Torii Hunter, Retired


Date of Birth: 7/18/1975
Birthplace: Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Nickname: Spider-Man

Torii Hunter was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1993, but he didn't play full-time until 1999. Although the Twins called him up in 1997 and 1998, he played in just one game with them the first year and only six games with them the following season.

In his rookie year of 1999, Hunter batted .255 and had 98 hits, 17 doubles, 9 home runs, and 10 stolen bases in 135 games. He spent part of the 2000 season in the minors, playing with the Twins in 99 games. Hunter stayed with the Twins through the 2007 season but when he became a free agent, he signed with the Los Angeles Angels, agreeing to a five-year, $90 million contract. In November, 2012, Hunter signed a two-year, $26 million contract with the Detroit Tigers.

Known as an excellent fielder, Hunter has won nine Gold Glove awards (2001-2009). In 2009 and 2013, Hunter won Silver Slugger awards for his strong batting abilities. In 2013, he batted .304 with a career high of 184 hits, 37 doubles, 17 home runs, and 84 RBIs in 144 games. He finished the 2014 season with 157 hits, 33 doubles, 17 home runs, 83 RBIs, and a .286 batting average in 142 games. In the postseason, he had 2 hits in 10 at-bats in 3 games.

On December 2, 2014, Hunter agreed to return to his first team, signing a $10.5 million contract with the Twins for the 2015 season. He finished the season with 125 hits, 22 doubles, 22 home runs, 81 RBIs, and a .240 batting average in 139 games. As a right fielder, he made 231 putouts and 5 errors in 123 games.

Hunter officially announced his retirement from major league baseball on November 5, 2015. He was hired by the Minnesota Twins as a special assistant to baseball operations on November 28, 2016.

Statistics for Hunter in 17 seasons (1999-2015) in the major leagues include:

  • 9 seasons with over 150 hits, with a high of 184 in 2013
  • 9 seasons with over 30 doubles, with a high of 45 in 2007
  • 11 seasons with over 20 home runs, with a high of 31 in 2006
  • 3 seasons with over 20 stolen bases, with a high of 23 in 2002 and 2005

Career batting statistics for Hunter through 2015 include:

  • 2,372 games played
  • 2,452 hits
  • 498 doubles
  • 353 home runs
  • 195 stolen bases
  • 1,391 RBIs
  • 1,741 strikeouts to 661 walks
  • .277 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Hunter as a center fielder through 2015 include:

  • 1,523 games played
  • 3,951 putouts
  • 30 errors
  • .993 fielding percentage

Career fielding statistics for Hunter as a right fielder through 2015 include:

  • 724 games played
  • 1,293 putouts
  • 22 errors
  • .984 fielding percentage

Charitable Work

Hunter established the Torii Hunter Project Education Initiative to aid youth and to provide college scholarships. Information is available at toriihunterproject.com.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Torii Hunter
ESPN Sports - Torii Hunter