MLB Player Profile: Torii Hunter
Torii Kedar Hunter, the right-handed baseball sensation plays for the Los Angeles Angels as outfielder in the right field. He has 14 years of experience to his credit and has dominated the ballpark throughout his career, be it on the plate or in the outfield.
Hunter made his Major League Baseball debut on August 22, 1997 and moved to the Angels in 2007 after spending 11 years with the Minnesota Twins. He refused a $45-million three-year deal from the Twins in 2007 to complete his move to the Angels for a five-year
contract worth $90-million.
Torii did not get a chance to play as an everyday player until 1999 when he featured in 135 games and scored 52 runs against 98 hits. Nine of his runs flew in as homers and Hunter gave a clear indication that slugging is his stronger area.
Hunter got off to a solid start in 2000 but faced a dip in form during May after performing exceptionally in April. He was subsequently sent to the Minor League to add consistency to his performances on the plate. Hunter altered his approach on the plate
which rightly paid off. He was named the Twins’ Minor League Player of the Week and Player of the Month after a 16-game hitting streak which included a two home-run and seven-RBI game too.
The Twins recalled him to the Majors in July and his persistency thereon led him being names the Best Defensive outfielder in American League by Baseball America.
Hunter did not let his form plunge after his stint with the Triple-A affiliate in 2000 and the next four seasons saw the best of Hunter. He produced some magical performances which enabled him to stamp his authority on the baseball circuit. From 2001 to
2004, Hunter did not score less than 79 runs in a single season and his hits did not go below 141 in a single season. In these four years, Hunter amassed 137 home-runs and his batting average remained above the .250 mark.
Torii has proved himself as a seasoned outfielder as well as an established hitter. He has won nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 2001 to 2009 and his ninth Gold Glove Award was accompanied with a Silver Slugger Award for his 22 home-runs and 90 RBIs
which came at an average of .299.
Along with the silverware, Hunter has won four call-ups to the All-Star roster in 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2010. Although he could not make an impact on the plate in these games, his fielding was declared the best through fan vote.
In his last season with the Twins in 2007, Hunter got off to one of the best starts of his career. His hitting-streak, starting mid-April and ending on May 10, lasted for 23 games which is an achievement to be reckoned. 2007 also saw Hunter smash three grand
slams. The first one came against Seattle Mariners on April 17 followed by Milwaukee Brewers on May 18 and then the last one against the Mariners again on August 15.
Torii rose in personal glory in 2009 when he was named Number 44 on Sporting News’ list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball. The voting was done by the members of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Apart from excellence in baseball, Hunter has displayed immense participation in charity work. He has taken an initiative to provide college scholarships to students apart from helping cancer patients and improving baseball fields. His work has been recognised
and he was presented with the Branch Rickey Award in 2009 for distinction in charity work.
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