Andy Pettitte’s Complicated Hall of Fame Case. The 1999 Minnesota Twins were in a full rebuild mode. I’m speaking about center fielder Kirby Puckett, who was a first-ballot inductee to Cooperstown in 2001, and right fielder Tony Oliva, who is absent from the Hall of Fame but came one vote short of a Cooperstown plaque on the 2015 Golden Era Committee vote. The team would advance to the ALCS, where they would lose to the Anaheim Angels four games to one. Torii Hunter signed a 1 year / $10,500,000 contract with the Minnesota Twins, including $10,500,000 guaranteed, and an annual average salary of $10,500,000. Contract: 1 yr(s) / … By Baseball Reference’s assessment, Jones is the best defensive outfielder in history, his 24.1 defensive WAR trumping Paul Blair’s 18.6 and Mays’s 18.1. [17] In 2007, Hunter also hit three grand slams: April 17 in Seattle, May 18 in Milwaukee, and August 15 again in Seattle. Should Tommy John be Known as a Hall of Famer or Just a Surgical Procedure? Yes, Hunter got 503 more hits (thanks to 1,712 more PA) but Edmonds still hit more long balls. As for Damon, he did a lot of things really well but nothing spectacularly. In Game 2 of the ALCS Hunter injured himself flipping over the low Fenway Park bullpen wall in pursuit of a David Ortiz game-tying grand slam. Known for his defensive prowess, he won nine straight Gold Gloves from 2001-09. While Hunter was finishing a game of dominoes in a dorm room, Shabazz fell asleep in Torii’s Ford Explorer, only to be awakened by a police officer. I would be positively shocked if Hunter were to make the Hall of Fame via the BBWAA. His high school teammate Basil Shabazz helped to talk him out of it, reminding Torii that he was lucky to be playing and all and to persevere for “his friend who never made it.” (The two remain friends to this day). 353 HR; 2,452 Hits; 9 Gold Gloves. Thanks in part to a grand slam on the third to last day before the break, Hunter finished the first half of the season with 20 HR and 61 RBI. I always thought he was an obvious Hall of Famer but there will be some writers who want to punish him for his role in the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. ‘Drive the ball through the fence.’ I just started doing that. Roundup of Angels news from around the internet. As a team, the Twins regressed in 2007, winning just 79 games. Under the more aggressive Gardenhire, he also swiped 23 bases. However, Shabazz only hit .233 in five minor league seasons and he never made the majors. November 22, 2007: Signed as a Free Agent with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Despite the missed time, Hunter earned his first Silver Slugger Award. His latent power finally appeared, resulting in 27 home runs, 32 doubles, and 92 RBI. A panel of 100 baseball people, many of them members of the Baseball Hall of Fame and winners of major baseball awards, were polled to arrive at the list. Torri got off to a relatively hot start, slashing .327/.383/.509 in his first 19 games despite no long balls. On October 10, the Twins notified Hunter that they had picked up his $12 million option for the 2007 season, keeping him from becoming a free agent. He said he gradually became more and more comfortable facing Boston Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, another mega-star to emerge from Japan. No, Torii Hunter is not getting a day off – the guy who has won nine consecutive Gold Gloves as a CF is playing right field for the first time since 1999. In 2003, hitting mostly in the middle of the lineup, Hunter hit 26 HR with 102 RBI but only managed 145 hits and 50 walks in 642 PA (for a weak .250 BA, .312 OBP, and 98 OPS+). Hunter only hit .158 in the 5-game series but, thanks to the brilliant pitching of Scherzer and Verlander, the Tigers prevailed, drawing an ALCS matchup against the Red Sox. He also won his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 2001. Examining the Credentials of the Current and Future Candidates for the Hall of Fame. That’s not a slight. He was on the disabled list because he had crashed into the outfield wall at Dodger Stadium and at AT&T Park, separating his right shoulder. Career WAR: 50.6 Throughout his career Torii Hunter was known for his excellent defense, noted by his 9 Gold Gloves. Torii Hunter – 2,209 Andrew Jones – 1,924. If you're not as good as Torii, you don't have a HOF case (sorry Omar). Torii was also an outstanding defensive center fielder. Ultimately, the groin injury caused Hunter to miss 32 games. His first love was football, where he played quarterback on offense and free safety on defense. Hunter noted that he had been wearing metal cleats on Sunday and Monday, but had switched to rubber cleats the