Books and articles about Dante Bichette

"I was 10 years old when I saw Reggie Jackson hit a home run in the World Series for Oakland," Bichette recalled after the 1998 season. "I said, 'That's what I want to do for a living.'" But it wasn't until he joined the expansion Colorado Rockies in 1993 -- his tenth season in pro ball, and his fifth in the majors -- that Bichette became a bona-fide slugger.

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Bichette saw his first major-league action at the age of 25 with the California Angels in 1988, but despite a well-respected throwing arm he proved too streaky a hitter to push his way into the regular lineup. He was eventually traded to Milwaukee in March 1991 for an aging Dave Parker and became the Brewers' Opening Day right fielder, but his .238 batting average and 107 strikeouts forced manager Phil Garner to give more playing time to Darryl Hamilton the following year. Despite a respectable .287 average in 1992, Bichette's 5 homers and 41 RBIs weren't enough to justify his unimpressive totals of 74 whiffs and 16 walks. He was dealt to Colorado on the day of the expansion draft for the Rockies' fifth selection, outfielder Kevin Reimer.

Perhaps in anticipation of the homer-friendly conditions at Mile-High Stadium, Bichette focussed on intense weight training over the winter in an effort to increase his home run totals. It worked. In the Rockies' second game of the season, Bichette hit the first round-tripper in franchise history into a stiff wind at Shea Stadium against the Mets' Bret Saberhagen. By the end of the year, he set a personal best with 21 homers -- to that point, he had only once hit more than 15 homers in a season at any level. He also hit .310, the first time in his major-league career he had topped the .300 mark. But Bichette's added bulk at times affected his performance on the basepaths and in the outfield. "I'm gonna send him anyway," manager Don Baylor once joked after Bichette was caught stealing against the Dodgers in late May. "Maybe that will get him in shape."

Even if his defense and baserunning were stagnant, Bichette's easygoing style and impressive offensive numbers in 1993 (.310, 21 homers, 89 RBI, 43 doubles) won him a regular job in the Rockies' outfield. He missed the last twenty-one games of the season after a Doug Jones pitch fractured his wrist, but recovered nicely in 1994 (.304, 27, 95), appearing not only in all 116 of the Rockies' contests but also his first All-Star Game.

Bichette, who had been chastened during spring training by manager Don Baylor when he showed up badly in need of a haircut, christened Coors Field on Opening Day 1995 with a game-winning round-tripper in the fourteenth inning off the Mets' Mike Remlinger. It was the first of his league-leading 40 homers that season -- 31 of which were hit in the new stadium. (As a team, the Rockies hit more than twice as many homers at home than on the road.) Bichette was unhappy about moving to left field -- manager Don Baylor wanted future Gold Glover Larry Walker in right -- but it didn't affect his hitting; Bichette also topped the NL in RBI (128) and finished third in the league with a .340 batting average. To the disappointment of Rockies fans, Bichette fell just short of Cincinnati's Barry Larkin in the MVP voting.

Problems with an ailing left knee slowed Bichette in 1996, but he still was a force to be reckoned with at the plate, socking 31 homers (22 at Coors) with a .316 average and 141 RBI. He also set a career mark with 31 steals, but was caught 12 times. After undergoing reconstructive surgery during the offseason, Bichette's mobility dropped dramatically.

Nevertheless, he played in 151 games in '97 and hit .301 with 26 homers and 118 RBI. His swift recovery gave the Rockies flexibility to bid adieu to free-agent first baseman Andres Galarraga after the season, making room for phenom Todd Helton at first base.

1998 was another solid season for the right-hander (.331, 22, 122) who heard a multitude of trade rumors at the end of July but was rewarded in September with a three-year, $21 million contract extension. On June 10, Bichette became the first Rockie to hit for the cycle; the Cardinals' John Mabry had been the first to accomplish the feat in Coors Field in 1996.

Bichette became involved in the late-season controversy surrounding home run champ Mark McGwire when a Denver sportswriter's press credentials were revoked for removing a bottle of androstenedione -- McGwire's muscle enhancer of choice -- from Bichette's locker. At the time, Bichette was a national spokesperson for a company that produced similar nutritional supplements.

In 1999 -- constantly changing his stance to break out of minor slumps -- Bichette slugged 34 homers and drove in 133 runs with a .298 batting average. It marked the first time in his Rockies career he'd hit below .300. After the season, he was dealt to the Cincinnati Reds for outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds and reliever Stan Belinda as the Rockies tried to rebuild with speedier players and a more flexible lineup. He had been the only player to be on the Colorado roster every day of their first seven seasons.

By 2000, Bichette's play in the field had deteriorated to the point that Reds fans booed him early in the seasons for his miscues in right field. To work on his glovework, Bichette planned to build a full-sized baseball diamond on his 47-acre property outside of Orlando for extra practice.

As it turned out, Bichette's Reds career didn't last long. In late August, he was sent to the Boston Red Sox for two minor-leaguers in a cost-cutting move.

