Eric Scott Hinske...Married to Kathryn...has 2 daughters: Ava and Dylan...Attended the University of Arkansas...Is a 1995 graduate of Menasha (Wis.) High School...lettered in baseball, basketball and football...Signed by Brian Milner.
2012
Appeared in 91 games in his third season with Atlanta,
hitting .197 (26-for-132) with 2 home runs and 13 RBI...Played in 15 games at first base, 6 in left field and 4 in
right...was 8-for-57 (.140) with 1 home run and 4 RBI as
a pinch-hitter...Signed by Arizona as a free agent on Dec. 7.
2011
In his second season with the Braves, hit .233 (55-for-236) with 10 homers and 28 RBI...Appeared as a pinch-hitter in 64 games, batting .161 (9-for-56) with two home runs and six RBI...His 10 home runs ranked tied for the third most among National League batter with 240 at-bats or fewer...In just his second season as a Brave, is tied for fifth place in franchise history in pinch homers (five)...Collected his 500th career RBI on 7/30 vs. FLA...Played three defensive positions - left field (28 games), right field (15), and first base (12)...Hit .310 (9-for-29) with runners in scoring position and two outs...Went 8-for-23 (.348) in nine interleague games...Led off 7/9's 11th inning with a pinch-walk. Was replaced by pinch runner Wilkin Ramirez who came around
to score the go-ahead run in the 4-1 victory...His home run on 6/11 at HOU was his second in as many games marking the first time in 2011 he'd homered
in back-to-back games and first since 5/22-23/10...In 26 games in May, hit .308 (24-for-78) with four homers and 10 RBI...Hit .538 (7-for-13) with three home runs and seven RBI during a season-high six-game hitting streak, 5/4-11...Had the Club option on his contract for the 2012 season picked up on 10/31/11.
2010
In his first season as a Braves, hit .256 with 11 home runs and 51 RBI in 131 games...Made his fourth-career postseason appearance. Played in each of the four Division Series games, going
1-for-3 with one walk in four pinch-hit appearances...Made 69 starts, most coming in LF (50); also 1B (18) and DH (1)...Posted a .389 pinch-hit on-base percentage...Batted .313 (31-for-99) with four home runs and 25 RBI in the seventh inning or later...Tied for the team lead (with Brook Conrad) with three pinch-HRs: 5/23 at PIT, 7/17 vs. MIL and 9/28 vs. FLA...Tied for the major-league-lead (with teammate Brooks Conrad) with 12 pinch-RBI...Ranked third in the majors among pinch-hitters (minimum 45 at-bats) with a .298 average...Drilled his fifth-career pinch-home run in the 7th inning on 9/28 vs. FLA, a two-run shot, to give the Braves
a 3-1 lead...Batted .246 (64-for-260) against right-handed pitchers and .381 in 21 at-bats vs. left-handers...Signed a one-year contract for the 2011 season, with a Club option for 2012, on 12/2./10.
2009
Has appeared in each of the last three World Series, on the winning side in 2007 (BOS) and 2009 (NYY)...Hit a combined .242 (46-for-190) with eight home runs and 25 RBI between Pittsburgh and New York (AL)...Made his first National League appearance by hitting a pinch-hit double on 4/6 at STL...Hit .255 (27-for-106) with one home run and 11 RBI before his 6/29 trade to New York (AL)...On 7/11 at LAA, he recorded his first two-home run game since 7/24/06 at SEA.