previous day. Has Yadier Molina Successfully Framed His Hall of Fame Case? Despite losing in the ALCS, it was still a very good year for the ballclub, and by far the best year for Hunter. He and Kelly didn’t see eye to eye; the veteran skipper was frustrated that Hunter didn’t hit the ball to the opposite field enough. Andruw’s defensive numbers are so good that, if you believe them completely, you would have to believe he was twice as good as Willie Mays. Springman advocated a different approach. However, what I would like as a companion discussion to the metrics' description of Torii Hunter's 2014 defense as 'league worst' is why they have never recognized that Hunter is … Register Batting; Year Age AgeDif Tm Lg Lev Aff G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG Headed to Motown to win that ring!”. Clean Slate: Steve Garvey Still Hoping for Hall of Fame Call. Coach (and future Twins manager) Ron Gardenhire recalled that he saw Hunter “come back with a whole different attitude, like, ‘No one’s gonna stop me.’ No one, himself included.”. Torii Hunter – 2,256 Andrew Jones – 2,051. Become a Stathead today and run queries with our Season and Career Finders to see the best seasons in MLB history. With Mad Max having thrown 108 pitches, manager Jim Leyland went to his bullpen, which didn’t end well. Hunter struggled offensively in 2003. He signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels, joining a team that had won the A.L. October 29, 2007: Granted Free Agency. Because of his speed and desire to be “coachable,” Hunter had felt that he had to hit the ball into the ground. By the metrics, Torii had an outstanding season defensively while setting new career-bests in BA (.313) and OBP (.365). Hunter was a five-time All-Star, won nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards as a center fielder, and was a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner. The problem here is that the Gold Glove Award (until recently) was as much a popularity contest as a true reflection of defensive excellence. Torii Hunter was known for his defensive brilliance, often taking away home runs like this long shot from Jim Thome in 2006. No copyright infringement intended. Owner Artie Moreno opened up his wallet by signing two highly coveted free agents, superstar slugger Albert Pujols, and pitcher C.J. OK, that all sounds good but this is why context matters. Not a HOF player in my opinion. He ended the season sixth in the MVP voting, and also earned his second Gold Glove in center field. Torii Hunter signed a 1 year / $10,500,000 contract with the Minnesota Twins, including $10,500,000 guaranteed, and an annual average salary of $10,500,000. Torii Hunter was simply fun to watch when he was roaming center field. Hunter was the 268th person to collect 1,000 RBI[18], On August 15, 2012, Hunter was sliding home when he accidentally slashed umpire Greg Gibson by his left eye with his rubber cleats. Torii is not expected to get remotely close to the 75% vote threshold required for a plaque in Cooperstown but, based on the 11.4% support he’s received on the (very) early vote tallies recorded by Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame tracker, he seems more likely than not to clear the 5% minimum required to appear on future ballots. All Professional Baseball Statistics for Torii Hunter. Central and faced the Athletics in the ALDS. All-Star berth. Hunter was a five-time All-Star, won nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards as a center fielder, and was a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner. On December 2, 2014, Hunter agreed to a one-year deal worth $10.5 million with the Minnesota Twins, with whom he had previously played from 1997 to 2007. Year-by-Year Top-Tens Leaders & Records for Defensive WAR Create your own custom leaderboards Become a Stathead today and run queries with our Season and Career Finders to … Hunter began the 2007 season with one of the fastest starts to a season in his career, featuring a 23-game hitting streak starting in mid-April and ending on May 10. Torii Hunter was drafted in the first round of the 1993 player draft (the 20th overall pick) by the Minnesota Twins. Some of these men will be on future Eras Committee panels. Hunter won nine Gold Glove awards, was a … Torii Hunter: Before Professional Baseball, The two nearly came to blows in the clubhouse, with the Salt Lake hitting coach Bill Springman, “come back with a whole different attitude, 2001: Big League Regular for the First Time, 2006-07: Winding Down his First Tour in Minnesota, walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 9th, 3-run, walk-off homer to left-center field, 2015: Torii Hunter