Hunter Pence facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hunter Pence |
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Pence with the Giants in 2015
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| Right fielder | |||
| Born: April 13, 1983 Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
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| 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 | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Hunter Andrew Pence (born April 13, 1983) is a former American professional baseball player. He was known as "The Reverend" and played as a right fielder and designated hitter. Hunter Pence played for several teams in Major League Baseball (MLB). These teams included the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, and Texas Rangers. The Astros picked him in the second round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft. Pence started playing in the major leagues in 2007. He was chosen for the All-Star Game four times. He also helped the Giants win the World Series in 2012 and the World Series in 2014.
Contents
- Early Life and College Baseball
- Starting His Professional Career
- Life After Baseball
- Awards and Honors
- Images for kids
- See also
Early Life and College Baseball
Hunter Pence went to Arlington High School in Arlington, Texas. He played outfield for three years. In his senior year, he switched to playing shortstop.
After high school, he attended Texarkana College for one year. He played as a designated hitter on their baseball team.
Later, he transferred to the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). There, he returned to playing in the outfield for the UT Arlington Mavericks. In 2003, he hit very well, with a .347 batting average. He was named a first-team all-conference outfielder. Even though he missed many games in 2004 due to an injury, he was still named the Southland Conference Player of the Year. He led the league with a .395 batting average. Pence still holds a conference record for hitting 5 doubles in one series.
Starting His Professional Career
Drafts and Minor Leagues
The Milwaukee Brewers first drafted Pence in 2002. However, he decided not to sign with them. In the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft, the Houston Astros drafted him. He was the 64th player chosen overall.
He played his first professional season in 2004 with the Tri-City ValleyCats. In 2006, he played for the Corpus Christi Hooks. He hit 28 home runs and had 95 RBIs. He also stole 17 bases. Baseball America named him to their Minor League All-Star Team in 2006. Pence started the 2007 season playing for the AAA Round Rock Express.
Playing for the Houston Astros (2007–2011)
2007 Season
Hunter Pence made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on April 28, 2007. He played center fielder for the Houston Astros against the Milwaukee Brewers. He got his first major league hit and scored his first run in that game. On May 5, Pence hit his first major league grand slam against the St. Louis Cardinals.
On July 3, he hit a dramatic walk-off home run against the Philadelphia Phillies. This helped the Astros win 5–4 in the 13th inning. Pence was named National League co-Player of the Week in May. This was because he played very well, hitting 2 home runs and getting 5 RBIs.
Pence missed about a month of games due to a small bone fracture in his right wrist. Even with this injury, he was still one of the top rookies in the National League. He led NL rookies in triples (9). He was also second in batting average (.322) and on-base percentage (.360).
He was chosen for the 2007 Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team. Many managers voted for him.
2008 to 2011 Seasons
After a trade, Pence moved to right field for the Astros. In 2008, he hit 25 home runs and had 83 RBIs. He also had 25 doubles and 160 hits. Pence led the league in outfield assists with 16. He made only 1 error, showing he was a great fielder.
In 2009, Pence was chosen for the All-Star Game for the first time.
In 2010, he batted .282 with 25 home runs and 91 RBIs. He played in 156 games that season. He was named National League Player of the Week for a second time in September 2010.
Pence was named a 2011 All-Star as a reserve player. This was his second time making the All-Star team. He played well in the game, even throwing out a runner from the outfield. At the All-Star break, he was batting .321 with 10 home runs and 59 RBIs.
Playing for the Philadelphia Phillies (2011–2012)
2011 Season
On July 29, 2011, the Houston Astros traded Hunter Pence to the Philadelphia Phillies. In return, the Astros received four minor league players. Pence hit his first home run as a Phillie on August 4.
Pence finished the season with a .314 batting average, which was fourth best in the National League. He also had 97 RBIs, ranking eighth. He made it to the playoffs for the first time in his career. However, the Phillies lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2011 National League Division Series.
Playing for the San Francisco Giants (2012–2018)
2012 Season
On July 31, 2012, the Phillies traded Pence to the San Francisco Giants. The Phillies received three players in return. On August 12, Pence hit his first home run as a Giant.
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Before Game 3 of the 2012 NLDS, the Giants were losing 2–0. Pence gave a very inspiring speech to his teammates. The Giants then won three straight games to advance. His speeches were said to have helped the team rally and win the 2012 World Series.
2013 Season
On July 13, 2013, Pence had a great game, getting five RBIs. He also made an amazing diving catch to save Tim Lincecum's no-hitter. On August 27, Pence hit what was then the longest home run of the season. The ball traveled an estimated 476 feet.
Pence was named NL Player of the Month for September. He hit .293 with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs. On September 10, he became the seventh Giants player to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in the same season. On September 14, Pence hit his first career grand slam as a Giant. He also had a career-high 7 RBIs in that game. This helped the Giants win 19–3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Pence won the Willie Mac Award on September 27. The next day, he signed a new 5-year contract with the Giants. Pence played in all 162 games during the 2013 season. He was the first Giants player to do this since 1954. For the season, he batted .283 with 27 home runs and 99 RBIs. He also stole 22 bases.
