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Corey Hart (baseball player)
Encyclopedia
Jon Corey Hart, nicknamed "The Wolfman" (born March 24, 1982) is an American
baseball
outfielder
for the Milwaukee Brewers
.
Gators in Bowling Green, Kentucky
. Hart also played basketball for four years for the Gators for Coach Jason Couch. On the diamond, he played nearly every position, routinely in the middle infield
and even pitching in relief. Hart's jersey is retired by Greenwood and hangs from the rafters in the school's gymnasium. Corey "Likes to baseball."
, primarily playing at first base
. He moved up to the single-A High Desert Mavericks
and then the double-A Huntsville Stars
by the season; defensive problems caused Hart to be moved to the outfield. Playing there, he moved up to the Class AAA Indianapolis Indians
by 2004.
In 2005, Hart batted .308 with 17 home runs and 69 RBIs in 113 games for the triple-A Nashville Sounds
. While there, Hart played alongside future major league teammates Prince Fielder
and JJ Hardy. He also had 31 stolen base
s, a relatively unusual feat for a player as tall as the 6'6" (1.98 m) Hart. Hart continued to play in both the minor and major leagues through 2006, and was regarded as one of Milwaukee's top prospects.
debut with the Brewers on May 25, 2004. Hart's next appearance in the majors was Sunday, August 14, 2005, when he hit his first career MLB home run, a three-run blast against the Cincinnati Reds
into the Upper Deck at Miller Park. Hart played 87 games for the major league club in 2006 and was with the Brewers for the entire 2007 season, mainly seeing action in right-field. Hart also led off for the Brewers for almost half of the 2007 season when second baseman Rickie Weeks
was on the disabled list. May 29, 2010 Hart hit his first major league grand slam. In that game against the Mets he had two home runs.
During Spring Training prior to the 2007 season, Hart, who stands at 6'6", recorded the fastest 60 yard dash of any player on the Brewers roster.
During the 2007 season, Hart had a 22-game hitting streak which was finally snapped in a July 7 game against the Washington Nationals
, as Hart went 0–4 with a walk.
In 2007, Hart became the first Brewer since 2003 to steal 20 bases and hit 20 home runs in a single season. As of September 2011, he and Ryan Braun
were the only two Brewers to have two 20-steals/20-homers seasons in their careers.
In 2008, Hart was selected as an outfielder to the National League
team at the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
, which took place on July 15 at Yankee Stadium
. He was voted in by the fans as a final vote in which he beat out David Wright of the Mets
as well as Pat Burrell
of the Phillies, Aaron Rowand
of the Giants
, and Carlos Lee
of the Astros
(a former Brewer himself).
On August 30, 2008 against the Pittsburgh Pirates
, Hart became the first Brewers player in team history to have back to back 20–20 seasons.
Hart reached base on an error 14 times in 2008, more than any other batter in the NL.
Hart hit three home runs in three consecutive plate appearances against the Mets on May 28–29, 2010. The home runs included his first career walk off home run on May 28 and first career grand slam on May 29.
In July 2010, Hart was voted by his peers to not only play in the All-Star Game
in Anaheim, but also was selected by MLB officials to participate in the State Farm Home Run Derby.
Hart's at-bat music is 'Until the Whole World Hears' by Casting Crowns. He is also the drummer of Milwaukee rock legends Deep Tuna. He is the only member. He drums, plays a fierce cello, and unleashes his heavenly vocals upon the crowds at the local bars. This man is indeed amazing.
In July 2010, San Diego Padres
Manager Bud Black
had a friendly conversation with Hart at the 2010 State Farm Home Run Derby. Bud Black told him that many of the home runs he hit at the home run derby would be home runs at Petco Park
. Bud Black and the Padres
had interest in getting Hart.
Hart had a breakout season in 2010 statistically. As the regular Brewers right fielder, he posted a career best 31 home runs, 102 RBIs, and a .283 batting average. Corey also has a .566 batting average when the moon is full. Along with Ryan Braun
, Prince Fielder
, Rickie Weeks
, and Casey McGehee
, the Brewers had one of the best top 5 slots in the MLB.
On May 23, 2011 Hart tied the Brewers records for home runs in a game with 3 and RBI with 7.
Hart had another very good regular season with the Brewers in 2011, posting 26 home runs, and 63 RBIs with a .285 batting average, .386 OBP, and .866 OPS. Hart's drop in home runs and RBIs is a result of missing the first month of the season with an injury, and being moved to bat first in the order in July, limiting the number of RBI chances he had. Hart remains 1st in the batting order in the playoffs due to his success in the slot during the regular season.