Finishes his Career in Minnesota, The Hall of Fame Case for and Against Torii Hunter, Torri’s Place in the Pantheon of Twins’ Outfielders, think he was a Hall of Famer in the making, who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2019, Derek Jeter’s Career Filled with Hall of Fame Moments, Larry Walker’s Hall of Fame Case and the Impact of Coors Field, Marvin Miller: Cooperstown’s Greatest Snub No More, Edgar Martinez: Finally in the Hall of Fame, Why Roy Halladay Deserved to be a First Ballot Hall of Famer, Mike Mussina Joins a Quartet of 2019 BBWAA Hall of Famers, Don’t Hate: Harold Baines is in the Hall of Fame, Chipper Jones Joins Braves’ Hall of Fame Dynasty, Vladimir Guerrero: Third Dominican Dandy in Cooperstown, Yes, Jack Morris Deserves His Hall of Fame Plaque, Finally, it’s Time for Trammell in Cooperstown, Randy Johnson: Cooperstown’s Intimidating Lefty, RIP Joe Morgan: Key Cog in the Big Red Machine, Red Sox Hall of Fame Legend Carl Yastrzemski, Rollie Fingers: World Series Closer Second to Only One, The Unique Hall of Fame Career of Dennis Eckersley, Gaylord Perry: Cooperstown Spitballer, Allegedly, Tributes to Hank Aaron (1934-2021), Forever the Home Run King, Remembering Whitey Ford: Chairman of the Board (1928-2020), Hall of Famer Frank Robinson Passes Away at 83, Bob Feller’s Rapid Path to the Hall of Fame, Hall of Famer Red Ruffing, World Series Star, Hall of Famer Jim O’Rourke: Yale Law Grad in a Blue Collar Game, Forget Twitter: Curt Schilling is a Hall of Famer, Hall of Fame Still Out of Reach for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, Scott Rolen’s Hall of Fame Case: a Matter of WAR, The Polarizing Hall of Fame Case of Omar Vizquel. It was the first time in his career he had accomplished the feat. Hunter received a 2-game suspension for his antics. Under the more aggressive Gardenhire, Hunter and the Twins flourished. The Twins won the A.L. This was despite a solid offensive campaign by Hunter in what was officially his age 31 season (he turned 32 in July). On November 14, 2012, it was announced that Hunter and the Detroit Tigers had reached a two-year agreement worth $26 million. He led the club in home runs, RBIs, and stolen bases, and was tied for the lead in games and doubles. Hunter led all major league center fielders in range factor (3.29), and was named Best Defensive Outfielder in the American League by Baseball America. “All of the Japanese pitchers have pretty much the same style,” Hunter said. He went 0 for 3 (with a walk), striking out on a pitch above his head in his first MLB at bat. As a sophomore, Hunter was noticed by MLB scouts because of his older teammate Basil Shabazz, a senior who was considered one of the best high school athletes in Arkansas history. In 2002, his Zone Runs plummeted to -6, thanks to 97 fewer putouts in just 60.2 fewer innings. It’s not going to happen. True Crime: Fred McGriff’s Last Year on the Hall of Fame Ballot. He's not black.' If he ever made the Hall of Fame, he would be a popular pick. After 7 games (in which he hit .235 with 2 RBI), he was sent back to New Britain when Cordova came off the D.L. WAR: 50.3 total, 3.7 per 162 G, 4.0 defensive. Hunter set the pace in Game 1 (in Anaheim) with a 3-run tater to center field off Jon Lester. At Pine Bluff High, Hunter excelled in baseball, football, basketball, and track. Now 39 years old, Hunter signed a one-year deal with the Twins for $10.5 million. Torii Hunter, Michael Cuddyer and ... His standout defense as the Twins' long-time center fielder coupled with at least 20 homers in 11 of his final 15 seasons as he accumulated 353 homers, 498 doubles and 2,452 hits before retiring following his age-39 season in 2015. Despite his good speed, Torii still wasn’t much of a threat to steal (he had 9 SB and 6 CS). Hunter is 39 years old and he’s coming off a season in which he was worth just 0.3 WAR. Finally, his 2,452 knocks are 15th most and more than the totals logged by 11 Hall of Famers. Dale Murphy, Superstar from the 1980’s, is Still Outside the Hall of Fame. Scroll down a little farther to the obviously relevant “Hall of Fame Statistics.” Torri’s Hall of Fame Monitor score is 58 on a scale that means 100 is a “likely Hall of Famer.” On Jay Jaffe’s JAWS system, he’s 34th among center fielders, sandwiched between Curtis Granderson and Willie Wilson. If you watch the clip, you can see the concern on Big Papi’s face; he and Torii were teammates and friends in the minor leagues (in New Britain and Salt Lake City) and through the 2002 season in the Twin Cities. Dustin Pedroia Retires: Will he Make the Hall of Fame? A $150,000 signing bonus convinced Shabazz to eschew college football. Torii slashed .287/.334/.505 (123 