Don Hopkins (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Don Hopkins |
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| Pinch runner / Designated hitter / Outfielder | |||
| Born: January 9, 1952 West Point, Mississippi |
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| debut | |||
| April 8, 1975, for the Oakland Athletics | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 3, 1976, for the Oakland Athletics | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Games played | 85 | ||
| Runs scored | 25 | ||
| Stolen bases | 21 | ||
| Hits | 1 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Donald Hopkins was born on January 9, 1952. He is an American baseball player who used to play professionally. Even though he played as an outfielder in the minor leagues, he was mostly a special player called a pinch runner for the Oakland Athletics team in 1975. This team won the American League West Division that year. Don Hopkins was 6 feet tall and weighed 170 pounds. He batted with his left hand and threw with his right hand.
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Early Life and Baseball Start
Don Hopkins was born in West Point, Mississippi. He went to Benton Harbor High School in Benton Harbor, Michigan. There, he played baseball with another player named Dave Machemer.
In 1970, the Montreal Expos team signed him to play baseball. He was a very fast runner. In his minor league career, he stole more than 40 bases four different times.
Joining the Oakland Athletics
Just before the 1975 baseball season, the Oakland Athletics got Don Hopkins from the Montreal Expos. The owner of the Athletics, Charlie Finley, had a special idea. He wanted to create a "designated runner" in baseball. This was similar to the "designated hitter" rule that started in the American League in 1973.
Finley liked to have very fast players on his team. These players would specialize in pinch running. Don Hopkins was perfect for this role in the 1975 season.
Don Hopkins' Role as a Pinch Runner
In 1975, Don Hopkins played in 82 games. He mostly came into the game to pinch-run for Billy Williams. Billy Williams was a famous player who was the team's designated hitter.
Don Hopkins was very good at his job. He stole 21 bases and scored 25 runs for the team. Even though he played in many games, he only had eight chances to bat. He got two walks, which means he got to go to first base without hitting the ball.
He also got one hit in his career. It was a single hit off Fernando Arroyo of the Detroit Tigers. This happened on July 22, 1975, in a game where Oakland won by a lot, 16–4.
Later Career
In 1976, Don Hopkins spent most of his time playing in the minor leagues. However, he did play in three more games for the Oakland Athletics in September 1976. He was a pinch runner in these games too.
Don Hopkins stopped playing baseball after the 1977 minor league season.
