| Hunter Pence | |
|---|---|
| Right fielder | |
| Born: April 13, 1983 Fort Worth, Texas | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 28, 2007, for the Houston Astros | |
| Last appearance | |
| August 21, 2020, for the San Francisco Giants | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .279 |
| Home runs | 244 |
| Runs batted in | 942 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Hunter Andrew Pence (born April 13, 1983) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. Between 2007 and 2020, he spent 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), playing for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, and Texas Rangers. A four-time All-Star, Pence won the World Series with the Giants in 2012 and 2014.
Early life edit
Hunter Andrew Pence was born April 13, 1983, in Fort Worth, Texas.[1] His father Howard worked as a consultant in the oil industry, and the family's economic state constantly fluctuated.[2] Pence's older siblings played baseball and tumbling, and he followed them into both sports.[3]
College career edit
After graduating high school, Pence took the only college baseball athletic scholarship he was offered, at Texarkana College.[4]
Professional career edit
Draft and minor leagues edit
The Houston Astros selected Pence in the second round, 64th overall, of the 2004 MLB draft. He was the Astros' first selection that year, as they lost their first-round draft pick to the New York Yankees by signing Andy Pettitte in free agency.[5] He joined the organization on a reported $575,000 signing bonus and reported to the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York–Penn League.[6] There, he batted .296 with eight home runs and 37 RBI, while his .518 slugging percentage was second in the league. Pence also excelled defensively, receiving ValleyCats Defensive Player of the Month honors in August.[7]
Pence opened the 2005 season with the Single-A Lexington Legends of the South Atlantic League, although he missed the first three games of the season with the remainder of a suspension for a benches-clearing brawl the previous year.[8]
- 2005 Lexington Legends
- 2005 Salem Avalanche
- 2006 Corpus Christi Hooks
- 2006 Mesa Solar Sox
- 2007 Round Rock Express
Houston Astros (2007–2011) edit
.jpg)
- 2007
- 2008
- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
Philadelphia Phillies (2011–2012) edit
.jpg)
- 2011 (NLDS)
- 2012
San Francisco Giants (2012–2018) edit
On July 31, 2012, the Phillies traded Pence to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Nate Schierholtz, Tommy Joseph, and Seth Rosin.[9] While the Giants had a strong pitching staff, they struggled with generating offense and hoped that Pence would assist, particularly with runners in scoring position.[10]
- 2012 (NLDS, NLCS, WS)
- 2013
At the end of the season, Pence received the 2013 Willie Mac Award, given to the "most inspirational player" on the Giants, as voted upon by players, coaches, training staff, and fans.[11]
- 2014 (NLDS, NLCS, WS)
- 2015
- 2016 (WC, NLDS)
- 2017
- 2018
Texas Rangers (2019) edit
After leaving the Giants, Pence spent the 2018–19 offseason reworking his swing with a private hitting instructor Doug Latta. He also played in the Dominican Winter League with the Toros del Este, batting .276 in 31 plate appearances.[12] That February, he signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers.[13]
- 2019
Second stint with the Giants (2020) edit
On February 7, 2020, Pence returned to the Giants on a one-year, $3 million contract, with up to $2.25 million in additional bonuses.[14]
- 2020
Retirement edit
Post-playing career edit
Personal life edit
Career highlights edit
Honors edit
In 2022, the Giants added Pence to their Wall of Fame, a series of plaques honoring retired players' impact on the team.[15] Pence's plaque unveiling was the first to take place on the field at Oracle Park rather than at the wall on King Street.[16]
Awards edit
| Name of award | Time(s) | Date(s) | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-Star † | 4 | 2009, 2011, 2014, 2019 | TKx4 | |
| MLB Players Choice Comeback Player † | 1 | 2019 | TK | |
| Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award † | 1 | 2019 | TK | |
| Willie Mac Award | 1 | 2013 | [11] | |
| World Series champion | 2 | 2012, 2014 | TKx2 | |
| Notes: Per Baseball-Reference.com and listed references. †—Awarded for play in the National League from 2007–2018, and 2020; and for play in the American League, in 2019. | ||||
Statistical highlights edit
| Category | Times | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Batting | ||
| At bats | 1 | 2014 |
| Games played | 2 | 2013, 2014 |
| Fielding as outfielder | ||
| Assists | 2 | 2008, 2009 |
| Errors committed | 1 | 2012 |
| Notes: Per Baseball-Reference.com.[17] Bold —Led both leagues. | ||
See also edit
Notes edit
References edit
- ^ "Hunter Pence Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Frank (August 21, 2011). "Hunter Pence's road to the majors". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ Crouse, Karen (October 23, 2012). "Pence Has the Giants Along for the Ride". The New York Times. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ Weaver, Levi (July 11, 2019). "Coffee, Magic and the ineffable joy of Hunter Pence". The Athletic. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ^ "Astros use their first choice selecting UTA outfielder". Longview News-Journal. June 8, 2004. p. 1D. Retrieved October 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Pudge peeved over first-inning ejection". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. July 8, 2004. p. 4D. Retrieved October 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Where Are They Now: Hunter Pence". MiLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. March 3, 2009. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- ^ Maloney, Mark (April 7, 2005). "Coming up: Delmarva Shorebirds at Lexington Legends". Lexington Herald-Leader. p. D7. Retrieved October 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Giants trade for Hunter Pence". ESPN. July 31, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ Haft, Chris (July 31, 2012). "Giants add Pence, send three to Phillies". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ a b "Hunter Pence named 2013 "Willie Mac" Award winner". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. September 27, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
- ^ Tayler, Jon (April 4, 2019). "Saved by a New Swing, Hunter Pence Is Savoring His Time With the Rangers". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- ^ "Former Astros slugger Hunter Pence signs with Rangers". Houston Chronicle. Associated Press. February 7, 2019. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- ^ "Giants sign outfielder Hunter Pence to a one-year contract for 2020". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. February 7, 2020. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- ^ Guardado, Maria (September 17, 2022). "Joyful Pence added to Giants Wall of Fame". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
- ^ Shea, John (August 8, 2022). "Hunter Pence to be honored on Giants' Wall of Fame". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
majorswas invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Further reading edit
External links edit
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Hunter Pence on Twitter