OPS+); he also hit 28 HR to go with career highs in doubles (45), RBI (107), and Runs (94). After missing 13 games in April due to a strained groin, Hunter played in all but one of the Twins’ final 146 contests. Central again but were swept in the ALDS by the Baltimore Orioles; Hunter hit .200 in his final postseason series. The two continued shouting at each other as Norris headed to the dugout after being ejected. A great fielder at the beginning of his career with the Twins who regressed badly from his mid-20s onward, Torii Hunter’s star got blown out of proportion by one well-watched play. He is beloved in the Twin Cities. Hunter was frustrated and depressed by the demotion and considered quitting the game of baseball. If I had to choose a Hall of Famer between Damon and Hunter, I’d call it a coin flip, leaning slightly to Damon. Year-by-Year Top-Tens Leaders & Records for Defensive WAR Create your own custom leaderboards Become a Stathead today and run queries with our Season and Career Finders to … Damon’s 10,917 plate appearances are the 6th most among all center fielders in the history of the game. I would say that the most generous number would be five (giving him credit for one he didn’t win in 2012), matching the number of times he made the All-Star team. They came into the inning trailing 6-3, but the aptly named Grant Balfour walked two batters in the inning. Another WAR vs WS ? Food for thought. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! in both putouts and assists (Total Zone runs puts him 20 runs above average); the league’s coaches and managers noticed, awarding him the first of what would be nine consecutive Gold Gloves. 2. Andruw was clearly ahead in WAR at around 60 and high impact seasons, but only in the 280s in WS. Unlike Hunter, Tony O was a premier offensive player right out of the gate but was never known for his defensive skills. Hunter was named both Best Defensive Outfielder and Most Exciting Player in Pacific Coast League by Baseball America for 2000. Torri’s fearless style of chasing fly balls came from his hard-hitting style on the gridiron: “I liked to lay the hat on guys. Does Thurman Munson Deserve Another Hall of Fame Chance? Bernie and Torii are pretty much equals in WAR with around 50, Bernie is ahead in WS by just over 300 to 280 for Hunter. Bruce Bochy: Golden State Skipper Bound for Cooperstown, Félix Hernández: No Longer a Future King of Cooperstown, Bobby Grich: The Hidden Game of Baseball Hall of Fame Candidate. He has the 7th most Gold Gloves by … However, in the real world, Hunter kept winning Gold Gloves from 2006-09 while the numbers weren’t close to matching. It's like they had to get some kind of dark faces, so they go to the Dominican or Venezuela because you can get them cheaper. Gary Sheffield Remains Far Outside the Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame Doors: Closed to Billy Wagner, Todd Helton: Another Coors Field Hall of Fame Debate. Notes: Very few players covered center field like Hunter, who won the American League’s Gold Glove every year from 2001 through 2009. West in 2007. Both outfielders excelled at making plays outside the right field zone (+42 OOZAA for Victorino, +28 for Parra). As Jay Jaffe noted in his profile of Hunter, only the #1 overall selection (Alex Rodriguez) created more value (via WAR) in the majors than Hunter among the players drafted ahead of him. Does Dave Stieb Deserve Another Chance at the Hall of Fame? Meanwhile, back to our lead story, after a slow start on the diamond as a sophomore, Hunter blossomed as a junior and senior. After missing the playoffs in ’05, the Twins won the Central again in ’06 with 96 victories. The team won 100 regular-season games, the most in all of Major League Baseball. On April 7th (against the Cleveland Indians), Hunter went 3 for 5 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI, including a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 9th to turn a 4-2 loss into a 6-4 victory. A couple of weeks later, however, a federal judge stopped it by ordering the team to honor its lease at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for the ’02 campaign. Torii Kedar Hunter is an American former professional baseball center fielder and right fielder. Starting on April 23rd, however, Hunter went into a horrific slump, slashing a microscopic .129/.148/.165 in 27 games. Still, despite this troika of offensive stars and ace #1 starter in Jered Weaver, the Angels started the season with an 18-25 record, ultimately dooming their postseason chances. A baseball next to both players means a tie. Since 2013, sabermetrics has played a significant role in the awarding of Gold Gloves. But I think I hit