A. J. Hinch

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Andrew Jay Hinch (born May 15, 1974 in Waverly, Iowa) is a former Major League Baseball catcher. Hinch played for the Oakland Athletics (1998-2000), Kansas City Royals (2001-02), Detroit Tigers (2003) and Philadelphia Phillies (2004-05). He batted and threw right-handed.

In an eight-season career, Hinch was a .219 hitter with 32 home runs and 112 RBI in 350 games.

Hinch retired after the 2005 season, and was hired by the Arizona Diamondbacks as their manager of minor league operations.^[1] Even while playing he was planning his post-playing career. He went so far as to go to the 2003 General Manager's winter meetings to look for future job opportunites and contacts. In July 2006, Baseball America named him one of baseball's "10 to watch" in the next 10 years for his promise as a Farm Director and future General Manager. In August 2006, the Diamondbacks named Hinch director of player development.

A.J. won a bronze medal for the United States at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and was named to the 1998 Topps All-Star Rookie Team

He is a 1992 graduate of Midwest City (OK) High School where he was drafted in the second round. He elected to attend Stanford University where he was a third round pick after his junior year in 1995. He decided to return to school and was again a third round pick as a senior in 1996.