Torii Hunter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Torii Hunter |
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Hunter with the Minnesota Twins in 2006
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: July 18, 1975 Pine Bluff, Arkansas, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 22, 1997, for the Minnesota Twins | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 3, 2015, for the Minnesota Twins | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .277 | ||
| Hits | 2,452 | ||
| Home runs | 353 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,391 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Torii Kedar Hunter (born July 18, 1975) is a former professional baseball player from the United States. He was known for playing as a center fielder and right fielder. Hunter played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and Detroit Tigers from 1997 to 2015.
Hunter was a five-time All-Star. He also won nine Gold Glove Awards in a row for his amazing defense. Plus, he won the Silver Slugger Award twice for his hitting. After retiring, Hunter became a Special Assistant for the Los Angeles Angels general manager.
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Early Life and High School
Torii Hunter grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He lived in a downtown neighborhood with his three brothers. Hunter started playing baseball when he was eight years old. A few years later, he also started playing football. He was very good at both sports.
At Pine Bluff High School, Hunter was a star in baseball, football, basketball, and track. He earned All-State honors in baseball during his junior and senior years. His coach once said Hunter hit a home run that went about 550 feet (170 m)! In 1992, Hunter joined the U.S. Junior Olympic team. He even wrote a letter to the governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton, to ask for help with the team fee, and Clinton helped him. Hunter could have played baseball at The University of Arkansas, but he chose to play professionally instead.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting with the Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins picked Torii Hunter as the 20th player in the 1993 draft. He made his first MLB appearance for the Twins on August 22, 1997. He was a pinch runner in a game in Baltimore.
Hunter started playing regularly for the Twins in 1999. He played in 135 games and made only one error in the outfield. In 2000, Hunter had some ups and downs. He was sent to a minor league team to improve his hitting. When he came back, he played very well. He even hit two home runs and had seven RBI in one game! Baseball America magazine named him the Best Defensive Outfielder and Most Exciting Player in the Pacific Coast League that year.
In 2001, Hunter was a leader for the Twins. He led the team in at bats, home runs, and outfield assists. This helped the Twins have their first winning season since 1992. Hunter also won his first Gold Glove Award for his excellent defense.
Becoming an All-Star
The year 2002 was a huge year for Torii Hunter. He played so well that he was considered for the MVP award. Fans voted him to his first All-Star Game in Milwaukee. He was the first Twins player since Kirby Puckett to start an All-Star game in center field.
One of his most famous plays happened in that All-Star game. He made an amazing jump and caught a ball hit by Barry Bonds right over the outfield wall! This incredible catch was later named the Best Defensive Play of the Year by fans.
Hunter and his team, the Twins, won the American League Central Division title in 2002. They made it to the ALCS but lost to the Anaheim Angels. Even though they lost, it was a great season for Hunter. He led the team in home runs, RBIs, and stolen bases. He won the team's Most Valuable Twin award and his second Gold Glove.
In 2003, Hunter continued to play great defense and won his third straight Gold Glove. He missed much of the 2005 season because of an ankle injury he got while trying to catch a ball over the wall. Even with the injury, he still won his fifth Gold Glove that year. In 2006, he hit a career-high 31 home runs, helping the Twins win another division title.
Playing for the Angels
In 2008, Torii Hunter signed a five-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He became their everyday center fielder. In 2009, he was named one of the top 50 players in baseball by Sporting News.
On June 13, 2009, Hunter hit three home runs in one game for the first time in his career. He was chosen for the 2009 All-Star Game again, but he couldn't play because of a shoulder injury. He had hurt his shoulder crashing into the outfield wall.
Hunter had a great 2009 season, hitting .299 with 22 home runs and 90 RBIs. After the season, he won his ninth Gold Glove award in a row and a Silver Slugger Award.
Time with the Detroit Tigers
In 2012, Torii Hunter signed a two-year deal with the Detroit Tigers. He played right field for them. On June 16, 2013, Hunter hit his 300th career home run against his old team, the Minnesota Twins. This was a big milestone!
He was also voted as an All-Star reserve outfielder for the 2013 All-Star Game, making it his fifth All-Star selection. Hunter finished the 2013 season with a .304 batting average, 17 home runs, and 84 RBIs.
Back with the Twins and Retirement
In 2014, Hunter returned to the Minnesota Twins for one more season. He played his final season in 2015, hitting 22 home runs and driving in 81 runs. On October 26, 2015, Torii Hunter announced that he was retiring from baseball after a long and successful career.
Career Highlights and Statistics
Torii Hunter had an amazing career spanning 19 seasons. He played in 2372 games. His career batting average was .277. He collected 2452 hits, including 498 doubles and 353 home runs. He also had 1391 RBI and 195 stolen bases.
Hunter was known for his incredible defense. He finished his career with a .990 fielding percentage, which is very high for an outfielder. He won nine Gold Glove Awards in a row, showing how consistently great he was in the outfield. He was also selected to the All-Star Game five times.
On May 30, 2011, Hunter got his 1,000th RBI with a two-run home run. This was a special moment, as he was only the 268th player in MLB history to reach 1,000 RBIs. On June 16, 2013, he hit his 300th career home run.
Giving Back to the Community
Torii Hunter is very involved in charity work. He created the "Torii Hunter Project Education Initiative." This program gives college scholarships to students in California, Arkansas, Nevada, and Minnesota. He also works with Major League Baseball to help improve baseball fields in cities.
Hunter supports organizations like Big Brothers and the Prostate Cancer Foundation. In 2008, he helped fund the building of a youth softball field in Placentia, California. Because of all his charity work, Hunter received the Branch Rickey Award in 2009. This award recognizes athletes who do excellent work for charity.
Personal Life
Torii Hunter lives in Prosper, Texas, during the off-season with his wife, Katrina. They met in high school. He is a cousin of former MLB outfielder Choo Freeman.
Hunter has two sons who also play sports. His older son, Torii Jr., played football and baseball at Notre Dame. He now plays professional baseball for the Angels organization. His younger son, Monshadrik Hunter, plays professional football in the Canadian Football League.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
