Hunter Pence
Encyclopedia
Hunter Andrew Pence is a Major League Baseball
outfielder with the Philadelphia Phillies
. Pence stands 6 in 4 in (193.04 cm) tall and weighs 210 lbs. He bats and throws right-handed.
in Arlington, Texas. After playing outfield his first three years, he moved to shortstop
his senior year, and wore #8.
He attended Texarkana College
for a year and was DH
on the baseball team. He transferred to the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) where he returned to the outfield. Despite missing 15 of UTA's 30 Southland Conference
games as a junior in the 2004 season—due to an injury at mid-season—he was still named conference player of the year.
, Pence batted .283 and hit 28 home runs, with 95 RBI
s. He had 17 stolen base
s, while being caught stealing only 4 times.
In 2006, he was one of three outfielders named to the Baseball America Minor League All-Star Team. Pence began the 2007 season as the AAA Round Rock Express
' center fielder, though he made a serious run to make the big league club out of spring training
.
center fielder
on April 28, 2007, versus the Milwaukee Brewers
and got his first major league hit and scored his first run. Pence's first home run in the majors was a grand slam
, against the St. Louis Cardinals
on May 5. Pence hit a dramatic walk-off home run against Jose Mesa
of the Philadelphia Phillies
in the bottom of the 13th inning at Minute Maid Park
on July 3 in a 5–4 win. It was Mesa's only pitch of the game.
July 23, General Manager Tim Purpura
announced that Pence would be out with a with a small chipped bone fracture in his right wrist. On August 21, Pence was activated from the disabled list. At that point, despite having missed a month he was 4th among NL rookies in at bats.
Pence led NL rookies in triples (9), and was 2nd to Ryan Braun
in batting average (.322), on-base percentage (.360), slugging percentage (.539), and OPS (.899).
Pence was a unanimous selection to the 2007 Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team
. The selection was the result of the 49th annual Topps balloting of Major League managers. Pence (15 points) came in third, and lost out to Braun (128 points) in the vote for the 2007 NL Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award
by 488 major league players and 30 managers. He also lost out to Braun in the competition for the 2007 Baseball America Rookie of the Year
Award, in the vote for the 2007 Players Choice NL Most Outstanding Rookie
by their fellow major league players, and in the Baseball Prospectus
2007 Internet Baseball NL Rookie of the Year Award, with 16 first place votes, versus 666 for Braun.
with 16, committed 1 error, and had a fielding percentage of .997.
In his third season, Pence was named an All-Star
for the first time.
In his fourth season, Pence was durable once again. He batted .282 with 25 home runs, drove in 91 RBIS and played 156 games. After the 2010 season he was considered the cornerstone of the Astros.
as a reserve, marking the second time he has made the All-Star team. He was brought into the middle of the game, threw out Jose Bautista
from the outfield, and scored the National League's 5th run of the game. At the All-Star break, Pence was batting .321 with 10 home runs and 59 RBIs.
for four minor-league players: first baseman Jonathan Singleton
, right-handers Jarred Cosart
and Josh Zeid, and a player to be named later, determined to be outfielder Domingo Santana.
On August 4, 2011, Hunter hit his first home run as a Phillie, against Madison Bumgarner
.
In 2011, Pence was fourth in the NL in batting average (.314; behind Jose Reyes, Ryan Braun, and Matt Kemp) and eighth in RBI, with 97.
Major 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...
outfielder with the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. Pence stands 6 in 4 in (193.04 cm) tall and weighs 210 lbs. He bats and throws right-handed.
Early life
Pence attended Arlington High SchoolArlington High School (Arlington, Texas)
Arlington High School, located in Arlington, Texas, is a secondary school serving grades 9-12. It is one of the six high schools comprising the Arlington Independent School District. The current principal is Jennifer Young; the mascot is the Colt and the schools’ colors are Kelly Green and White...
in Arlington, Texas. After playing outfield his first three years, he moved to shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
his senior year, and wore #8.
