ANDY BOUCHIE NEWS

PERSONAL/MISCELLANEOUS
Attended Oral Roberts University...hit .376 as a junior and earned All-Mid-Continent Conference honors...resides in Chino, CA.

CAREER TRANSACTIONS
Originally selected by Milwaukee in the 7th round of the 2006 draft.

...signed with Long Beach in the Golden Baseball League prior to the 2009 season.

...signed by Detroit as a minor league free agent on January 13, 2010.

CAREER

2006 SEASON:
Started his professional career with Helena in the Pioneer League.

...hit .265 (59-223) with 7 HR and 46 RBI in 61 games.

...had 5 RBI on September 2 at Billings.

...went 2-4 with 4 RBI on September 5 vs. Great Falls.

2007 SEASON:
Spent the year with Single-A West Virginia in the South Atlantic League, hitting .216 (64-296) in 82 games.

...went 3-5 with 2 HR and 6 RBI on June 12 vs. Hickory.

2008 SEASON:
Spent the season with Single-A Brevard County in the Florida State League, hitting .197 (47-239) in 73 games.

...had five straight multi-hit games from May 25-June 2.

2009 SEASON: Spent the year with Long Beach in the Golden Baseball League.

...selected to the Golden Baseball League All-Star squad.

2010 SEASON:
Split the season between Single-A Lakeland, Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo.

...started with Lakeland, hitting .135 (7-52) in 16 games from April 9-May 11.

...went to Erie, hitting .205 (41-200) in 59 games from May 14-August 29.

...connected for 2 HR and 4 RBI on June 27 vs. Richmond.

...played two games with Toledo, going 1-7 at the plate in September.

Unconventionally, Bouchie reaches bigs
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 03/31/11 8:15 PM ET

NEW YORK -- Technically, reliever Brayan Villarreal was the only Tigers player taking part in his first big league game on Thursday. But the look on new bullpen catcher Andy Bouchie suggested differently. Bouchie is a long way from independent ball in Long Beach, Calif.

The Tigers haven't needed a second bullpen catcher for years. When they decided not to go with a dedicated backup catcher beyond Alex Avila and Victor Martinez, however, they needed one for when two relievers warm up at the same time. The club didn't want to make bullpen coach Jeff Jones do it due to his surgically repaired knees, and Don Kelly can't always be counted on to be in the dugout during the late innings.

By chance, primary bullpen catcher Scott Pickens was around a Minor League game on the back fields at Tigertown this spring. Bouchie was around and just asked how somebody gets a job like his.

Two days later, the Tigers came to Bouchie with an idea. He had to give up his playing career, but he'd get to the big leagues. He didn't ponder it long.

"I did everything I could as a baseball player," said Bouchie, who split last year between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo. "It wasn't for lack of hard work. I have no regrets. I had fun."

Then he smiled.

"It wasn't the way I thought I'd get here," Bouchie said, "but I'll take it."