Micah Hoffpauir
Encyclopedia
James Micah Hoffpauir (born March 1, 1980, in Fort Worth, Texas
) is a first baseman
for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
. He was drafted in 2000
by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
in the in the 44th round (1,301st overall), but he did not sign and returned to college. The Cubs selected him in the 13th round (393rd overall) of the 2002 draft
. He is a distant cousin of Jarrett Hoffpauir
of the San Diego Padres
.
. He attended Lamar University
in Beaumont, Texas
where he played for the Cardinals
, where he holds a school record in nearly every major offensive category. He graduated in 2001.
, where he batted
.301 with 10 home run
s and 41 runs batted in
. His good play caused the Cubs to send him to their other Single-A team, the Daytona Cubs
, in . There he batted only .254 with 8 home runs and 58 RBIs. In , Hoffpauir made the leap from Single-A Daytona to Triple-A Iowa
, where he played in only one game before being sent down to the Double-A West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx. He hit 11 home runs and drove in 75 runs in 94 games with the Diamond Jaxx. In , Hoffpauir began the season with Triple-A Iowa, where hit only 3 home runs and drove in 47 runs in 119 games, and batted .268. His poor performance resulted in him being sent back down to Double-A West Tenn for the remainder of the season. He began the campaign with West Tenn, but was moved up to Triple-A Iowa, where he had his best offensive production year of his career with 22 home runs and 80 RBIs to go along with .267 average. With all-star Derrek Lee
at first base on the major league team and no openings in the outfield
available, Hoffpauir returned to Triple-A Iowa for the season. On July 4, Hoffpauir was placed on the disabled list
with a right knee injury. Hoffpauir went on the DL hitting .316 with 16 home runs and 73 RBIs in 82 games.
After a short debut with the Cubs, he was returned to Iowa, where he tied a Pacific Coast League
record with four home runs in a game on August 9. On September 25, Hoffpauir went 5 for 5 with 2 home runs against the New York Mets
.
. He made his major league debut that day, pinch-hitting
for Jason Marquis
and striking out
against Pittsburgh Pirates
reliever
John Grabow
. He had 80 plate appearances, with excellent results: .342 AVG, .400 OBP, and .534 SLG. Luck played a big role, with a .489 batting average on balls in play (BABIP), the highest in the majors.
He was then returned to Iowa.
In the 2009 MLB season, Hoffpauir was a PH due to Lee's struggles at first and through April 15 had success with 2 hits in 4 at bats with 2 RBIs. He also played right field due to the absence of Milton Bradley
, hitting his first home run of the season on April 21 at home against the Cincinnati Reds.
In his 257 plate appearances, his BABIP plummeted from .489 in 2008 to a low .258
. So did his rate stats, which were .239 AVG, .300 OBP, and .427 SLG.
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
) is a first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Sapporo, Hokkaidō. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the majority of their home games at the Sapporo Dome. The Fighters also host a select number of regional home games in cities across Hokkaidō,...
. He was drafted in 2000
2000 Major League Baseball Draft
-First Round Selections:-Compensation picks:- Background :The Florida Marlins made Adrian Gonzalez of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, CA the first overall selection in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft...
by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
in the in the 44th round (1,301st overall), but he did not sign and returned to college. The Cubs selected him in the 13th round (393rd overall) of the 2002 draft
2002 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 4 and 5.This year's draft is featured in Michael Lewis' 2003 book Moneyball.-First Round Selections:-Supplemental First Round Compensation Selections:...
. He is a distant cousin of Jarrett Hoffpauir
Jarrett Hoffpauir
Jarrett Lee Hoffpauir is a second baseman for the San Diego Padres. He is a distant cousin to Micah Hoffpauir, who is also a baseball player.Hoffpauir was drafted by the St...
of the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
.
Early life
A six-foot three-inch left-hander, Hoffpauir attended Jacksonville High School in Jacksonville, TexasJacksonville, Texas
Jacksonville is located in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,868 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Cherokee County and part of the larger Tyler-Jacksonville Combined Statistical...