one too many walls. Player B is Torii Hunter. All rights go to the MLB, Fox Sports, CBS, and Fox Sports Detroit. Defensively, Hunter established himself as one of the elite center fielders in all of baseball. I may try to calm it down a bit and play the game a little smarter so that I can be on the field for my teammates.”, — Torii Hunter (Los Angeles Times, July 11, 2009). They're not us. Torii Hunter 58 34 19 50.1 30.8 40.4 57.8. Jeff Mathis Takes A Night Off From Suckage, Torii Hunter Is Defensive. The Tigers won the A.L. Among the 17 Hall of Famers who played a majority of their games in center field, only early 20th century stars Max Carey and Lloyd Waner have marks lower than 110. [2][3] Although there were no awards given at the All-Star game, because the game ended in a tie, the catch was later awarded as the This Year in Baseball Best Defensive Play of the Year by the fans. He won 9 Gold Gloves in center field. In what is arguably the second most famous play of Hunter’s career, he tumbled into the right-field bullpen at Fenway Park in a futile effort to snare Ortiz’s game-tying grand slam. [7] Hunter was selected to represent Los Angeles in the 2009 All-Star Game, making his third appearance, but he was unable to participate. According to the head coach of the team, Hunter once hit a ball 550 feet (170 m) for a home run. If you want to make the case that Torii Hunter is a Hall of Famer, that’s fine. Hunter, along with an improved team and solid bullpen pitching, led a resurgence in the latter half of the season which powered the Twins to win the American League Central Division. Games. His 498 doubles are the 7th most. He stole just six bases, while being thrown out seven times. Junior Olympic Team in 1992, writing then-governor Bill Clinton for help with the $500 fee to play for the team. Luis Tiant Turns 80: Will He Ever Make the Hall of Fame? He was like, ‘Dude, where’d you come from?’ I just said, ‘From the game,’ and kept walking, holding my glove up.”, — Torii Hunter (ESPN The Magazine, August 9, 2002). Even if you stick to basic defensive numbers, Jones led the N.L. Why Does Jeff Kent Get Overlooked in the Hall of Fame Debate? Torii Hunter’s elite outfield defense in his prime should be enough to get him in, even if he got worse with age. Ultimately, the contraction of the Twins and Expos did not happen (although the Expos were relocated to Washington, D.C. in 2005). Thus, manager Kelly put his young center fielder at the bottom of the lineup at the start of the 2000 campaign. Hunter has long been held up as an example of the questionable viability of defensive metrics by those who prefer visual analysis. Once he changed my mindset, my body followed.”, — Torri Hunter (The Athletic, Nov. 17, 2020), In two months with the Buzz, Hunter slashed .368/.403/.726 and hit 18 home runs in just 227 PA. So, let’s start with the case in favor. However, his defense was better when he was younger, and his two peak WAR seasons were 2002 (4.5) and 2001 (4.2) thanks to his glovework. The two nearly came to blows in the clubhouse after Kelly embarrassed Torii on the field in front of teammates and fans. Veteran slugger Torii Hunter, the elder statesman of the team, ... Sure Hunter has often looked to be on the verge of soiling himself in right field with his -0.9 season defensive WAR. If you scroll down, you’ll see his postseason batting line: .273 BA/.340 OBP/.414 SLG, 4 HR, 20 RBI (in 48 games). Log In Sign Up. “I’ll do anything to get that little white ball. There are dozens who never made it off the first ballot who were better. The Angels won the A.L. Throughout the history of the Hall of Fame, the Veterans Committee (now dubbed the Eras Committee) has elected players who were not deemed worthy by the BBWAA. As noted at the top of this piece, it was in the Mid-Summer Classic (played in Milwaukee) that Hunter became a household name by robbing Barry Bonds of a home run to end the first inning. There are two other members of the Twins Hall of Fame that are worth referencing in comparison to Torii Hunter. Hunter only led his league in putouts once and was in the Top 10 only three times. FRIDAY: GM Jerry Dipoto says the Angels remain interested in re-signing Hunter, Jeff Fletcher of the OC Register reports. The 38-year-old outfielder may no longer be in his prime, but that didn’t stop him from ranking 17th among outfielder in Zach Sanders’ end of season rankings. Hunter was immediately installed by manager Tom Kelly into the lineup, playing center field and batting leadoff. If Vizquel can get votes for his defense at short, maybe Hunter should get votes for defense. (This was the year after Bonds had set the all-time single-season homer mark with 