Torii Hunter

Torii Kedar Hunter (born July 18, 1975) is an American former professional baseball center fielder and right fielder.

In 1992, Hunter made the U.S. Junior Olympic team, and when he struggled to pay the $500 fee for the team, Hunter wrote then-governor of Arkansas Bill Clinton a letter asking for help, which Clinton accepted.

Hunter had the option of attending The University of Arkansas to play baseball, but opted to play professional baseball instead.

The Twins selected Hunter with the 20th overall pick in the 1993 draft using a compensation pick from the Cincinnati Reds for signing John Smiley.

He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and Detroit Tigers from 1997 through 2015.

Hunter was a five-time All-Star, won nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards as a center fielder, and was a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner.

Born and raised in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Hunter attended Pine Bluff High School.

Hunter, along with his three brothers, lived in a downtown

and fairly impoverished neighborhood just off Main Street.

Hunter began playing baseball at the age of eight and football a few years later, excelling as both a quarterback and a free safety.

At Pine Bluff High, Hunter excelled in baseball, football, basketball, and track.

Early on in high school, Hunter was a stand-out in sports other than baseball, but would receive All-State honors for his junior and senior seasons.

According to the head coach of the team, Hunter once hit a ball 550 ft for a home run.

Hunter made his debut with the Twins as a pinch runner in Baltimore on August 22, 1997.

It was not until 1999 that Hunter began starting regularly, playing in 135 games for the Twins.

He finished with only one error in 292 chances in the outfield.

Hunter exploded onto the scene in the beginning of April in 2000, but his batting average dropped to .207 by the end of May.

He was subsequently sent down to Triple-A Salt Lake to work on his mechanics at the plate; however with Hunter's new approach at the plate, he caught fire in the month of June, capping it with a two-home run, seven-RBI game and being named the Twins' Minor League Player of the Week and Player of the Month.

After a 16-game hitting streak, four consecutive games with home runs and three grand slams, Hunter was recalled by the Twins on July 28.

Hunter was named both Best Defensive Outfielder and Most Exciting Player in Pacific Coast League by Baseball America for 2000.

In 2001, Hunter led the Twins in at bats, home runs and outfield assists (with 14 – tied for second best in the league), and was second in RBI and total bases, leading the Twins to their first winning season since 1992.

Hunter led all major league center fielders in range factor (3.29), and was named Best Defensive Outfielder in the American League by Baseball America.

He also won his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 2001.

In 2002, Hunter began to post near-MVP numbers, and was a contender for the award a good portion of the year.

In the month of April, he went 39–105 (a .371 average) with nine home runs and 20 RBI, winning American League Player of the Month honors.

Hunter was selected by the fans to his first All-Star Game, in Milwaukee in 2002, becoming the first Twin since Kirby Puckett in 1995 to start an All-Star game in center field.

One of the biggest moments came in the first inning, when, with two outs, Barry Bonds sent what appeared to be a towering home run to right-center field.

Hunter, who had built a reputation for his outfield thievery in the American League, jumped and caught the ball over the wall (accomplishing a personal goal he set of robbing one from Bonds).

Although there were no awards given at the All-Star game, because the game ended in a tie, the catch was later awarded as the This Year in Baseball Best Defensive Play of the Year by the fans.

Hunter, along with an improved team and solid bullpen pitching, led a resurgence in the latter half of the season which powered the Twins to win the American League Central Division.

The team would advance to the ALCS, where they would lose to the Anaheim Angels four games to one.

The Angels went on to win their first World Series championship.

Despite losing in the ALCS, it was still a very good year for the ballclub, and by far the best year for Hunter.

He led the club in home runs, RBIs, and stolen bases, and was tied for the lead in games and doubles.

Hunter won the team's Calvin R. Griffith Award as Most Valuable Twin for 2002.

He ended the season sixth in the MVP voting, and also earned his second Gold Glove in center field.

Hunter was additionally voted baseball's Best Defensive Player Award for 2002 by the fans.

Although he played in a career high 154 games, he often struggled at the plate, achieving an OPS of .763 and a batting average of just .250, .039 lower than in 2002.

He stole just six bases, while being thrown out seven times.

Hunter struggled offensively in 2003.