Arizona State, 2001
• 1999 Second Team Academic All-America®
Willie Bloomquist was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Hall of Fame on June 10, 2019 during the CoSIDA Convention at the Orlando World Center Marriott.
A standout All-America infielder on the baseball diamond for Arizona State during his three-year career, Bloomquist went on to play professional baseball for 14 seasons. He played in more than 1000 Major League Baseball (MLB) games as a standout utility player for the Seattle Mariners (2002-08), Kansas City Royals (2009-10), Cincinnati Reds (2010) and Arizona Diamondbacks (2011-13) and again for Seattle (2014-15), primarily an outfielder, shortstop and third baseman. Aside from catcher and pitcher, he played every position during his baseball career. He announced his retirement from the MLB in March of 2016 - in an entertaining Twitter video. He then joined the Arizona D-backs front office two months later.
Bloomquist currently serves as special assistant to the Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall.
In 1996, he was drafted in the eighth round by the Seattle Mariners out of South Kitsap High School in Port Orchard, Wash., yet the heavily-recruited standout decided to go to college.
And what a decision that turned out to be, as Bloomquist was a three-year starter and All-America standout for the Sun Devils (1997-99) as a freshman, sophomore and junior.
Bloomquist capped his three-year ASU career with First-Team All-America honors at shortstop by Baseball America and the American Baseball Coaches Association in 1999, the same season he was named Pac-10 Player of the Year. His sophomore season, Bloomquist claimed Second Team All-America honors from the NCBWA and ABCA and third-team honors from Baseball America and The Sporting News. He was named to the 1997 Freshman All-America Team by Collegiate Baseball.
He is the only player in ASU Baseball history to record 100 hits in consecutive seasons (1998-99). He finished with a career batting average of .394 with 256 hits, 42 doubles, 22 triples, 15 home runs and 176 RBI, and ranks third in school history with that career .394 batting average. In the Sun Devil record books, Bloomquist also ranks third in triples, fourth with 216 runs scored, tied for fourth with 72 stolen bases and tied for 10th with 176 RBI.
After earning CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in 1999 as a junior, Bloomquist was drafted by the Mariners again in June 1999, this time in the third round. He left ASU after his junior season, signing with the Mariners, but during his offseasons in 2000 and '01, he went back to finish his ASU degree in business management, graduating with a 3.35 GPA.
One of his top MLB seasons took place in 2011 when he was with the Diamondbacks. Bloomquist played in 97 games, hitting .266 with 20 stolen bases. That season, the D-backs won the National League West pennant and in five games against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Division Series, Bloomquist posted a .318 average and stole three bases.
In his MLB career, Bloomquist hit .269 with 778 hits, 110 doubles, 23 triples, 18 home runs, 225 RBI and 133 stolen bases in 1,055 career games. He compiled a .977 fielding percentage, playing outfield (339 games), shortstop (305 games), third base (142), second base (141) and first base (47).
In 2013, he played in the World Baseball Classic and that same year, was inducted into the Arizona State Sport Hall of Fame.
A fan favorite for his hustle style of play and civic work, Bloomquist has long been involved in the communities in which he played. He was the D-backs' 2012 Roberto Clemente Award nominee for his efforts with Phoenix Children's Hospital where he launched "The Abe and Max Fund" at Phoenix Children's Hospital, which is designed to raise money to buy electronics and games for Phoenix Children's Hospital. Throughout his tenure, he was involved in volunteering at the Diamonback's Winter Classic Holiday parties; hosted Phoenix Children's Hospital patients for VIP days at the ballpark; visited families with babies at the nursery intensive care unit (NyICU) at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center; and made additional hospital visits, aimed at supporting the efforts of the March of Dimes.
Additionally, Bloomquist was named the Mariners Unsung Hero in 2005 and was the 2012 recipient of the Heart & Hustle Award, given to one member from each MLB club that demonstrates a passion for the game of baseball and best embodies the values, spirit and traditions of the game.