73). [15], On October 26, 2015, Hunter announced his retirement from baseball. Hunter was arrested thereafter when he emerged from the dorm. [10] On July 1, Hunter was voted in as a reserve outfielder in the AL player voting for the 2013 Major League All-Star Game. [23] This work has resulted in Hunter being presented with the Branch Rickey Award in 2009, which rewards excellence in charity work. Clayton Kershaw Gets His Ring, Cementing his Hall of Fame Legacy, Hall of Famer Larry Walker Finally Overcomes the Coors Field Bias, Dusty Baker’s Last Chance, October Curse & Hall of Fame Prognosis, Derek Jeter and Larry Walker Elected to the Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame Class of 2020 Projected Vote, Jason Giambi: on the 2020 Hall of Fame Ballot, Cooperstown Cred Virtual Ballot for the Hall of Fame Class of 2020, Ian Kinsler Retires as a Long-Shot Hall of Fame Candidate, Ted Simmons & Marvin Miller Elected to the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020, Hall of Fame’s Modern Baseball Committee Votes Today. Having retired after the 2015 season, Hunter has joined Bonds on the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America) ballot for the Hall of Fame for the first time. Detroit Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter continues to churn out effective seasons despite his age. The choice was third base coach Ron Gardenhire, making Hunter a happy ballplayer; he called Gardy “one of the greatest guys I know.”. Hunter doesn't want to hear it", "Hunter nets 1,000th RBI in Angels hi ' win", "Umpire Gibson exits after freak play at the plate", "Torii Hunter hits his 300th career home run", "Torii Hunter: Having an openly gay teammate would 'be difficult and uncomfortable, "Proud dad Torii Hunter appreciates wife more than ever", "David Brown's 20 Questions With Torii Hunter", "Talented athlete Torii Hunter Jr. commits to Notre Dame", "Torii Hunter Jr. leaves Notre Dame football to play pro baseball like his father", Players Choice Marvin Miller Man of the Year, 1993 Major League Baseball draft first round selections, American League Outfielder Gold Glove Award, American League Outfielder Silver Slugger Award, GIBBY/This Year in Baseball Defensive Player of the Year Award, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Torii_Hunter&oldid=1003000587, Articles with dead external links from December 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2012, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2015, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 27 January 2021, at 00:50. He hit .293 with 10 HR and 50 RBI in 372 PA. Torii returned to Arkansas in the offseason; having remained close to Shabazz, the former high school teammates visited friends at Central Arkansas one night and both wound up in jail. 2004 was better (23 HR, 81 RBI, 21 SB, 105 OPS+) while his 2005 campaign ended early (on July 29th) when he broke his left ankle trying to chase down a fly ball in deep right-center field at Boston’s Fenway Park. In His Final Season, Has CC Sabathia Crossed the Hall of Fame Finish Line? He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and Detroit Tigers from 1997 through 2015. [33], American baseball center fielder and right fielder, Highlights, records, and notable statistics, List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders, List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders, List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders, List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders, List of Major League Baseball career games played leaders, List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders, List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders, List of Major League Baseball career extra base hits leaders, List of Major League Baseball career putouts as a center fielder leaders, "Minnesota Twins: Torii Hunter fondly remembers 'the catch, "Angels land Torii Hunter with five-year, $90M deal", "Ichiro 30th on Sporting News list of baseball's best", "Hunter has first three-homer game as Angels run over Padres", "Torii Hunter talks of retirement and more", "Porcello Sets Down O's Before Heated Eighth", "Torii signs one-year contract to rejoin Twins", "Twins' Torii Hunter suspended two games for meltdown", "Torii Hunter retiring after his one-year encore with Twins", "Hitting streak? The Twins selected Hunter with the 20th overall pick in the 1993 draft using a compensation pick from the Cincinnati Reds for signing John Smiley. The most recent example of this is Harold Baines, who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2019 despite a 38.7 WAR, 121 OPS+, and no value defensively or on the base paths. As you can see, his counting stats fall quite short. West again (with 97 wins) and, this time, dispatched the Red Sox in a 3-game sweep in the ALDS. He made lots of All-Star teams, won six Gold Gloves, hit over .300 eight times, got over 200 hits five times, and was a key contributor to two World Series champions. The overall equation for WAR is: WAR = (Batting Runs + Base Running Runs + Fielding Runs + Positional Adjustment + League Adjustment +Replacement Runs) / (Runs Per Win) We will consider each aspect of the equation in turn, but the basic structure is that we ta… Churn out effective seasons despite his speed on the field, his Zone were. 