2008
Attended spring training as a non-roster invitee with Tampa Bay...Was the club's Opening Day starter in
right field and remained with Rays for entire season...Made 47 starts in right field, 37 in left field, nine at first base and four at
third base...Also went 12-for-63 (.190) with two homers and seven RBI in 18 games as the designated hitter...Went 10-for-13 in stolen
base attempts - his most steals since 2004 (12) and swiped third base four
times...Homered on Opening Day at Baltimore on 3/31...Made first of four starts at
third base on 4/4 at New York (AL), his first start at the hot corner since
7/22/06...Homered in back-to-back games on 4/16-17...Fell a single shy of hitting for
the cycle on 4/22 vs. Toronto (game played at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex
in Orlando)...Hit sixth home run on 4/30 at Baltimore, matching his total from 2007,
and his seventh long ball on 5/6 at Toronto...Hit career homer #100 on 7/29; a solo
shot off Roy Halladay at Toronto...Became club's primary left fielder when Carl Crawford
was placed on the disabled list on 8/10...Started 32 of the 46 games in left field while
Crawford was sidelined, playing mostly against right-handed starters...Homered and stole
a base in his final regular season game on 9/28 at Detroit, giving him 20 home runs and 10 steals - just the fifth Tampa Bay
player to reach those levels in the same season (also B.J. Upton in 2007, Jose Cruz Jr. in 2004, Greg Vaughn in 2001 and Gerald
Williams in 2000)...Did not make an appearance in the A.L.D.S. vs. Chicago nor the A.L.C.S. vs. Boston...Was activated prior to Game
Four of the World Series (10/26) and homered off righty Joe Blanton as a pinch hitter in the 5th inning...Also struck out as a pinch
hitter in Game Five on 10/27.
2007
Hit .204 (38-186) with 6 home runs, 12 doubles, 3 triples, 21 RBI and 25 runs for the Red Sox...made his first trip to the postseason
in his first full year with the club...appeared in all three rounds of the playoffs during Boston's championship run...Twenty-one of his 38 hits fell for extra bases...the 3 triples matched a career high...13 of his 21 RBI came with two outs...appeared in a career-low 84 games, resulting in declines in most offensive categories...Drew 28 walks to contribute to a .317 on-base percentage...averaged one walk every 7.79 plate apps...Played 43 games (29 starts) at first base, 24 (10 starts) in left field and 12 (9 starts) in right field...did not commit an error in 36 games as an outfielder...also appeared in 14 games as a pinch-hitter, going 2-for-11 with a double, 3 walks and 2 runs...Went 4-for-5 with 3 walks and 6 runs scored over his first 4 games of the season...the hot start extended a hitting streak from 2006 to 13 games, during which he hit .500 (17-34)...had hit safely in his final 10 games in 2006 (from Sep. 14) and included 3 games in 2007...then fell into
a 5-for-53 (.094) slump in his next 21 games thru June 4, when his average bottomed
out at .155...raised his average 49 points after that to finish at .204...On May 17 vs. Detroit, made a run-saving diving catch to end the 5th inning and then clubbed a decisive 2-run homer in the 7th...Batted .257 (26-101) with 4 homers and 16 RBI in 42 games at Fenway Park, as opposed to a 141 (12-85) average, 2 homers,
and 5 RBI in 42 road games...owns a .291 (77-265) average with 9 HR and 38 RBI in 89 games at Fenway over the last five seasons (2003-07)...Made his postseason debut in Game 3 of the ALDS at LAA, pinch-hitting in the 9th for David Ortiz (struck out).
2006
Batted .271 combined for Boston and Toronto in 2006, his highest average since his 2002 AL Rookie of the Year campaign
(.279)...reached double-digit HR for the 5th time in his 5-year career...Between the Red Sox and Blue Jays, appeared in 40 games (35 starts) in right field, 16 (12 starts) at first base, 10
(5 starts) games at third base and 6 games (3 starts) in left field...marked his first ML encounter with the outfield, and did not commit an error in 59 total chances there...Was batting .264 with 12 homers and 29 RBI for Toronto at the time of his trade to Boston (Aug. 17)...hit .284 in July with 7 homers and 15 RBI in 22 games...swatted a pair of homers July 24 at Seattle, both off Joel Pineiro...Hit .288 (23-80) for the Red Sox with 8-2B, 1-HR, 5-RBI and 8-R in 31 games...made his Sox debut Aug. 18 in Game 1 of a doubleheader
vs. the Yankees, collecting 3 doubles in his first 3 AB...closed the season with a 10-game hitting streak (.448; 13-48)...hit his first HR for Boston in the season finale vs. Baltimore...Hit righties at a .293 (67-229) clip with 12 HR, against just .167 (8-48) with 1 HR against southpaws.