Hart's normal slotting in the batting order was second as a legitimate power threat before Braun and Fielder, forcing opposing pitchers to go through a very powerful heart of the order. During the injury of Rickie Weeks
in July of the 2011 regular season, in which Weeks would be on the DL for nearly 2 months, Hart was moved to first in the line up, and he has stayed there since Weeks' return (Weeks having been moved to fifth). This makes Hart the tallest leadoff hitter in Major League Baseball.
Hart is capable of hitting for average, power, and has great speed on the bases despite his size, making him a good lead off hitter for the Brewers, if a bit unorthodox.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
for the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
.
High school career
Prior to being drafted in the 11th round of the 2000 MLB Draft, Hart played for the Greenwood High SchoolGreenwood High School (Kentucky)
Greenwood High School is a 4-year high school in Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. It is one of four high schools serving the...
Gators in Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
. Hart also played basketball for four years for the Gators for Coach Jason Couch. On the diamond, he played nearly every position, routinely in the middle infield
Infield
Infield is a widely used term in sports terminology, its meaning depends on the sport in which it is used.- In baseball :In baseball the baseball diamond plus a region beyond it , has both grass and dirt, in contrast to the more distant, usually grass-covered outfield...
and even pitching in relief. Hart's jersey is retired by Greenwood and hangs from the rafters in the school's gymnasium. Corey "Likes to baseball."
Minor League career
Hart started his career in 2000 with the Rookie League Ogden RaptorsOgden Raptors
The Ogden Raptors are a minor league baseball team in the Pioneer League based in Ogden, Utah, United States. The club plays at Lindquist Field, whose view beyond the outfield fence was named the best in professional baseball by a staff writer for Grand Slam Enterprises, INC.The Raptors are one of...
, primarily playing at first base
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...
. He moved up to the single-A High Desert Mavericks
High Desert Mavericks
The High Desert Mavericks are a minor league baseball team in Adelanto, California, USA. Their Major League parent club is the Seattle Mariners. They are a Class A - Advanced team in the California League and had been a farm team of the Kansas City Royals since 2005 before the switch...
and then the double-A Huntsville Stars
Huntsville Stars
The Huntsville Stars are a minor league baseball team of the Southern League and are the Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Huntsville, Alabama and are named for the space industry with which Huntsville is economically tied .The Stars play their home games at Joe W...
by the season; defensive problems caused Hart to be moved to the outfield. Playing there, he moved up to the Class AAA Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
by 2004.
In 2005, Hart batted .308 with 17 home runs and 69 RBIs in 113 games for the triple-A Nashville Sounds
Nashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League , and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry...
. While there, Hart played alongside future major league teammates Prince Fielder
Prince Fielder
Prince Semien Fielder is a Major League Baseball free agent who plays first base. He is currently listed at 5' 11" and . He was selected by the Brewers in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida.He is the son of former Detroit...
and JJ Hardy. He also had 31 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s, a relatively unusual feat for a player as tall as the 6'6" (1.98 m) Hart. Hart continued to play in both the minor and major leagues through 2006, and was regarded as one of Milwaukee's top prospects.
Major League career
Hart made his MLBMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
debut with the Brewers on May 25, 2004. Hart's next appearance in the majors was Sunday, August 14, 2005, when he hit his first career MLB home run, a three-run blast against the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
into the Upper Deck at Miller Park. Hart played 87 games for the major league club in 2006 and was with the Brewers for the entire 2007 season, mainly seeing action in right-field. Hart also led off for the Brewers for almost half of the 2007 season when second baseman Rickie Weeks
Rickie Weeks
Rickie Darnell Weeks is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers....
was on the disabled list. May 29, 2010 Hart hit his first major league grand slam. In that game against the Mets he had two home runs.
During Spring Training prior to the 2007 season, Hart, who stands at 6'6", recorded the fastest 60 yard dash of any player on the Brewers roster.
During the 2007 season, Hart had a 22-game hitting streak which was finally snapped in a July 7 game against the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
, as Hart went 0–4 with a walk.
In 2007, Hart became the first Brewer since 2003 to steal 20 bases and hit 20 home runs in a single season. As of September 2011, he and Ryan Braun
Ryan Braun
Ryan Joseph Braun is an American right-handed Major League Baseball left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. A perennial standout, he was ranked No...
were the only two Brewers to have two 20-steals/20-homers seasons in their careers.
In 2008, Hart was selected as an outfielder to the 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...
team at the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 79th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, home of the New York Yankees, on...