He attended Texarkana College
Texarkana College
Texarkana College is a community college located in Texarkana, Texas.-Location:Texarkana College is located at , in the northeast border of Texarkana, Texas, at the junction of Robison and Tucker streets, which is approximately one mile south of Interstate 30.The twin cities of Texarkana,...
for a year and was DH
DH
-Flying:* de Havilland, a former UK aircraft manufacturer* Decision height, an element of aviational instrument approach* Independence Air's IATA code-Health:* Department of Health , a branch of government...
on the baseball team. He transferred to the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) where he returned to the outfield. Despite missing 15 of UTA's 30 Southland Conference
Southland Conference
The Southland Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the south central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
games as a junior in the 2004 season—due to an injury at mid-season—he was still named conference player of the year.
Minor leagues
Pence was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers but didn't sign. But, then, in the first year player draft, Hunter was drafted in the second round (64th pick) of the 2004 draft by the Houston Astros out of the University of Texas–Arlington. In 2006 with the AA Corpus Christi HooksCorpus Christi Hooks
The Corpus Christi Hooks are a minor league baseball team of the Texas League, and are the Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and are named for the city's association with fishing. The team's ownership group is headed by Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan...
, Pence batted .283 and hit 28 home runs, with 95 RBI
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...
s. He had 17 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, while being caught stealing only 4 times.
In 2006, he was one of three outfielders named to the Baseball America Minor League All-Star Team. Pence began the 2007 season as the AAA Round Rock Express
Round Rock Express
The Round Rock Express is a class Triple-A Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team in Round Rock, Texas, owned by RSR Sports and founded by Reid Ryan, son of Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. The team is affiliated with the Texas Rangers, for whom Nolan Ryan serves as the president and...
' center fielder, though he made a serious run to make the big league club out of spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
.
2007
Pence made his major league debut as the Houston AstrosHouston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
center fielder
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
on April 28, 2007, versus 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...
and got his first major league hit and scored his first run. Pence's first home run in the majors was a grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
, against the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
on May 5. Pence hit a dramatic walk-off home run against Jose Mesa
José Mesa
José Ramón Nova Mesa [MAY-sah] is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. His nickname was "Joe Table," the literal translation of his name in the English language....
of the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
in the bottom of the 13th inning at Minute Maid Park
Minute Maid Park
Minute Maid Park is a ballpark in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States that opened in 2000 to house the Major League Baseball Houston Astros....
on July 3 in a 5–4 win. It was Mesa's only pitch of the game.
July 23, General Manager Tim Purpura
Tim Purpura
Tim Purpura is a former General Manager of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball team. He was with the club from 2005 to 2007.-Biography:...
announced that Pence would be out with a with a small chipped bone fracture in his right wrist. On August 21, Pence was activated from the disabled list. At that point, despite having missed a month he was 4th among NL rookies in at bats.
Pence led NL rookies in triples (9), and was 2nd to 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...
in batting average (.322), on-base percentage (.360), slugging percentage (.539), and OPS (.899).
Pence was a unanimous selection to the 2007 Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team
Topps All-Star Rookie Rosters
This is a year-by-year list of the Topps All-Star Rookie teams. Note that players selected for a particular team appear in the following year's set release...
. The selection was the result of the 49th annual Topps balloting of Major League managers. Pence (15 points) came in third, and lost out to Braun (128 points) in the vote for the 2007 NL Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award
The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award
The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award was established in 1946 by The Sporting News .*In 1947-48, and again in 1950, a single award was given for all of Major League Baseball....
by 488 major league players and 30 managers. He also lost out to Braun in the competition for the 2007 Baseball America Rookie of the Year
Baseball America Rookie of the Year
The Baseball America Rookie of the Year is an annual award granted by Baseball America to the best rookie in the major leagues.-Awardees:-See also:*Baseball America #Baseball America All-Rookie Team*Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award...
Award, in the vote for the 2007 Players Choice NL Most Outstanding Rookie
Players Choice Award
The Players Choice Awards are annual Major League Baseball awards, given by the Major League Baseball Players Association .The Players Choice Awards are given following a secret ballot by players. Four awards go to a player in each league, while two awards each go to one player in all of Major...
by their fellow major league players, and in the Baseball Prospectus
Baseball Prospectus
Baseball Prospectus is an organization that publishes a website, BaseballProspectus.com, devoted to the sabermetric analysis of baseball. BP has a staff of regular columnists and provides advanced statistics as well player and team performance projections on the site...