2005
Played in 147 games (100 as first baseman
& 47 as DH), batted .262 with 15 home runs and drove
in 68 RBI... Ranked 2nd among the Club in runs scored (79)
& doubles (31), 3rd in RBI (68)... Hit four of his 15 home runs
in April, while batting .289 (24-83) in 24 games... Batted
.239 prior to the All-Star Beak while posting a .294 batting
average following the break... A HOT MONTH: Had his best
month in August where he batted at a .348 (23-66) clip and
owned an on-base percentage of .413... Batted .400 (4-10)
with the bases loaded... On June 17 vs. MIL, combined with
F. Menechino to hit back-to-back home runs off D. Davis...
Hit in a season high nine straight games from July 17-27
(.333, 11-33)... TWICE THE FUN: On July 19 vs. SEA, enjoyed
his 5th career multi-homer game (all 2-HR)... It
marked the 1st time since Aug. 15, 2003 at OAK... IN A
PINCH: On Aug. 19 at DET, hit his 2nd career pinch-hit
home run (off Spurling)... It was his 1st pinch-hit homer
since Sept. 11, 2004 vs. TEX (off Almanzar)... A
MILESTONE: On Aug. 21 at DET, recorded his 500th career
hit on a single off S. Douglass in the 5th inning... IN THE
FIELD: Registered a .993 fielding percentage at first base in
100 games... Committed seven errors in 944 total chances.
2004
Appeared in a career high and a team
high 155 games (153 starts)... Batted .246 (.312 OBP) with
15 home runs and 69 RBI... Stole 12 bases, 3rd consecutive
season to steal more than 10 bases... Recorded at least one
hit in a team high 99 games... From Apr. 14 to Apr. 22 went a
career long 0-19... June 12 vs. ARI drove in a career high
five runs... Hit in a career high 16 straight games from June
28 through July 18 and batted .409 (27-66) with one home
run and seven RBI... Had hit best month of the season in July
hitting .317... Sept. 11 at TEX hit first career pinch-hit home
run... Prior to the All-Star break batted .274 with eight home
runs and 40 RBI... After the break hit .212 with seven home
runs and 29 RBI... Vs. LH pitchers posted a .268 average
with four home runs... Off RH pitchers batted .236 with 11
home runs... Away from SkyDome batted .263 with nine
home runs, while at home batted .226 with six home runs...
IN THE FIELD: Led AL third baseman in fielding percentage
with a .978 mark... Committed a career low eight errors
in 357 total chances... Committed just one error in his first 76
games, totaling 179 chances (126 assists)... Was 5th in the
AL among third baseman with 23 double plays turned.
2003
Batted .243 with 12 home runs and 63 RBI in 124 games ... Recorded a career high 45 doubles to rank 5th in the AL ... Battled injuries in the early part of the season and was on the 15-day disabled list from May 24-June 26 (broken bone, left hand) ... Was on a rehab stint, June 24-25 at Syracuse ... Prior to going on the DL was batting .232 with two home runs and 21 RBI in 44 games ... Batted .211 in both May and June and headed into the All-Star break batting .237 with six home runs and 32 RBI in 61 games ... After being activated from the DL batted .248 with 10 home runs and 42 RBI in 80 games ... In July drove in a season high 16 runs for the month ... From July 20-29 hit in a season high eight straight games, batting .321 during that span (9-28) ... Hit .237 with 10 home runs, 37 RBI and a .337 OBP vs. RHP ... Batted .256 with two home runs, 26 RBI and a .309 OBP vs. LHP ... Hit first career grand slam on July 4 at BAL, establishing new career high with four RBI ... Had two multi-homer games, has four career ... July 6 at BAL hit two home runs, including game tying solo home run in the 9th ... Hit two home runs on August 15 at OAK and had four RBI to tie career high ... Had two 4-hit games, tying career high ... Was 4-5 on Apr. 21 at BOS with three doubles and was 4-4 on July 6 at BAL with two home runs and two doubles ... Has five career 4-hit games ... Led the Blue Jays with 12 stolen bases against two caught stealing ... Made 22 errors, which tied a franchise record by a third baseman ... Was previously done by Roy Howell in 1978 and matched by Kelly Gruber in 1989.