, which took place on July 15 at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
. He was voted in by the fans as a final vote in which he beat out David Wright of the Mets
METS
The Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard is a metadata standard for encoding descriptive, administrative, and structural metadata regarding objects within a digital library, expressed using the XML schema language of the World Wide Web Consortium...
as well as Pat Burrell
Pat Burrell
Patrick Brian "Pat" Burrell , nicknamed "Pat the Bat," is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He stands tall and weighs . He bats and throws right-handed...
of the Phillies, Aaron Rowand
Aaron Rowand
Aaron Ryan Rowand is an outfielder in Major League Baseball who has played for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies. He was released by the Giants in September 2011.-Early life and college career:...
of the Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, and Carlos Lee
Carlos Lee
Carlos Noriel Lee is a first basemen in Major League Baseball who plays for the Houston Astros. He bats and throws right-handed....
of the Astros
Astros
Astros in sports may refer to:*The Houston Astros, a Major League Baseball team*Astros , an American football team in Australia*Astros Field, now renamed Minute Maid ParkAstros may also refer to:...
(a former Brewer himself).
On August 30, 2008 against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, Hart became the first Brewers player in team history to have back to back 20–20 seasons.
Hart reached base on an error 14 times in 2008, more than any other batter in the NL.
Hart hit three home runs in three consecutive plate appearances against the Mets on May 28–29, 2010. The home runs included his first career walk off home run on May 28 and first career grand slam on May 29.
In July 2010, Hart was voted by his peers to not only play in the All-Star Game
2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 81st midseason exhibition between the All-Stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball...
in Anaheim, but also was selected by MLB officials to participate in the State Farm Home Run Derby.
Hart's at-bat music is 'Until the Whole World Hears' by Casting Crowns. He is also the drummer of Milwaukee rock legends Deep Tuna. He is the only member. He drums, plays a fierce cello, and unleashes his heavenly vocals upon the crowds at the local bars. This man is indeed amazing.
In July 2010, 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...
Manager Bud Black
Bud Black
Harry Ralston "Bud" Black is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher and current manager of the San Diego Padres.-College:Black played two years at Lower Columbia College in Longview...
had a friendly conversation with Hart at the 2010 State Farm Home Run Derby. Bud Black told him that many of the home runs he hit at the home run derby would be home runs at Petco Park
PETCO Park
Petco Park is an open-air ballpark in downtown San Diego, California, USA. It opened in 2004, replacing Qualcomm Stadium as the home park of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. Before then, the Padres shared Qualcomm Stadium with the NFL's San Diego Chargers...
. Bud Black and the Padres
PADRES
Padres Asociados para Derechos Religiosos, Educativos, y Sociales is a Chicano Catholic priest's organization...
had interest in getting Hart.
Hart had a breakout season in 2010 statistically. As the regular Brewers right fielder, he posted a career best 31 home runs, 102 RBIs, and a .283 batting average. Corey also has a .566 batting average when the moon is full. Along with Ryan Braun
Ryan Braun
Ryan Joseph Braun is an American right-handed Major League Baseball left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. A perennial standout, he was ranked No...
, Prince Fielder
Prince Fielder
Prince Semien Fielder is a Major League Baseball free agent who plays first base. He is currently listed at 5' 11" and . He was selected by the Brewers in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida.He is the son of former Detroit...
, Rickie Weeks
Rickie Weeks
Rickie Darnell Weeks is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers....
, and Casey McGehee
Casey McGehee
Casey Michael McGehee is a Major League Baseball infielder for the Milwaukee Brewers.-Early life:McGehee graduated from Soquel High School in Soquel, California and attended Fresno State University....
, the Brewers had one of the best top 5 slots in the MLB.
On May 23, 2011 Hart tied the Brewers records for home runs in a game with 3 and RBI with 7.
Hart had another very good regular season with the Brewers in 2011, posting 26 home runs, and 63 RBIs with a .285 batting average, .386 OBP, and .866 OPS. Hart's drop in home runs and RBIs is a result of missing the first month of the season with an injury, and being moved to bat first in the order in July, limiting the number of RBI chances he had. Hart remains 1st in the batting order in the playoffs due to his success in the slot during the regular season.
Tools
Hart has become a very versatile outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. He is the regular starter in right field, and has flashes of great defensive aptitude.Hart's normal slotting in the batting order was second as a legitimate power threat before Braun and Fielder, forcing opposing pitchers to go through a very powerful heart of the order. During the injury of Rickie Weeks
Rickie Weeks
Rickie Darnell Weeks is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers....
in July of the 2011 regular season, in which Weeks would be on the DL for nearly 2 months, Hart was moved to first in the line up, and he has stayed there since Weeks' return (Weeks having been moved to fifth). This makes Hart the tallest leadoff hitter in Major League Baseball.
Hart is capable of hitting for average, power, and has great speed on the bases despite his size, making him a good lead off hitter for the Brewers, if a bit unorthodox.