Dave Hostetler

Professional baseball player 1981–88.[32]

What is Dave Hostetler known for?

Born on March 27, 1956, in Pasadena, California, David Alan Hostetler, popularly known as Dave Hostetler, is an illustrious Arcadia High School alumnus. He's an American former professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter. Throughout his career, Dave Hostetler has been a part of major league baseball (MLB) teams, namely Montreal Expos, Texas Rangers, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He also had an exciting stint with the Nankai Hawks, a Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) team.

Hostetler's professional career kicked off with his debut for the Montreal Expos on September 15, 1981. He made his last appearance in the MLB on May 3, 1988, for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In between, he also played for the Nankai Hawks, marking his NPB debut on April 4, 1986, and making his last appearance on October 18, 1987.

He put up impressive statistics in both leagues. In the MLB, Hostetler had a batting average of .229, hit 37 home runs and batted in 124 runs. In the NPB, he had a better batting average of .270, hit 42 home runs, and batted in 142 runs.

His journey to becoming a professional baseball player was not entirely straightforward. Hostetler was initially drafted in the 4th round of the 1975 amateur draft by the San Francisco Giants, but he did not sign. After declining further drafting opportunities with the Giants and the Cleveland Indians, he decided to continue his schooling. However, he made a significant impact at the University of Southern California, where he was key to the victory in the 1978 College World Series.

Hostetler finally decided to go pro after being drafted by the Montréal Expos in the 1978 Major League Baseball draft. Besides playing in MLB and NPB, he spent his early pro seasons with the Memphis Chicks and Denver Bears, where he logged respectable stats and earned his place in the Southern League All-Star team.

After his professional baseball career, Hostetler pivoted to a career in sports equipment sales by taking on the role of National Coordinator of Baseball Sales for Riddell, an equipment company. He also continues to inspire younger generations as an ambassador to youth players.