2007 Internet Baseball NL Rookie of the Year Award, with 16 first place votes, versus 666 for Braun.
2008–10
In his sophomore season, Pence set new personal single-season records in home runs (25), runs batted in (83), doubles (25), hits (160), and at bats (595). However, his batting average dipped to .269, his on-base percentage fell to .318, and his slugging percentage also fell to .466. Pence led the league in outfield assistsAssist (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...
with 16, committed 1 error, and had a fielding percentage of .997.
In his third season, Pence was named an All-Star
2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 80th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 14, 2009, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, the home of the...
for the first time.
In his fourth season, Pence was durable once again. He batted .282 with 25 home runs, drove in 91 RBIS and played 156 games. After the 2010 season he was considered the cornerstone of the Astros.
2011
Pence was named a 2011 All-Star2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 82nd in-season exhibition game between the All-Stars of the National League and the American League ; the leagues composing Major League Baseball. The event was held on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, home of the...
as a reserve, marking the second time he has made the All-Star team. He was brought into the middle of the game, threw out Jose Bautista
José Bautista
José Antonio Bautista is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. Though now primarily a right fielder, having been a utility player in the past, he has major league experience at six different positions...
from the outfield, and scored the National League's 5th run of the game. At the All-Star break, Pence was batting .321 with 10 home runs and 59 RBIs.
Philadelphia Phillies
2011
On July 29, 2011, the Astros traded Pence to the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
for four minor-league players: first baseman Jonathan Singleton
Jonathan Singleton (baseball)
Jonathan L. Singleton is a first baseman in the Houston Astros organization.-Baseball career:Singelton was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the eighth round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft out of the Millikan High School in Long Beach, California.Prior to the 2011 season, Singleton...
, right-handers Jarred Cosart
Jarred Cosart
Jarred Lynn Cosart is a minor league baseball pitcher in the Houston Astros organization.Cosart attended Clear Creek High School. He signed a letter of intent with the University of Missouri...
and Josh Zeid, and a player to be named later, determined to be outfielder Domingo Santana.
On August 4, 2011, Hunter hit his first home run as a Phillie, against Madison Bumgarner
Madison Bumgarner
Madison Bumgarner is an American baseball pitcher with the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. Bumgarner is listed 6'5" and 225 pounds and has a 90–95 MPH fastball...
.
In 2011, Pence was fourth in the NL in batting average (.314; behind Jose Reyes, Ryan Braun, and Matt Kemp) and eighth in RBI, with 97.
Awards
- 2003 – Summer League First-Team All-American DHDesignated hitterIn baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
- 2003 – Southland ConferenceSouthland ConferenceThe Southland Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the south central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
All-Star OF - 2004 – Southland Conference Player of the Year
- 2004 – Southland Conference All-Star OF
- 2004 – Southland Conference Hitter of the Year
- 2005 – Low A All-Star OF
- 2005 – Houston Astros Minor League Player of the Year
- 2005 – South Atlantic LeagueSouth Atlantic LeagueThe South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
All-Star OF - 2005 – South Atlantic League Most Outstanding Prospect
- 2006 – Future GamesFuture GamesFuture Games is the fifth studio album by British rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1971. It was their first album with guitarist Bob Welch and the first to feature Christine McVie as a full member...
selection - 2006 – Baseball America Minor League All-Star
- 2006 – Arizona Fall LeagueArizona Fall LeagueThe Arizona Fall League is an off-season league owned and operated by Major League Baseball which operates during the fall in Arizona, United States at five spring training complexes...
All-Prospect Team - 2007 – National LeagueNational LeagueThe 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...
Player of the WeekPlayer of the WeekThe Player of the Week award is a Major League Baseball award named by each of the American and National Leagues each week of the regular season...
, along with Jose ValverdeJosé ValverdeJosé Rafael Valverde is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball. His nickname is Papa Grande...
of the Arizona DiamondbacksArizona DiamondbacksThe Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field... - 2007 – National League Rookie of the Month- for the month of May.
- 2009 – National League All-Star
- 2011 – National League All-Star