Billy Koch
Born: 12/14/1974 in Rockville Centre, NY, USA
MLB Debut: 1999-05-05 | Final Game: 2004-08-26
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 218 lbs
Full name: William Christopher Koch
Biography
Billy Koch, born in 1974, was a professional baseball pitcher who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball from 1999 to 2004. Over the course of his career, Koch recorded a win-loss record of 29-25 and posted an earned run average (ERA) of 3.89. Known for his powerful arm and ability to close games, he accumulated a remarkable 163 saves and struck out 357 batters, showcasing his effectiveness as a relief pitcher.
Koch's career spanned a transformative era in baseball, where the role of the closer became increasingly vital to a team's success. He played for several teams, including the Toronto Blue Jays, where he first made his mark, demonstrating a blend of velocity and precision that made him a formidable opponent. His contributions to the game and his ability to perform under pressure solidified his place in baseball history, and he remains a noteworthy figure among pitchers of his generation.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 25 | 379 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 163 | 407.3 | 379 | 176 | 41 | 191 | 357 | 3.89 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | TOR | AL | 0 | 5 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 63.7 | 55 | 24 | 30 | 57 | 3.39 | 1272.5 |
| 2000 | TOR | AL | 9 | 3 | 68 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 78.7 | 78 | 23 | 18 | 60 | 2.63 | 2811.0 |
| 2001 | TOR | AL | 2 | 5 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 69.3 | 69 | 37 | 33 | 55 | 4.80 | -79.2 |
| 2002 | OAK | AL | 11 | 4 | 84 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 93.7 | 73 | 34 | 46 | 93 | 3.27 | 1739.5 |
| 2003 | CHW | AL | 5 | 5 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 53.0 | 59 | 34 | 28 | 42 | 5.77 | - |
| 2004 | CHW | AL | 1 | 1 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 23.3 | 24 | 14 | 16 | 25 | 5.40 | - |
| 2004 | MIA | NL | 1 | 2 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25.7 | 21 | 10 | 20 | 25 | 3.51 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 379 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | TOR | AL | 56 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 2000 | TOR | AL | 68 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 2001 | TOR | AL | 69 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2002 | OAK | AL | 84 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2003 | CHW | AL | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2004 | CHW | AL | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2004 | MIA | NL | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | ALDS2 | OAK | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3.0 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 9.00 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | ALDS2 | OAK | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3.0 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 9.00 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 379 | 0 | 35 | 43 | 2 | 7 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | TOR | P | 56 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | TOR | P | 68 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 2 |
| 2001 | TOR | P | 69 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 2002 | OAK | P | 84 | 0 | 14 | 12 | 0 | 2 |
| 2003 | CHA | P | 55 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | CHA | P | 24 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 | FLO | P | 23 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 379 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Reliever of the Year Award | |
| 2002 | TSN Reliever of the Year |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | CHA | AL | $6,375,000 |
| 2003 | CHA | AL | $4,250,000 |
| 2002 | OAK | AL | $2,433,333 |
| 2001 | TOR | AL | $733,333 |
| 2000 | TOR | AL | $333,333 |
| 1999 | TOR | AL | $200,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $14,324,999 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson University | Clemson | SC | 1994, 1995, 1996 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 18th | 8.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1999 | Rookie of the Year | AL | 7th | 4.0 | 140 | 0 |