .259/.323/.444 in 14 contests for Portland. This likely cost him a shot at the majors.
Let go by San Diego, Bozied signed with the New York Mets
. He batted .256/.358/.481 in 60 games for the 2006 Norfolk Tides
, being used primarily as an outfielder. He was then signed by the St. Louis Cardinals
; in 2007, he hit .264/.349/.490 for the Memphis Redbirds
, with 24 home runs, 82 RBI and a .336 average against left-handers (.234 versus righties). He was second on Memphis in homers and RBI, trailing Rick Ankiel
in both departments.
In 2008, Bozied joined the Florida Marlins
organization. He batted .306/.382/.569 with 86 runs, 28 doubles, 26 home runs and 80 RBI. He was second on the Albuquerque Isotopes
in homers and RBI, trailing Dallas McPherson
in both.
On April 28, 2009, Bozied joined the Brother Elephants
of Chinese Professional Baseball League
in Taiwan. On July 8, 2009, he was signed to a minor-league contract by the Pittsburgh Pirates
, and assigned to their Triple-A club.
On December 31, 2009, Bozied signed with the Philadelphia Phillies
. He was named Eastern League Player of the Week for the week ending August 23, 2010, playing with the Reading Phillies
In 2011, Bozied plays for the AAA Lehigh Valley IronPigs
.
Bozied filed for free agency after the 2011 season.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
. He was an All-American college baseball player as well as member of the United States national baseball team
United States national baseball team
The United States National Baseball team represents the United States in international baseball competition. The United States has won the previous two Baseball World Cups, having lost this title to the Netherlands in 2011, and is currently second in the IBAF World Rankings, behind Cuba.The team...
.
Personal
Bozied is married to former professional volleyball player Laura (néeMarried and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Tinetti) Bozied.
High school career
Bozied attended Arvada High SchoolArvada High School
Arvada High School is a public secondary school operated by Jefferson County School District R-1 in Arvada, Colorado, United States.-Demographics:Arvada High constitutes following racial demographics:-History:...
in Arvada, Colorado
Arvada, Colorado
The City of Arvada is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson and Adams counties in the Denver metropolitan area of the U.S. State of Colorado. Olde Town Arvada is located northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver...
. At Arvada, Bozied was named to the Class 4A All-State football team.
College career
Bozied attended the University of San FranciscoUniversity of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
(USF). In 1999, he won a Triple Crown in the West Coast Conference
West Coast Conference
The West Coast Conference is an NCAA collegiate athletics conference consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, Utah and Washington....
, earning him Player of the Year honors. He hit .412 with 30 home runs and 82 RBI; he was 10 homers ahead of runner-up Jason Bay
Jason Bay
Jason Raymond Bay is a Canadian professional baseball player. An outfielder, he currently plays for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball...
. Bozied also led the Conference with 71 runs. He slugged .936, the highest mark in all of NCAA Division I and tied for the second-most homers in Division I. Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
named him second-team All-American at designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
behind Ken Harvey. He was named a first-team third baseman Collegiate Baseball All-American.
Bozied spent 1999 with the United States national baseball team
United States national baseball team
The United States National Baseball team represents the United States in international baseball competition. The United States has won the previous two Baseball World Cups, having lost this title to the Netherlands in 2011, and is currently second in the IBAF World Rankings, behind Cuba.The team...
, hitting .303 with a .439 slugging percentage as their main first baseman (Xavier Nady
Xavier Nady
Xavier Clifford Nady VI is a Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman, who is a free agent.-Amateur career:The St. Louis Cardinals originally drafted Nady in the 4th round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft after he was named Northern California Player of the Year in his senior...
manned third, Bozied's position at the University of San Francisco. The collegiate Team USA did not play in any major international tournaments that year.
Bozied fell to .359 with 14 homers and 52 RBI as a junior in 2000, finishing sixth in the West Coast Conference in average and fourth in homers. He made All-Conference at third base.
In 2001, his senior season, Bozied hit .335 with 12 homers, 20 steals and 51 runs for USF. He was once again the All-Conference pick at third base. USF retired Bozied's #19.
Professional career
Bozied was picked by the Minnesota TwinsMinnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
in the 50th round of the 1997 amateur draft
1997 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1997 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1997...
but did not sign. After his junior season at USF, Bozied was taken by the Minnesota Twins in the second round of the 2000 amateur draft
2000 Major League Baseball Draft
-First Round Selections:-Compensation picks:- Background :The Florida Marlins made Adrian Gonzalez of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, CA the first overall selection in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft...
, the 42nd-overall pick, but did not sign.
