Mike Hessman #19

Michael Steven (Mike) Hessman graduated from Mater Dei High School in California in 1996, where he played baseball and basketball...Had a scholarship offer from the University of Arizona but chose to sign with the Atlanta Braves after being drafted...Named the Most Valuable Player of the Upper Deck Classic in 1995.

2009

Is the active minor league home run leader with 311...Spent the entire season playing for Toledo (AAA) of the International League...His 23 home runs were good for fifth most in the league...Played every position on the field during a home game against Columbus on September 4th...Starting the game behind the plate, he worked his way around the infield and hit all three outfield spots before finishing on the mound...Took the loss after giving up three hits and two runs, one earned, in the ninth inning...Hit his 300th minor league home run on July 28th at Louisville...Had his only multi-home run game of the season on April 14th at Louisville, hitting a pair of solo shots in a 5-0 win...Hit a home run in three consecutive games from May 14th-May 16th...In 29 August games, he recorded a .583 slugging percentage and 25 RBI.

2008

Led the International League with a .602 slugging percentage for Triple A Toledo during the 2008 season, while he finished second with 34 home runs, tied for second with 59 extra-base hits and fifth with 240 total bases...selected as Toledo's Player of the Year for the second straight season...Selected to the league's mid- and post-season all-star squads...Homered once every 11.74 at-bats for Toledo, tops in the International League...Topped all league third basemen with a .982 fielding percentage...Collected a season-high four hits, three home runs and five RBI for the Mud Hens on April 20 versus Louisville...Tabbed the International League Player of the Week for April 21-27 after hitting .348 (8x23) with eight runs scored, a double, triple, three home runs and six RBI in six games...Led the International League with eight home runs and 63 total bases during April, while he tied for second with 20 RBI -- hit .276 (27x98) in 25 games during the month..Belted two home runs on May 9 at Charlotte -- added a second two-home run game on July 27 versus Pawucket...Batted .304 (31x102) with 29 runs scored, two doubles, a triple, 12 home runs and 14 RBI in 29 games during May -- third in the International League with 12 home runs during the month, while he was fourth with 71 total bases...On the temporarily inactive list July 28-August 25 as he was a member of the U.S. Olympic baseball team that earned a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympic Games held in Beijing...Had his contract purchased from Toledo by the Tigers on September 2...Hit safely in six of his seven games September 7-25, batting .353 (6x17) with four home runs...Hit by a pitch twice in the second inning on September 8 versus Oakland (once by Gio Gonzalez and once by Josh Outman) -- first Tigers player since at least 1956 to be hit by a pitch twice in the same inning...according to the Elias Sports Bureau, he became the first player to be hit by a pitch twice in the same inning since Baltimore's Brady Anderson on May 23, 1999 versus Texas.

2007

Spent the majority of the season at Triple A Toledo, with the exception of two brief stints with the Tigers -- his first major league action since 2004...Named the International League's Most Valuable Player after leading the league with 31 home runs and 101 RBI...second in the league with a .540 slugging percentage and third with 57 extra-base hits...Selected to both the International League's mid- and post-season all-star squads -- started at third base in the Triple A All-Star Game, belting a two-run home run...Tabbed the best defensive third baseman in the International League by Baseball America...Collected a season-best five hits for Mud Hens on April 7 at Louisville...Belted a season-high two home runs on April 22 at Durham...Led the International League with 47 total bases during April, while he tied for the lead with seven home runs and tied for third with 15 RBI -- batted .242 (22x91) in 24 games during the month...Garnered Tigers Minor League Player of the Month honors for May after hitting .277 (31x112) with 16 runs scored, nine doubles, a triple, eight home runs and 34 RBI in 29 games -- led the International League with eight home runs and 34 RBI during the month, while he tied for the lead with 66 total bases...Drove in a season-best five runs on June 25 versus Indianapolis...Hit .283 (28x99) with 23 runs scored, eight doubles, nine home runs and 30 RBI in 27 games during June -- led the International League with 30 RBI during the month, while he tied for the lead with nine home runs and tied for third with 63 total bases...Joined the Tigers after having his contract purchased from Toledo on July 23...Equaled a career high with two hits on July 23 at U.S. Cellular Field against the White Sox -- matched the high with two hits during the day game of a day-night doubleheader versus Texas on September 11...Optioned back to Toledo by the Tigers on August 9...Recalled by the Tigers from Toledo on September 1...Collected a career-high three RBI during the day game of a day-night doubleheader on September 11 versus Texas...Batted .304 (7x23) with three home runs and six RBI in eight games during September.

