Eric Sidney Sogard (born May 22, 1986) is an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...

who is a free agent. He has played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...

(MLB) for the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The t ...

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. The Brewers are named for the city's association wi ...

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...

, and

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...

. Sogard attended

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in t ...

and played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...

for the

Arizona State Sun Devils The Arizona State Sun Devils are the athletic teams that represent Arizona State University. ASU has nine men's and eleven women's varsity teams competing at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of ...

. His

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

"Nerd Power" was given to him by Athletics fans at O.co Coliseum who liked his play style and distinct glasses.

Early life

Sogard's parents are Anna Vodicka Sogard and Bruce R. "Rudy" Sogard. Rudy was also a collegiate baseball player and set the home run record for

DePauw University DePauw University is a private liberal arts university in Greencastle, Indiana. It has an enrollment of 1,972 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the ...

in 1975 playing third base. Eric is the brother of

Alex Sogard Alexander Kyle Sogard (born July 25, 1987) is an American baseball coach and former pitcher, who is the current head baseball coach of the Wright State Raiders. He played college baseball at Oregon State from 2006 to 2007 before transferring to ...

.thesundevils.cstv

High school

Sogard attended Thunderbird High School in Phoenix. He played for the

and

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has been Citize ...

scout teams in 2002 and 2003. He was the 2003 ''

Arizona Republic ''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. Copies are sold at $2 daily or at $ ...

s NW Valley H.S. Baseball Player of the Year, the Region Player of the Year, and 1st Team All-State

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...

. He repeated as All-State shortstop in 2004, and represented Arizona in the 2003 and 2004 Sunbelt Classic Baseball Series. Sogard broke numerous Thunderbird school batting records, including highest

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average i ...

, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. In addition, Sogard was a star

midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...

on Thunderbird's 2002 state runner-up (21–2) soccer team.

College

Sogard received both academic and athletic scholarships from

. He was ranked as the number 7 high school prospect in Arizona in 2004. He majored in

kinesiology Kinesiology () is the scientific study of human body movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, anatomical, biomechanical, pathological, neuropsychological principles and mechanisms of movement. Applications of kinesiology to human health ...

at ASU. Sogard was a two-time

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

n as a Sun Devil in 2006 and 2007, and was a 1st Team All-Pac-10 selection both years as well. He was also the 2007 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year. He played many positions in 2006 but stayed at second base for ASU in 2007. In 2006, Sogard had a

slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player ...

of .625, third-best in the

Pac-10 The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its College football, football teams compete in the NCAA D ...

, and an

OPS In ancient Roman religion, Ops or ''Opis'' (Latin: "Plenty") was a fertility deity and earth goddess of Sabine origin. Her equivalent in Greek mythology was Rhea. Iconography In Ops' statues and coins, she is figured sitting down, as Chthon ...

of 1.057, fourth-best in the Pac-10. In 2007, he was second in the Pac-10 in average (.394) and runs (74), and third in walks (39) and

on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...

(.488). In 2007, Sogard became one of only a few ASU players ever to hit .400 for an entire season, with at least 100 hits. Sogard finished with the 15th-highest career batting average in ASU baseball history at .371. He is a member of the ASU All-Decade Team of 2000–09.

Career

San Diego Padres system

Sogard was the first Sun Devil to be selected in the 2007 Major League draft, going in the second round, 81st overall, to the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

. With

Lake Elsinore Lake Elsinore is a natural freshwater lake in Riverside County, California, located east of the Santa Ana Mountains and fed by the San Jacinto River. Originally named ''Laguna Grande'' by Spanish explorers, it was renamed for the town of Elsino ...

in 2008, he led the California League in doubles (42) and on-base percentage (.394). He was a ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form ...

'' High Class A All-Star, and a California League mid-season and post-season All-Star. He was also selected for the

Topps The Topps Company, Inc. is an American company that manufactures chewing gum, candy, and collectibles. Formerly based in New York City, Topps is best known as a leading producer of American football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, soccer, an ...

' Class-A All-Star Team. In 2009, playing for the

San Antonio Missions The San Antonio Missions are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in San Antonio, Texas, and are named for the Spanish missions around which the city was founded ...

in AA, Scout.com ranked Sogard as one of the top hitting prospects in the Padres organization. He was named a

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

mid-season All-Star at second base/

designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...

Oakland Athletics

On January 16, 2010, Sogard was traded along with

Kevin Kouzmanoff Kevin Kouzmanoff (born July 25, 1981) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies and Texas Rangers. Ko ...

to the

in exchange for Scott Hairston and Aaron Cunningham. In 2010, he was an MiLB.com Organization All-Star with the Oakland organization. Sogard ended the 2010 season as one of

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

's more consistent players, earning a promotion to Oakland in September. In 2011, he was a

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Bas ...

mid-season All-Star at shortstop with Sacramento. He had the highest

fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...

in the league. He spent the second half of the season with Oakland in the majors. On August 23, 2011, Sogard hit his first career home run off then- Yankees pitcher

Bartolo Colón Bartolo Colón (born May 24, 1973), nicknamed "Big Sexy," is a Dominican-American professional baseball pitcher. He has played for 11 different Major League Baseball (MLB) teams: the Cleveland Indians (1997–2002), Montreal Expos (2002), Chicago ...

