Hiram Bocachica: Hiram Today

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The Hiram Boacahica Fan Club Story

The Hiram Bocachica Fan Club started during Spring Training on March 20th, 2004.

With much excitement we attended our first Mariner game in Surprise, Arizona. The stadium was filled with Mariner fans. With giddy anticipation we found our seats and sat down to watch a Mariner team that over the years we had become fairly familiar with. Our surprise came with a home run from someone we'd never heard of before.

We will never forget when Hiram came up to bat. We all looked at our roster to see who #33 was. No one had ever heard of Hiram Bocachica. A pitch was thrown and #33 hit the ball out of the park!

The following day the game was held at Peoria Stadium. Again the place was packed under that dry, sunny Arizona sky. The game progressed and soon we saw #33 enter the batting box. BOOM! Another home run!! Our only conclusion was that THIS is the guy to watch. For the rest of our Spring Training adventure we were Bocachica fans.

We followed the team down to Tucson for 3 days of games. Bocachica did not dissapoint us. In fact, he astounded us with his technical ability in the outfield, his speed around the bases and his timing as he always seemed to hit the ball into a hole, getting a base hit and advancing the runners.

When we returned to Peoria we made a quick stop to Staples and purchased materials to make some signs. Without even understanding what we were doing, something drove us to make sure the Mariner's management took a good hard look at this player.

The next day the stadium was sprinkled with signs declaring our undying devotion..."It's Bocachica Time!"
"BOCACHICA" and "The Bocachica Fan Club."

That night while checking our email, we browsed the Mariner Website and saw that one of our signs had made the Mariner website!

Friday, March 26th, the stadium was smothered with signs! "HEY Bo Mel...Hire 'em Bocachica" and "www.hirambocachica.com" along with the previous days signs surrounding the stands.

We knew the pattern, about the 5th or 6th inning, out trotted #33 to right field. One of us would yell out..."It's Bocachica time." When Hiram finally was up to bat, out came the signs and the three of us who weren't embarrased to stand in front of a sun dulled stadium of fans, made our way down to the walk way. Mark yelled, "BOCA" and Sherry and I yelled "CHICA!"

This devotion isn't just a passing fancy during a dream vacation...no! One only has to look at Hiram's spring training stats to see his consistent playing ability and technical skill.

With 44 at bats, Bocachica had a spring training batting average of .341. He led the spring training team in homeruns with a total of 4. Quinton McCracken had 3, and the veteran players (Ibanez, Winn, Martinez, and Boone) had only 2 homeruns during spring training.

Not to desparage the Mariners, but with their lackluster start this spring, we think that it is "Bocachica time" at Safeco.

2005 Update
It's been over a year since the fan club and website began. The website was visited by over 10,000 people during that time. We've heard from sports writers and fans from around the world.

A couple of events that are not reflected on the website:

1. My interview on KJR Radio out of Seattle in May was the first payoff from my many emails promoting the site. I was contacted by a producer for "Mitch in the Morning," a sports radio talk show. They interviewed me from my home in Newberg one morning last May. Mitch had a lot of fun with me, accusing me of being a "groupie," something that my mother had quite a run with. But what Mitch did was get the word out about the fan club and I am grateful for that.

2. Pike Parker from Fox Sports Net emailed me about doing an on camera story about the website and fan club. Since my husband and I were planning to attend a game in June we arranged to meet Pike after the game for the interview. I called my brother, and we all met up at the game. The interview almost didn't happen because this was the game where they announced that they were trading Freddy Garcia. Pike called us after the game to let us know that due to the press conference regarding Freddy he wasn't sure if there would be time. We agreed to go to Pyramid across the street and wait for an hour. 2 hours later my brother and his wife needed to catch the ferry home and we needed to start our 3 hour drive south. As Wade and I reached our car my cell phone rang. It was Pike inquiring about our location. We were parked in the Homeplate lot so we were very close. My husband and I ended up being filmed for the interview focusing on the fan club. (I have always regretted that my brother wasn't a part of this experience. Sorry, Mark.)

2006 was...interesting. Hiram spent most of the year on the disabled list after another surgery. He rejoined the Sacramento River Cats and immediately let his presense be known. He continues to be a fan favorite at Raley Field.

Disillusionment about the sport has crept in. Steriods, journalists and baseball management have snapped me back to the reality of the sport. But my desire to help people understand that ball players are people first, ball players second will continue to be my mantra.

What has not waned is the support for Hiram Bocachica. Hiram signed a minor league contract with the Oakland A's. Knowing what that can mean, we were pretty excited. Boca did not disappoint us in Spring Training. He was just as exciting in 2005 as he was in 2004.

2007 has proven to be the weirdest year yet. In February, all of a sudden, Hiram, who ended the 2006 season on the post-season roster, was released by the A's. In previous weeks we had seen Rivercat team mate, Charles Thomas sent to AAA to make room for the newly aquired Shannon Stewart. We were very concerned.

Once we made contact with Hiram, he explained that the A's had illegally sent him to the minors. Their only option was to release him. All this happened at the start of Spring Training. Hiram went home to be with his family and wait it out. The Padres contacted Hiram's agent showing some interest (which would have been awesome since the Padre AAA organization is practically in our backyard). Then the call from "Billy Beane" came. An apology and affirmation that the A's organization wanted to keep Hiram on their payroll.

Spring training resulted in some injuries for players that Hiram would have been able to fill in for. But with the illegal action by the A's, Hiram is forced to stay in the minors for 45 days from the start of the season. Wouldn't have mattered if he batted a 1000 or hit three homeruns each game....he'd be benched in Sacramento no matter what. The injuries to the A's outfield mounted with both Keilty, Kotsay and Bradley eventually succumbing to injuries and although Hiram was tearing up the ball park in Sacramento, he wasn't eligible to be called up until May 15th. True to his word, Billy Beane brought Boca up to Oakland. But the writing was on the wall. No matter how Hiram played, he'd be sent back to AAA as soon as the starters made their way off the disabled list.

And that's what happened.
We all couldn't be more thrilled. Boca's transition to the Padres has been 100% positive.
The organization is a complete turn around from the A's.
He's flown 1st class, Sushi in the clubhouse, positive reinforcement from the manager and his new teammates have welcomed him
into the clubhouse with open arms.
And I can't think of a better baseball town. Can you?

The fan club organization remains faithful to our friend, whether he is in Ponce or Sacramento, or injured. Hiram and Jocy Bocachica has opened up their hearts and live to us in ways most fans can only dream of. Their sincerity and kindness is something we can never repay.

If you would like to become a member of the Hiram Bocachica Fan Club send an email to:

Jere Witherspoon
Fan Club Secretary and Webmistress
jerespoon@yahoo.com

We like to post fan letters on the website. But I always ask first.

HIRAM BOCACHICA FAN CLUB ORGANIZATION
Fan Club Founder & President ~ Mark Abbott
Fan Club Secretary and Webmistress ~ Jere Witherspoon
Fan Club Treasurer ~ Sherry Abbott ~ Although she isn't very busy because we haven't made any money.
Fan Club Baseball Technical Advisor ~ Wade Witherspoon and starting to cheer for Hiram was his idea.
Fan Club Promotions Advisor ~ Russ Roach
Dog Trainer - Jo Roach
Honorary Fan Club Member ~ Jesse Witherspoon ~ Because he was there when it all began

Hiram Bocachica

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Hiram Today

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