2006

Tied for third in the International League with 24 home runs for Triple A Toledo...Homered once every 14.38 at-bats, second-best in the International League...Topped all league third basemen with a .973 fielding percentage, 300 total chances and 82 putouts...Connected for a season-high two home runs on April 24 versus Louisville and May 18 at Norfolk...Led the International League with seven home runs during April...Tied for second in the league with seven home runs during June...Sidelined August 1-9 with a right wrist sprain...Batted .306 (11x36) with five home runs and nine RBI in 10 games during the International League playoffs.

2005

Clubbed 28 home runs for Toledo in his first season with the Tigers organization in 2005, fourth-most International League...Third in the league with 154 strikeouts, while he tied for fifth with 134 games played...Homered once every 16.89 at-bats, fourth-best in the league...His .987 fielding percentage was tops among all league third basemen...Collected a season-high four hits on April 26 at Louisville...Belted a season-best two home runs May 5 versus Louisville -- matched the high with two home runs May 10 at Syracuse and July 6 at Richmond...Hit nine home runs and drove in 23 runs in 29 games during May -- batted .259 (29x112) during the month...Tallied a season-high six RBI on July 6 at Richmond...In 25 games during July, he batted .305 (25x82) with 19 runs scored, four doubles, a triple, eight home runs and 19 RBI...Finished with seven home runs and 17 RBI during August, hitting .206 (21x102) in 30 games...Batted .292 (7x24) with six runs scored, two home runs and seven RBI in eight games during the International League playoffs...Hit .258 (33x128) against lefthanded pitchers, compared to .197 (68x345) with righties on the mound.

2004

Recalled from Triple A Richmond by the Braves for his first major league action on August 18, 2003...Made his major league debut on August 22 at Colorado, grounding into a double play as a pinch-hitter...Drilled a pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning on August 26 versus the New York Mets off Mike Stanton -- first major league hit and home run...Optioned back to Richmond on August 30, only to be recalled again on September 2...Established a career high with two hits September 2 at New York's Shea Stadium against the Mets.

2003

Saw his first major league time when he was recalled Aug. 18 from AAA Richmond, where he led team with 16 HR, when Julio Franco was placed on 15-day DL...In a procedural move, was optioned to AAA Richmond Aug. 30; rejoined team Sept. 2......Made major league debut Aug. 22 at Rockies; 0 x 1 as PH...1st Major League hit was a pinch-hit homer Aug. 26 vs. Mets...Made first-career start at 1B Aug. 28 vs. NYM...Hit .250 in 94 games for R-Braves with 16 HR and 52 RBI...Used primarily at 1B, but moved to LF when Adam LaRoche was promoted from AA Greenville June 12...Had 3 2-HR games: April 22 at Columbus, July 27 at Toledo, and Aug. 1 at Columbus.

2002

Earned the Tommie Aaron Memorial Award as the most valuable Richmond Braves player and the Shirley Allday Award for being the most popular player in 2002...Second in the International League with 26 home runs, fourth with one home run every 18.62 at-bats and tied for fifth with 235 total bases...Belted a grand slam June 17 at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre...Posted a 10-game hitting streak June 29-July 11, batting .439 (18x41) with six runs scored, a double, four home runs and 10 RBI...Blasted a season-high two home runs July 28 at Buffalo...Selected as Richmond's Player of the Month for July -- hit .304 (31x102) with 12 runs scored, four doubles, eight home runs and 20 RBI in 27 games during the month.

2001

Established Greenville's (AA) of the Southern League single-season record with 26 home runs...Finished third in the SL in home runs, fourth with one home run every 18.38 at-bats and fifth in RBI.

1999

Tied for third in the Carolina League with 23 home runs and a .504 slugging percentage...Led the league with one home run every 15.87 at-bats.