Doubles Galore: The 45 doubles also marked the highest percentage of doubles, minimum 100 hits, in the modern era (41%) ... The highest percentage of doubles belongs to Ned Williamson with the Chicago Cubs in 1883 at 44% (111 hits, 49 doubles) ... Hit 27 doubles off RHP, 18 vs. LHP ... Had 24 doubles at the All-Star break, and 21 after the break.
Career Notes: In 2002 became the second Blue Jay to receive the BBWAA American League Rookie of the Year Award (Griffin, 1979) ... Holds Blue Jays rookie records for runs (99), doubles (38), home runs (24), RBI (84), extra-base hits (64), total bases (272) and walks (77).
2002
Was named AL Rookie of the Year by
the BBWAA ... Is the second Blue Jay to receive the award
(Alfredo Griffin-1979 co-winner with John Castino of Minnesota)...
Was also named "AL Rookie of the Year" by the
Players Association and The Sporting News ... Was named
to the TOPPS ML "Rookie All-Star Team" ... Set club rookie
records for runs (99), doubles (38), home runs (24), RBI
(84), total bases (272), extra-base hits (64), walks (77)...
Led ML rookies in home runs, RBI, multi-hit games (48),
runs, hits (158), total bases, doubles ... Was first among AL
rookies and second among ML rookies in walks (77) ... Was
tied for first among AL rookies in stolen bases (13) and was
second in batting (.279), on base percentage (.365) and
slugging (.481) ... 24 home runs by an AL rookie were the
most since Nomar Garciaparra hit 30 in 1997 ... Tied Shannon
Stewart for 10th in the AL with 38 doubles and was tied
for eighth in the AL with a .500 average (8-16) with the bases
loaded ... Made ML debut on opening day, April 1 at BOS
and picked up first ML hit and RBI with two-run single off
Pedro Martinez ... Set career high with three RBI on opening
day, first of six times to drive in three runs in a game ... April 4
vs. MIN collected first extra-base hits with three consecutive
doubles ... April 20 at NYY hit first ML home run off Ramiro
Mendoza in the 10th inning to give the Blue Jays a 5-4 win...
April 25 at TEX stole his first career base (2nd) ... Hit in a career
high 10 straight games from April 17-28 (.350, 14-40)...
The 10 game hit streak was the third longest streak by an AL
rookie during the season ... May 15 vs. SEA hit first home run
off a lefthander (Jamie Moyer) ... In May hit amonthly season
high of seven home runs ... June 4 vs. TB recorded first
multi-homer game with two solo home runs off Paul Wilson...
June 6 drove in winning run in the bottom of the 10th with
pinch hit single off Travis Harper ... June 29 vs. MON hit walk
off home run in the 10th inning with solo home run off Matt
Herges ... Finished June on a nine game hit streak (.429,
15-35) ... Was named AL Rookie of the Month in June after
batting .338 (27-80) with six home runs and 15 RBI ... Began
the month of July, 4 for his first 34 before collecting a career
high four hits on July 13 vs. BOS ... July 14 vs. BOS recorded
his second career multi homer game with a solo home run
off Tim Wakefield and a walk off two run home run off Ugeth
Urbina ... Was his second career walk off home run ... Aug.
17 at TEX walked for the 61st time, passing Fred McGriff's
club rookie record of 60 set in 1987 ... Aug. 23 at BAL drove
in two runs and passed Doug Ault's club rookie record of 64
set in 1977 ... Aug. 24 in game two of split DH at BAL hit a
double for his 51st extra base hits on the season, passing
Shawn Green's club rookie mark of 50 set in 1995 ... Sept. 9
at BOS hit 32nd double to set new club rookie record, passing
Shawn Green's rookie mark of 31 in 1995 ... Sept. 11 at
CLE hit 21st home run to set new club rookie mark, passing
club rookie record of 20 set by Fred McGriff in 1987 ... Committed
four errors in the second half of the season in 70
games played, committed 16 in the first half in 81 games...
