Mike Tauchman is entering his second season as a member of the New York Yankees. Here are five interesting facts about the 29-year-old outfielder of Palestine, Illinois:
1. High School Quarterback
In high school, Tauchman was also a football player and the team’s star quarterback. In his senior year, he led William Fremd High School to a comeback victory over future NFL talent Jimmy Garrapolo. Tauchman also played safety and picked off Garrapolo in that game as well.
2. A Married Man
Tauchman has been married for just over three years to Eileen Ristau Tauchman. The two meet at Bradley University and began to date in 2012. They proceeded to get married in 2017 and they went to Jamacia for their honeymoon. Per Linkedin, his wife is a marketing specialist.
3. Owns A Rescue Dog
Tauchman and his wife own a five-year-old rescue dog named Kota. He is a Husky mix and “loves chewing bones and chasing squirrels” per Kota’s Instagram. You can follow Kota here.
4. Entering Eighth Professional Season
In 2013, Mike Tauchman made his professional debut after getting selected in the 10th round of the draft by the Rockies. He played for the Tri-City Dust Devils, an A-short season club. Tauchman hit .297 in his first pro season and then hit .293 in his second season.
5. 139 Games
Despite being on major league rosters for three seasons, Tauchman has only seen action in 139 games. His best season was by far with the Yankees, but an early-season slump and late-season injury restricted playing time. Tauchman has also hit all of his 13 career home runs with the Yankees.