Brad Hawpe
Encyclopedia
Bradley Bonte Hawpe is an American
professional baseball
outfielder
and first baseman
.
in Fort Worth, Texas, where he played first base and pitched
under head coach David Hatcher and assistant and pitching coach Kenneth Harmon. He also won a Texas 4A State Championship.
Hawpe attended Louisiana State University
in Baton Rouge
, Louisiana
. He was a member of the LSU Tigers baseball team
that won the 2000 College World Series
.
in the 47th round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft
; however, he did not sign. Hawpe re-entered the MLB draft in 2000
, where he was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 11th round; he subsequently signed with the team in June of that year.
In the minor leagues, Hawpe was named to All-Star teams in 2000 while playing in the Northwest League
and in 2003 while playing in the Texas League
. He was the 2002 Carolina League
Most Valuable Player.
Hawpe played first base in the Rockies' minor league system, but moved to right field upon his promotion to the major leagues, as the Rockies had Todd Helton
at first base. Hawpe made his major league debut on May 1, . He played in 42 games during the 2004 season.
After getting a chance to become a regular in , playing 101 games, Hawpe had a .262 batting average
with 9 home run
s and 47 RBIs
. In , Hawpe hit .293 with 22 home runs and 84 RBIs. He also led all MLB right fielders in assists
(16) and all National League
right fielders in fielding percentage
(.987). In , he hit .291 with 29 home runs and 116 RBIs. Defensively, though, he had the lowest range factor
(1.83) of all NL right fielders.
He missed time in with a hamstring
injury, but still managed to hit .283 with 25 home runs and 85 RBIs. Defensively, however, Hawpe had the lowest fielding percentage (.956) and range factor
(1.50), and most errors (9), of all major league right fielders.
Hawpe was named to the 2009 MLB All-Star Game. However, he had the lowest range factor
of all starting major league right fielders (1.64). But was ranked by Runs200 to have one of the best right field arms in Major League Baseball.
The Rockies placed Hawpe on waivers on August 16, 2010. He was given his release on August 18, though he was on waivers until August 26.
On August 27, Hawpe signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays
, reporting to the Class A Charlotte Stone Crabs
.
Following the 2010 season, Hawpe signed with the San Diego Padres
. With the Padres, he will return to first base. On June 26 Hawpe had season ending Tommy John surgery
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
and first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
.
High school and college
Hawpe went to Boswell High SchoolBoswell High School
Boswell High School is a public secondary school in Fort Worth, Texas . It is part of the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District and serves all students within grades nine and twelve...
in Fort Worth, Texas, where he played first base and pitched
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
under head coach David Hatcher and assistant and pitching coach Kenneth Harmon. He also won a Texas 4A State Championship.
Hawpe attended Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
in Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. He was a member of the LSU Tigers baseball team
LSU Tigers baseball
The LSU baseball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I college baseball.Along with the other LSU athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the West division of the Southeastern Conference...
that won the 2000 College World Series
2000 College World Series
The 2000 College World Series was held June 9 through June 17, 2000 in Omaha, Nebraska. Eight NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a 64-team bracket to play at historic Rosenblatt Stadium. LSU beat Stanford in the single-game final.It was the 54th College...
.
Professional career
Hawpe was drafted by the Toronto Blue JaysToronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
in the 47th round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft
1998 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1998 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1998...
; however, he did not sign. Hawpe re-entered the MLB draft in 2000
2000 Major League Baseball Draft
-First Round Selections:-Compensation picks:- Background :The Florida Marlins made Adrian Gonzalez of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, CA the first overall selection in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft...
, where he was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 11th round; he subsequently signed with the team in June of that year.
In the minor leagues, Hawpe was named to All-Star teams in 2000 while playing in the Northwest League
Northwest League
The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...
and in 2003 while playing in the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
. He was the 2002 Carolina League
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic Coast of the United States. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
Most Valuable Player.
Hawpe played first base in the Rockies' minor league system, but moved to right field upon his promotion to the major leagues, as the Rockies had Todd Helton
Todd Helton
Todd Lynn Helton is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Colorado Rockies. He is a five-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, four-time National League Player of the Month, and three-time Gold Glove winner....
at first base. Hawpe made his major league debut on May 1, . He played in 42 games during the 2004 season.
After getting a chance to become a regular in , playing 101 games, Hawpe had a .262 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with 9 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 47 RBIs
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
. In , Hawpe hit .293 with 22 home runs and 84 RBIs. He also led all MLB right fielders in assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
(16) and all National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
right fielders in fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
(.987). In , he hit .291 with 29 home runs and 116 RBIs. Defensively, though, he had the lowest range factor
Range Factor
Range Factor is a baseball statistic developed by Bill James. It is calculated by dividing putouts and assists by number of innings or games played at a given defense position...
(1.83) of all NL right fielders.
He missed time in with a hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
injury, but still managed to hit .283 with 25 home runs and 85 RBIs. Defensively, however, Hawpe had the lowest fielding percentage (.956) and range factor
Range Factor
Range Factor is a baseball statistic developed by Bill James. It is calculated by dividing putouts and assists by number of innings or games played at a given defense position...
(1.50), and most errors (9), of all major league right fielders.
Hawpe was named to the 2009 MLB All-Star Game. However, he had the lowest range factor
Range Factor
Range Factor is a baseball statistic developed by Bill James. It is calculated by dividing putouts and assists by number of innings or games played at a given defense position...
of all starting major league right fielders (1.64). But was ranked by Runs200 to have one of the best right field arms in Major League Baseball.
The Rockies placed Hawpe on waivers on August 16, 2010. He was given his release on August 18, though he was on waivers until August 26.
On August 27, Hawpe signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
, reporting to the Class A Charlotte Stone Crabs
Charlotte Stone Crabs
The Charlotte Stone Crabs are a minor league baseball team based in Port Charlotte, Florida. The team are currently members of the Florida State League and are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball team....
.
Following the 2010 season, Hawpe signed with the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. With the Padres, he will return to first base. On June 26 Hawpe had season ending Tommy John surgery