20 errors were two short of the club record by 3B (22,
Gruber-89, Howell-78) ... Prior to the All-Star break hit .273
with 14 home runs and 46 RBI ... Batted .286 with 10 home
runs and 38 RBI after the All-Star break in 70 games ... With
RISP hit .308 ... Was 2 for 9 as a pinch hitter with one RBI...
Batted .202 (25-124) with four home runs and 17 RBI vs.
left-handers ... Batted .301 (133-442) with 20 home runs and
67 RBI vs. right-handers ... At home batted .304 with 15
home runs and 44 RBI in 73 games ... On the road hit .255
with nine home runs and 40 RBI ... Ranked ninth among AL
third baseman with a .947 fielding percentage
(20E/368TC) ... Was selected to take part in the MLB All-Star
Tour of Japan in November.
2001
Hit .282 in 121 games for Sacramento of the Pacific Coast League...Hit a team high 25 home runs while collecting 27 doubles, 79 RBI and 20 stolen bases...Recorded 54 walks and posted a .373 on-base percentage...Hit .302 on the road with 15 home runs and 51 RBI while at home hit .260 with ten home runs and 28 RBI...Opened the season hitting .250 in April with three home runs and 12 RBI...On April 18 at Calgary posted the first of four two-homer games while going 4-5 with five RBI...In May hit .344 with five home runs...Hit two home runs on May 21 at Fresno, July 16 at Omaha and July 26 vs. Memphis...Posted a season high 11 game hit streak from August 2 to 12...In August hit .313 with nine doubles, eight home runs and 31 RBI...On August 12 at Las Vegas was 3-5 with four RBI after hitting a grand slam...Would hit his second slam of the season on August 25 in the second game of a doubleheader vs Calgary...Hit 22 of the 25 home runs against right-handed pitchers and posted a .283 average...Against left-handed pitchers hit .280 with three home runs...In the PCL play-offs hit .318 in five games with a home run and three RBI...In 36 games for Phoenix of the Arizona Fall League hit .300 with eight home runs and 28 RBI...Joined Hermosillo in the Mexican Winter League where he played in eight games and hit .385 with three home runs and seven RBI.
2000
Hit .259 for West Tenn in 121 games...Led the Southern League (AA)
in triples (9), was second in walks (78), fourth in home runs (20),
and fifth in slugging percentage (.486) and home run to at bat ratio
(1/21.80)...Played in 115 games at third base, six at first base and
six in the outfield...From July 3 to 12 was 12-32 in eight games
with six home runs with 16 RBI and 11 runs scored...Finished July
hitting .271 in 26 games with ten home runs and 25 RBI...Had
consecutive two home runs games on July 26 & 27, was 4-8 with two
home runs and six RBI...Following the season joined the Mesa Solar
Sox of the Arizona Fall League.
1999
Hit .297 for Daytona of the Florida State League (A) with 28
doubles, six triples, 19 home runs and 79 RBI...Was fifth in the
league in extra base hits (53) and total bases (229)...Was selected
to both the mid-season and post-season All-Star teams...Played 60
games at third base, 57 at first base and six in the outfield...Hit
.365 in May with five home runs and 21 RBI...On May 3 was 5-5 with
against Kissimmee...Hit for the cycle on July 24 versus Fort Myers,
was 4-6 with two RBI...Joined Iowa of the Pacific Coast League (AAA)
on September for four games.
1998
Was a New York-Penn League All-Star in his first professional
campaign...Hit .298 for Williamsport in 68 games with 20 doubles,
nine home runs and 57 RBI...Was second in the league in RBI, fifth
in extra-base hits (29) and home runs...Collected six hits including
four doubles on June 23 against Auburn...Joined Rockford of the
Midwest League (A) for six games and hit .450 with a home run and
four RBI.