Torii Hunter

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Torii Hunter
Image:Torii Hunter.jpg
Minnesota Twins — No. 48
Center field
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
August 22, 1997 for the Minnesota Twins
Selected MLB statistics
(through 2006)
Batting average     .269
Runs batted in     604
Home runs     164

Torii Kedar Hunter (born July 18, 1975 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas) is a Major League Baseball outfielder who currently plays for the Minnesota Twins.

Hunter has shown his athletic ability, having taken away many home runs throughout his 8 year MLB career. ESPN called Hunter a "daily web gem," referring to ESPN's nightly highlight reel. He has won six Gold Glove Awards for his defensive prowess.

Contents

[edit] Career

Torii Hunter was selected as the Twins' first-round pick in 1993 out of high school and made his first appearance with the Twins in 1997 on August 22, as a pinch runner in Baltimore. It was not until 1999 when Hunter began starting regularly, playing in 135 games for the Twins. He finished with only one error in 292 chances in the outfield.

Season Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS
1997 MIN 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000
1998 MIN 6 17 0 4 1 0 0 2 2 6 0 1 .235 .316 .294 .610
1999 MIN 135 384 52 98 17 2 9 35 26 72 10 6 .255 .309 .380 .689
2000 MIN 99 336 44 94 14 7 5 44 18 68 4 3 .280 .318 .408 .726
2001 MIN 148 564 82 147 32 5 27 92 29 125 9 6 .261 .306 .479 .785
2002 MIN 148 561 89 162 37 4 29 94 35 118 23 8 .289 .334 .524 .858
2003 MIN 154 581 83 145 31 4 26 102 50 106 6 7 .250 .312 .451 .763
2004 MIN 138 520 79 141 37 0 23 81 40 101 21 7 .271 .330 .475 .805
2005 MIN 98 372 63 100 24 1 14 56 34 65 23 7 .269 .337 .452 .789
2006 MIN 147 557 86 155 21 2 31 98 45 108 12 6 .278 .336 .490 .826
Total* 1074 3892 578 1046 214 25 164 604 279 769 108 51 .269 .323 .463 .786
*Statistics through end of 2006 season.

[edit] 2000

After exploding in the beginning of April in 2000, Hunter was sent down to AAA near the end of May. However, Hunter caught fire in the month of June, capping it with a two-home run, seven-RBI game and being named the Twins' Minor League Player of the Week and Player of the Month. After a 16-game hitting streak, four instances of home runs in consecutive games and three grand slams, Hunter was recalled July 28. Hunter was named both Best Defensive Outfielder and Most Exciting Player in Pacific Coast League by Baseball America for 2000.

[edit] 2001

In 2001, Hunter led the club in at bats, home runs and outfield assists (with 14 - tied for second best in the league) and was second in RBI and total bases, leading the Twins to their first winning season since 1992. Hunter was named Best Defensive Outfielder in the American League by Baseball America and won his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award in the same year.

[edit] 2002

In 2002, Hunter began to post near MVP numbers, a serious contender for the award for a good portion of the year. In the month of April, he went on a hot streak, going 39-105 (a .371 clip) with nine home runs and 20 RBI, winning American League Player of the Month honors.

Hunter was selected by the fans to his first All-Star Game, in Milwaukee, becoming the first Twin since Kirby Puckett in 1995 to start in a game, in center field. One of the biggest moments came in the first inning, when, with two outs, Barry Bonds sent a what appeared to be a towering home run to right-center field when Hunter, who had built a reputation for his outfield thievery in the American League, showed off his talents - jumped and caught the ball in a stunning spectacle. (He was then embraced en route to the dugout by Bonds, who picked Hunter up in what appeared to be total amazement.)

After the game, when asked about the play, Cubs' Sammy Sosa dubbed him "Spider-Man".

Although there were no awards given at the All-Star game, because the game ended in a tie, the memorable catch was later awarded as the Best Defensive Play of the Year by the fans.

On July 18, after being hit by a pitch, Hunter threw back the baseball directly at Cleveland pitcher Danys Baez and was in turn suspended by the league for 3 games.

However, Hunter's numbers, along with an improved team, solid bullpen pitching, and a healthy resurgence in the latter half of the season powered the Twins to win the American League Central Division with ease. Highly underrated and not favored by any major publication to advance through the playoffs, let alone win any games against a very talented Oakland team, the Twins played their hardest.

In Game 1, the Twins overcame early errors, but came back and held on to win in Oakland. After dropping two, the Twins faced elimination, but powered their way in front of 50,000+ at the Metrodome to take Game 4 and tie the series. Game 5, Twins' pitcher Brad Radke pitched masterfully, along with timely hitting despite the Twins' inability to hit of the left-handed pitching, particularly thanks to A.J. Pierzynski's home run in the top of the ninth. Oakland came back with 3 runs, but even that turned out not to be enough, as the Twins went on to win 5-4 and advance to the ALCS. The Anaheim Angels would go on to beat the Twins 4-1 en route to their first World Series Championship.

Despite losing in the ALCS, it was still a very good year for the ballclub, and by far the best year for Torii Hunter. He led the club in home runs, RBI, and stolen bases, and was tied for the lead in games and doubles. Hunter won the team's Calvin R. Griffith Award as Most Valuable Twin for 2002. He ended up a respectable sixth in the MVP voting, and also earned his second Gold Glove in center field. Torii Hunter was additionally named baseball's Best Defensive Player Award for 2002, as voted by the fans.

[edit] 2003

Hunter started off the 2003 season very slow as the Twins slumped as a whole. Their bats soon woke up in the month of May, as Hunter improved his batting average by more than 50 points.

[edit] 2005

Hunter missed much of the 2005 season after breaking his ankle and tearing ligaments when he attempted to scale the right field wall in Fenway Park on July 29. Despite playing essentially only half a season, Hunter was awarded his fifth consecutive Gold Glove.

[edit] 2006

On Mother's Day, May 14, 2006, Hunter was one of more than 50 hitters who brandished a pink bat to benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation.

On September 25, Hunter homered off Kansas City Royals pitcher Zack Greinke becoming the second Twins player in 2006 to hit 30 home runs in a single season since 1987.

And on the last day of the regular season Torii hit his career-high 31st home run, helping the Twins to their 4th division title in five years. Hunter has made clear his desire to remain with the Twins through at least the 2010 season (the new Twins Ballpark opens in that season), and his play in 2006 may well justify keeping him on.

On October 10, The Twins notified Torii that they had picked up his $12 million option for the 2007 season, keeping him from becoming a free agent.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Preceded by:
Eric Chavez		 American League Player of the Month
April, 2002		 Succeeded by:
Jason Giambi
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../t/o/r/Torii_Hunter_0748.html"
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