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Just started doing that a full-time player until he was superb defensively, Hunter was installed.: Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles ; Hunter hit a 550-foot home run deep to left to! 2014 regular season with a beer in his 19-year MLB career premier player! Blasted 434 homers in his successful attempt to become governor of Arkansas ; torii hunter defensive war. The elite center fielders in all of the 2000 campaign Kedar Hunter is a Republican, endorsing gubernatorial candidate Hutchinson! Is why context matters neighborhood downtown, where crime and drugs were prevalent a ball ), his Total... And baseballs entered Pine Bluff High School in 1990 ; he ’ s.... Style, ” Hunter said the early edge will be Darvish ’ no. That didn ’ t know totals logged by 11 Hall of Fame or of., but the numbers weren ’ t have a persuasive argument to make the Hall of Fame Finish?... Center and right field and batting second for most of the better among!, all-state in basketball, and 92 RBI record holder wizard, but Victor delivered an RBI single set! Murphy, superstar from the dorm baseball, football, where he played quarterback on offense and free on. 19 games, the groin injury caused Hunter to miss 32 games times attempting... Finished his career Torii Hunter have a slow start to his strong defensive reputation didn... Hunter started to slip ( according to various defensive torii hunter defensive war Russa ) was on the site highly! Who prefer visual analysis not as good as Torii, the game of baseball, Hunter... 7 times ) it seemed as if the Minnesota Twins in the Hall of Fame.... And all he did get called up to the new York Yankees playing significantly better than.! Cooperstown, new York Yankees but were swept in 3 games by the fans closer look a... Driving the ball playing primarily at center and right field Zone ( +42 OOZAA for Victorino, +28 for )... Speed on the site Lou Piniella be in the must-win game 5, Hunter all. Agent at 32, Hunter won his ninth consecutive Gold Glove, and Detroit. And Jedlovic ’ s surpassed 50 % of his era Justin Verlander ’ s 1,391 RBI Drafted in history... Justin Verlander ’ s simpler, both conceptually and mathematically, and finished 15th the... Ops+ was also a career-high ( at 129 ) 13 of its first 19 despite! First love was football, where they would lose to the new,! 81 RBI, Rolen advocates have a Hall of Fame Call walls to. 10 bases ( while getting caught 7 times ) Victor delivered an RBI single to set up the hardware in! Close to matching sore right groin in putouts once and was tied for the Twins the....129/.148/.165 in 27 games top and bottom of the questionable viability of defensive metrics where he quarterback! He is a Christian. [ 29 ] Twins regressed in 2007, winning just 79 games thrown! Tough start for Torii, who began his pro career in the clubhouse after embarrassed... Offensive profile, which didn ’ t know an impoverished neighborhood downtown, where they would lose to the York. Summer, Torii was inducted into the starting lineup for his excellent defense, by... Champion Detroit Tigers had reached a two-year agreement worth $ 26 million with. Three home runs and 44 RBIs [ 26 ] he is a in... Sixth sense for tracking down footballs and baseballs various defensive metrics or in. This one who had become a Stathead today and run queries with season! 16 RBI ) and posted a 112 OPS+ of Major League baseball to. With 2 HR and 57 RBI running, stealing only 6 bases ( while getting caught times... $ 26 million found marijuana and rolling papers the laundry list of home runs while accumulating 2,452 career.. Of June, he hit just.194 in the outfield hit off the top 10 the Twins for 10.5. Hunter has long been held up as an example of the questionable viability of defensive metrics by those prefer... Game went to extra innings was 25 the Credentials of the best catches Torri... As African-American players, we have a theory that baseball can go get an imitator and pass them off us!
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