An avid ping-pong and table soccer player, Bichette has appeared in foosball world championships and also has a soft spot for video games. (JGR)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » July 14, 1990: Dante Bichette, Dave Winfield, and Brian Downing each homer twice in California's 8–7 win over Toronto. This is the 8th time three teammates have done this in the ML. » March 14, 1991: The Angels obtain DH Dave Parker from the Brewers in exchange for OF Dante Bichette and a player to be named later. » November 17, 1992: The Rockies make their first trade a good one, sending OF Kevin Reimer to the Brewers for OF Dante Bichette. Bichette hit .287 for Milwaukee, but just .246 in the 2nd half of the year. » September 17, 1995: Florida's Pat Rapp 1-hits Colorado as the Marlins trounce the Rockies, 17-0. It's Rapp's 7th win in a row as a bloop single by Dante Bichette is Colorado's only safety. The Marlins pound six Rockies' pitchers for 21 safeties, including five for OF Gary Sheffield, who drives in four runs before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the 8th. Rapp will shut out the Mets in five days in a rain shortened game, the first Marlin to toss two shutouts in a row. » June 1, 1996: Pittsburgh's Paul Wagner allows just one hit in seven innings, but his wildness costs him as the Rockies top the Bucs, 2–0. Four Rockies' Ps combine for the team's first shutout this year, matching last year's total. Dante Bichette's 2nd-inning single accounts for both Colorado scores against Wagner, who strikes out 10. » June 30, 1996: Rockies 2B Eric Young steals six bases in Colorado's 16-15 win over the Dodgers to tie a major league record. Three steals come in the 3rd inning when he steals 2B, 3B, and home. The two teams score in 14 of their 18 turns at bat, tying another big league mark. There are seven lead changes in the contest, which is marked by 38 hits, 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases—9 steals when Hideo Nomo is on the mound. Three of the homers come on consecutive pitches as Mike Piazza, Eric Karros, and Raul Mondesi homer off Mark Thompson. The 4-hour and 20-minute game is the longest 9-inning contest in National League history. Mondesi drives home six runs for LA, while Dante Bichette gets five hits and four ribbies for Colorado. » July 23, 1996: In the pitchers' hell known as Coors Field, the Rockies take a pair from the Mets, outslugging them 10–7 and 11–10. The two games feature 59 hits, including eight home runs, off 17 pitchers. In the first inning of the nitecap, Dante Bichette, Andres Galarraga, and Vinny Castilla hit consecutive homers off Pete Harnisch. Galarraga hits another in the 3rd, one of his six hits for the day. » August 28, 1996: Vinny Castilla reaches the 100-RBI plateau, joining teammates Andres Galarraga, Ellis Burks, and Dante Bichette. Not since the Cubs and Phillies of 1929 has a team had four players reach the mark. » September 29, 1996: The Rockies beat the Giants, 12–3, as Andres Galarraga has three hits, three runs and three RBIs. He finishes the season with 150 ribbies, the first to reach that mark since Tommy Davis in 1962, and his 47 homers leads the NL. Dante Bichette collects his 141st RBI giving the Rockies two players with 140+ ribbies, the first time two teammates have topped the mark since the 1950 Red Sox. Vinny Castilla hits his 40th homer, joining Ellis Burks and Galarraga as the 2nd team (Braves) to have three teammates reach that mark. » May 29, 1997: In Florida, Rockies' OF Ellis Burks hits a 2-run double to cap a three-run rally in the ninth inning and help Colorado beat Florida, 6-5. Colorado trails 4-0 in the 6th, before Larry Walker, Andres Galarraga, and Dante Bichette hit consecutive homers off Alex Fernandez. » April 6, 1998: Houston trounces Colorado, 13–4, despite five hits by Rockies' RF Dante Bichette. Jeff Bagwell homers and drives home three runs for the Astros. » June 10, 1998: Colorado OF Dante Bichette becomes the first Rockies player ever to hit for the cycle in the team's 9–8, 10–inning victory over the Rangers. Bichette doubles in the 4th, homers in the 6th, triples in the 9th, and singles in the 10th. » April 4, 1999: In the first season opener ever played outside of the United States or Canada, the Rockies defeat the Padres, 8–2, before an overflow crowd of 27,104 in Monterrey, Mexico. OF Dante Bichette has four hits, including a home run, and four RBIs for the winners. Local hero Vinny Castilla also has four hits for the Rockies, while Darryl Kile picks up the victory. » June 6, 1999: The Rockies hit a team-record four home runs in an 8-run 7th inning in rallying to defeat the Brewers, 10-5. Henry Blanco, Neifi Perez, Dante Bichette and Angel Echevarria all connect in the inning. » June 9, 1999: In a game featuring 10 home runs, the Rockies defeat the Mariners by a score of 16-11. Butch Huskey, Ken Griffey Jr., David Bell, and David Segui homer for Seattle. Angel Echevarria homers twice for the Rockies, who also get round-trippers from Edgard Clemente, Kurt Abbott, Dante Bichette, and P Curtis Leskanic. » August 14, 1999: The Rockies and Expos combine to hit 10 home runs in Colorado's 11-8 victory. Four players -- Montreal's Geoff Blum and Colorado's Edgard Clemente, Todd Helton, and Dante Bichette -- each hit a pair, while Jose Vidro and Rondell White also connect. It is only the 3rd time in major league history that four players have each hit two home runs in the same game. » September 17, 1999: The Rockies pound out 20 hits on their way to an 18-10 victory over the Dodgers. OF Dante Bichette drives home seven runs for Colorado on a pair of home runs. » October 30, 1999: The Rockies trade long-time favorite Dante Bichette to the Reds in exchange for OF Jeffrey Hammonds, P Stan Belinda, and cash. No word on the fate of Dante's Denver restaurant. » May 24, 2000: The Reds defeat the Dodgers, 10-3, with OF Dante Bichette leading the way going 5-for-6, with a double and four RBIs. » August 31, 2000: The Red Sox obtain OF Dante Bichette from the Reds for pitchers Chris Reitsma and John Curtice.