2014 Season
On July 6, 2014, Pence was chosen for his third All-Star Game. Near the end of the season, his streak of consecutive starts ended at 331 games. However, he still played as a pinch-hitter to keep his games-played streak going.
In Game 4 of the 2014 NLDS, Pence made an amazing leaping catch. This play helped the Giants keep their lead and win the game.
In Game 4 of the 2014 World Series, Pence played very well. He had 3 hits, scored two runs, and got three RBIs. He also made a great sliding catch.
His strong performance helped the Giants win their third World Series title in five years. The Giants beat the Royals 3–2 in Game 7. Pence batted .444 in the series with 5 RBIs and 7 runs scored. He had at least one hit in every game of the 7-game series.
2015 Season
On March 5, 2015, Pence broke his left forearm after being hit by a pitch. He started the regular season on the disabled list. This ended his streak of 383 consecutive games played. Pence returned to play on May 16. He batted .282 with two home runs before going back on the disabled list on June 11. This time, it was for tendinitis in his left wrist.
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Pence returned on July 7 and helped the Giants win. On July 10, he hit a grand slam against his former team, the Philadelphia Phillies. Pence went back on the disabled list on August 20 with a left oblique strain. He missed the rest of the season.
2016 to 2018 Seasons
Pence was named National League Player of the Week for the fourth time in his career in April 2016. On May 14, he hit his 200th career home run. On June 1, Pence tore a hamstring tendon in his right leg. He was expected to miss at least eight weeks. In September, Pence scored four runs in two games in a row. This was a rare achievement for a Giants player. In 2016, he batted .289 with 13 home runs.
On May 15, 2017, Pence was placed on the disabled list again due to a left hamstring issue. In 2017, he batted .260 with 13 home runs.
On April 3, 2018, Pence sprained his thumb while diving for a ball. He was placed on the disabled list. In 2018, he batted .226 with 4 home runs.
On September 30, 2018, the Giants honored Pence at AT&T Park. His manager, Bruce Bochy, gave a speech, and then Pence spoke to the crowd.
Playing for the Texas Rangers (2019)
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On February 7, 2019, Pence signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers. He made the Opening Day roster on March 21. Pence was voted as the starting designated hitter for the American League in the 2019 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Pence had a great 2019 season. He batted .297 with 18 home runs and 59 RBIs in 83 games. He was given the American League's "Comeback Player of the Year" award.
Return to the Giants (2020)
On February 7, 2020, Pence signed a one-year contract to return to the Giants. He started the season hitting .096 with 2 home runs. On August 23, 2020, the Giants decided to release him from the team.
On September 26, 2020, Hunter Pence officially announced that he was retiring from professional baseball. The next day, he celebrated his retirement with his wife and friends on a boat in McCovey Cove.
Life After Baseball
Broadcasting Career
On July 18, 2021, Hunter Pence started a new role. He became a Giants color analyst for NBC Sports Bay Area. This means he helps explain the game during broadcasts.
In March 2022, Pence also joined MLB Network as an analyst. He shares his baseball knowledge with viewers there.
Personal Life
In 2013, Pence was diagnosed with Scheuermann's disease. This is a spinal disorder that usually develops in younger people. It was discovered during a physical exam before he signed a big contract with the Giants.
On December 3, 2015, Pence announced he was engaged to Alexis Cozombolidis. They got married on November 26, 2016. They live in San Francisco.
Pence appeared as himself in an episode of the TV show Fuller House in 2016. He also appeared as a guest on an episode of Bill Nye Saves the World in 2017.
Pence helps lead Big League Impact in San Francisco. This is a charity network started by baseball player Adam Wainwright. In 2015, the organization raised over $1 million for different charities.
Pence also enjoys playing video games and streaming on Twitch. He plays the card game MTG.
Awards and Honors
- 2003 – Summer League First-Team All-American DH
- 2003 – Southland Conference All-Star OF
- 2004 – Southland Conference Player of the Year
- 2004 – Southland Conference All-Star OF
- 2004 – Southland Conference Hitter of the Year
- 2005 – Low A All-Star OF
- 2005 – Houston Astros Minor League Player of the Year
- 2005 – South Atlantic League All-Star OF
- 2005 – South Atlantic League Most Outstanding Prospect
- 2006 – All-Star Futures Game selection
- 2006 – Baseball America Minor League All-Star
- 2006 – Arizona Fall League All-Prospect Team
- 2007 – National League Player of the Week (May 14–20, 2007)
- 2007 – National League Rookie of the Month (May)
- 2009 – National League All-Star
- 2010 – National League Player of the Week (August 29 – September 5, 2010)
- 2011 – National League All-Star
- 2012 – World Series Champion
- 2013 – National League Player of the Week (September 9–15, 2013)
- 2013 – National League Player of the Month (September)
- 2013 – Willie Mac Award
- 2014 – National League All-Star
- 2014 – World Series Champion
- 2016 – National League Player of the Week (April 25 – May 1, 2016)
- 2019 – American League All-Star
- 2022 – San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame
Images for kids
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Pence with the Giants in 2015
See also
In Spanish: Hunter Pence para niños