The San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
chose him in the third round of the 2001 amateur draft
2001 Major League Baseball Draft
-First Round Selections:-Supplemental First Round Selections:-Background:The Minnesota Twins selected St. Paul, MN native Joe Mauer with the number one pick in the 2001 draft. The 18-year-old Mauer, a catcher from Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, became the seventh Minnesotan to be...
as the 90th overall pick. Negotiations fell through and Bozied joined the independent Sioux Falls Canaries of the Northern League for the remainder of the 2001 season.
Bozied signed with the Padres for the 2002 and played with the Class-A Lake Elsinore Storm
Lake Elsinore Storm
The Lake Elsinore Storm is a minor league baseball team in Lake Elsinore, California, USA. It is a Class A - Advanced team in the California League, and is a farm team of the San Diego Padres. The Storm plays its home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond...
, hitting .298/.377/.546 with 15 homers as their main first baseman. That earned him a promotion to the Double-A Mobile BayBears
Mobile BayBears
The Mobile BayBears are a minor league baseball team based in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks major league club. The BayBears play in Hank Aaron Stadium, named after baseball's former all-time home...
, for whom he hit .214/.268/.389 in 60 games. Overall, his 24 home runs led Padres farmhands, as did his 92 RBI.
By 2003, Bozied was playing full-time in Triple-A. He hit .273/.331/.431 for the Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
. His 59 RBI tied old Conference rival Jason Bay for the team lead and his 14 homers were second to Bay's 20. He led the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
with 77 assists at first base.
Bozied started off 2004 hitting .315/.374/.629 with 16 homers and 58 RBI in his first 57 games for Portland. On July 19, he hit a game-winning game-ending grand slam to give Portland a victory over the Tacoma Rainiers. During his celebration at home plate, he ruptured the patella tendon
Tendon
A tendon is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that usually connects muscle to bone and is capable of withstanding tension. Tendons are similar to ligaments and fasciae as they are all made of collagen except that ligaments join one bone to another bone, and fasciae connect muscles to other...
in his left knee and had to be hospitalized. He did not return to the field that year. Bozied battled knee problems throughout 2005, hitting .333/.388/.533 in 12 games for Mobile and .259/.323/.444 in 14 contests for Portland. This likely cost him a shot at the majors.
Let go by San Diego, Bozied signed with the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. He batted .256/.358/.481 in 60 games for the 2006 Norfolk Tides
Norfolk Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a minor league baseball team in the Triple-A International League. They play at Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia. Since 2007 they have been a farm team of the Baltimore Orioles; prior to that, they had a 38-year affiliation with the New York Mets.-Franchise history:The...
, being used primarily as an outfielder. He was then signed by the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
; in 2007, he hit .264/.349/.490 for the Memphis Redbirds
Memphis Redbirds
The Memphis Redbirds are the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They play their home games at AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The stadium's capacity is 14,320. They entered the Pacific Coast League as an expansion team in 1998, and were owned as a...
, with 24 home runs, 82 RBI and a .336 average against left-handers (.234 versus righties). He was second on Memphis in homers and RBI, trailing Rick Ankiel
Rick Ankiel
Richard Alexander Ankiel is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently with the Washington Nationals. He bats and throws left-handed....
in both departments.
In 2008, Bozied joined the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
organization. He batted .306/.382/.569 with 86 runs, 28 doubles, 26 home runs and 80 RBI. He was second on the Albuquerque Isotopes
Albuquerque Isotopes
The Albuquerque Isotopes are a minor league baseball team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers...
in homers and RBI, trailing Dallas McPherson
Dallas McPherson
Dallas Lyle McPherson is an American professional baseball third baseman in the Chicago White Sox organization.-High school:McPherson played at Randleman High School under Coach Tommy Price...
in both.
On April 28, 2009, Bozied joined the Brother Elephants
Brother Elephants
The Brother Elephants are a professional baseball team in Taiwan. It was originally established as an amateur team in 1984 by the Brother Hotel located in Taipei City, and later joined the Chinese Professional Baseball League in 1989...
of Chinese Professional Baseball League
Chinese Professional Baseball League
The Chinese Professional Baseball League , or CPBL, is the top-tier professional baseball league in Taiwan. The league was established in 1989. CPBL eventually absorbed the competing Taiwan Major League in 2003...
in Taiwan. On July 8, 2009, he was signed to a minor-league contract by the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, and assigned to their Triple-A club.
On December 31, 2009, Bozied signed with the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. He was named Eastern League Player of the Week for the week ending August 23, 2010, playing with the Reading Phillies
Reading Phillies
The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies....
In 2011, Bozied plays for the AAA Lehigh Valley IronPigs
Lehigh Valley IronPigs
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a minor league baseball team that plays in the International League. The IronPigs are the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. The team plays their home games at Coca-Cola Park, which is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania...
.
Bozied filed for free agency after the 2011 season.