. The A's entered spring training in the beginning of the 2013 season with a battle over the everyday second baseman job. Sogard was put into the competition along with Scott Sizemore, who was returning after missing the entire 2012 season,

Jemile Weeks Jemile Nykiwa Weeks ( ; born January 26, 1987) is an American former professional baseball second baseman and outfielder. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, and San Diego P ...

, Adam Rosales,

Andy Parrino Andrew B. Parrino (born October 31, 1985) is an American former professional baseball player. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics. College Parrino has Albanian origin from Italy ...

, and Jed Lowrie. Lowrie was first put into the competition and promised an everyday job but instead took over everyday shortstop due to the struggles and injury of Hiroyuki Nakajima. Sogard then won the second base battle as he was the

opening day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years ...

starting second baseman. Sogard finished a close second in the contest, voted on by fans, to be named the "Face of MLB" in February 2014. Mets third baseman

David Wright David Allen Wright (born December 20, 1982) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played his entire 14-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career for the New York Mets. He was drafted by the Mets in 2001 MLB draft and made ...

won. In April 2016, Sogard underwent surgery on his left knee. He played in only two games for the

Stockton Ports The Stockton Ports are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. They are located in Stockton, California, and are named for the city's seaport. The team plays its home games at ...

on rehab assignment. He was sent outright to Triple-A after the 2016 season and elected to become a free agent.

Milwaukee Brewers

On December 15, 2016, Sogard signed a minor league contract with the

that included an invitation to spring training. In Sogard's first game with the Brewers, he hit a three-run home run. He finished the season playing in 94 games, establishing career highs in home runs (3), walks (45) and batting average (.273). The following season, Sogard played through injury, hitting a career worst .134 in 94 at bats. He was released by the team on July 10, 2018. He resigned a minor league deal on July 27, 2018. Sogard was released again by the Brewers on September 1, 2018.

Toronto Blue Jays

On December 21, 2018, Sogard signed a minor league contract with the

and was invited to spring training. He battled against Richard Ureña for the

utility infielder In baseball, a utility player is a player who typically does not have the offensive abilities to justify a regular starting role on the team but is capable of playing more than one defensive position. These players are able to give the various s ...

spot on the opening day roster, but was ultimately sent to Triple-A affiliate Buffalo following the conclusion of spring training. Sogard had his contract selected on April 15, 2019. He made his debut with the team the next day, collecting three hits in a 6–5 win over the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area ...

. Sogard saw success during his stint with the Blue Jays, hitting .300 and recording an OPS of .840 in 73 games.

Tampa Bay Rays

On July 28, 2019, the Blue Jays traded Sogard to the Rays for two players to be named later. He hit .266 in 37 games.

Return to Milwaukee

On December 20, 2019, Sogard signed a one-year deal with the

reuniting with his former team. Sogard hit his first career walk-off against the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 29, 2020 with a two-run home run in the ninth inning, resulting in a 7–6 victory for the Brewers. He finished the shortened season hitting .209/.281/.278 with 10 RBIs and 10 runs scored in 43 games.

Chicago Cubs

On March 3, 2021, Sogard signed a minor league contract with the

organization that included an invitation to Spring Training. On March 28, 2021, Sogard was selected to the 40-man roster. Although a position player, Sogard recorded 5 pitching appearances in 2021, including 3 in a 10 game losing streak. In 78 games with the Cubs, Sogard hit .249/.283/.314 with 1 home run and 12 RBI. He was designated for assignment by the Cubs on July 23. He was released by the Cubs on July 28.

Personal life

Sogard's younger brother,

Alex Alex is a given name. It can refer to a shortened version of Alexander, Alexandra, Alexis. People Multiple * Alex Brown (disambiguation), multiple people *Alex Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people *Alex Harris (disambiguation), multiple p ...

, is a former professional baseball player, who is now the head baseball coach at

Wright State University Wright State University is a public research university in Fairborn, Ohio. Originally opened in 1964 as a branch campus of Miami University and Ohio State University, it became an independent institution in 1967 and was named in honor of aviatio ...

. Sogard married his wife Kaycee in October 2011. They have five children together. Eric's cousin Nick Sogard plays in the Boston Red Sox' farm system.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sogard, Eric 1986 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada Arizona State Sun Devils baseball players Baseball players from Phoenix, Arizona Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Chicago Cubs players Colorado Springs Sky Sox players Eugene Emeralds players Fort Wayne Wizards players Lake Elsinore Storm players Major League Baseball second basemen Major League Baseball shortstops Major League Baseball third basemen Milwaukee Brewers players Oakland Athletics players Portland Beavers players Toronto Blue Jays players Sacramento River Cats players San Antonio Missions players Tampa Bay Rays players Stockton Ports players