| Chris Heintz | |
|---|---|
| Catcher | |
| Born: August 6, 1974 Syosset, New York |
|
| Batted: Right | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| September 10, 2005 for the Minnesota Twins | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 26, 2007 for the Minnesota Twins | |
| Career statistics | |
| Batting average | .232 |
| Hits | 19 |
| Runs batted in | 9 |
| Teams | |
Christopher John Heintz (born August 6, 1974 in Syosset, New York) is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He is currently a coach in the Minnesota Twins organization. He is currently managing their Rookie "A" Level affiliate in the Gulf Coast League. He is the brother of PGA Tour golfer Bob Heintz.
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Heintz was drafted by the Chicago White Sox as a catcher in the 19th round of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft. After six seasons in their farm system, the ChiSox released Heintz. He signed with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2002, and spent the season with their Eastern League double A affiliate, the New Haven Ravens. At the end of the season, he became a rule 55 free agent, and signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and spent 2003 with the Altoona Curve, also in the Eastern League.
He signed with the Minnesota Twins following the season, and spent 2004 and 2005 with their triple A affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings. His .304 batting average, eight home runs and 58 runs batted in in 2005 was good enough for a September call-up,[1] and he made his major league debut on September 10, 2005, replacing Mike Redmond in the eighth inning of a 7-5 loss to the Cleveland Indians at Jacobs Field.[2]
Heintz spent the next two seasons with Rochester making the occasional appearances with the major league roster. The Twins released Heintz following the 2007 season. He signed with the Baltimore Orioles for 2008. After one season with their triple A affiliate, the Norfolk Tides, Heintz retired. In 199.1 major league innings caught, Heintz had a 1.000 fielding percentage.
During the 2009 season, Heintz began coaching with the Twins' Midwest League affiliate, the Beloit Snappers. On October 20, 2009, he replaced Jake Mauer as manager of the Gulf Coast League Twins. He will also run the Twins' extended Spring Training.[3]