. He attended Lamar University
Lamar University
Lamar University, often referred to as Lamar or LU, is a comprehensive coeducational public research university located in Beaumont, Texas, United States. Lamar confers bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees and is classified as a Doctoral Research University by the Carnegie Commission on Higher...
in Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
where he played for the Cardinals
Lamar Cardinals
The Lamar Cardinals refers to the collegiate athletic teams of Lamar University. The inception of the nickname "Cardinals" dates back to the schools name change to Lamar in 1932. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...
, where he holds a school record in nearly every major offensive category. He graduated in 2001.
Minor leagues
After being drafted by the Cubs, Hoffpauir was sent to the Single-A Boise HawksBoise Hawks
The Boise Hawks are a minor league baseball team, located in Boise, Idaho. The team is currently a farm team for the Chicago Cubs and play in the Short-Season Class A Northwest League.-History:...
, where he batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.301 with 10 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 41 runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
. His good play caused the Cubs to send him to their other Single-A team, the Daytona Cubs
Daytona Cubs
The Daytona Cubs are a minor league baseball team based in Daytona Beach, Florida. The team plays in the Florida State League , and is the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs major league club. The Cubs play at Jackie Robinson Ballpark; opened in 1914, the park seats 5,100 fans.The...
, in . There he batted only .254 with 8 home runs and 58 RBIs. In , Hoffpauir made the leap from Single-A Daytona to Triple-A Iowa
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs are a Triple-A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, that plays in the Pacific Coast League. Their home games are played in Des Moines, Iowa, at Principal Park.-Franchise history:...
, where he played in only one game before being sent down to the Double-A West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx. He hit 11 home runs and drove in 75 runs in 94 games with the Diamond Jaxx. In , Hoffpauir began the season with Triple-A Iowa, where hit only 3 home runs and drove in 47 runs in 119 games, and batted .268. His poor performance resulted in him being sent back down to Double-A West Tenn for the remainder of the season. He began the campaign with West Tenn, but was moved up to Triple-A Iowa, where he had his best offensive production year of his career with 22 home runs and 80 RBIs to go along with .267 average. With all-star Derrek Lee
Derrek Lee
Derrek Leon Lee , or "D-Lee", is a Major League Baseball first baseman. Lee has played with the San Diego Padres , the Florida Marlins , Chicago Cubs , Atlanta Braves , Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates . He bats and throws right-handed.Lee was a World Series Champion with Florida in 2003,...
at first base on the major league team and no openings in the outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
available, Hoffpauir returned to Triple-A Iowa for the season. On July 4, Hoffpauir was placed on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
with a right knee injury. Hoffpauir went on the DL hitting .316 with 16 home runs and 73 RBIs in 82 games.
After a short debut with the Cubs, he was returned to Iowa, where he tied a Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
record with four home runs in a game on August 9. On September 25, Hoffpauir went 5 for 5 with 2 home runs against the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
.
Major leagues
Hoffpauir was called up to the Chicago Cubs on May 18, , to replace an injured Daryle WardDaryle Ward
Daryle Lamar Ward is an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and plays in the Minor League farm system. He has not played in the Majors since 2008. He bats and throws left-handed. The 6-foot-2, 240 pound Ward was drafted by the Detroit Tigers...
. He made his major league debut that day, pinch-hitting
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
for Jason Marquis
Jason Marquis
Jason Scott Marquis is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He previously pitched for the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals and Arizona Diamondbacks....
and striking out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
against Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
reliever
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
John Grabow
John Grabow
John William Grabow, nicknamed "Grabes" , is a Major League Baseball left-handed reliever....
. He had 80 plate appearances, with excellent results: .342 AVG, .400 OBP, and .534 SLG. Luck played a big role, with a .489 batting average on balls in play (BABIP), the highest in the majors.
He was then returned to Iowa.
In the 2009 MLB season, Hoffpauir was a PH due to Lee's struggles at first and through April 15 had success with 2 hits in 4 at bats with 2 RBIs. He also played right field due to the absence of Milton Bradley
Milton Bradley
Milton Bradley , an American game pioneer, was credited by many with launching the board game industry in North America with Milton Bradley Company....
, hitting his first home run of the season on April 21 at home against the Cincinnati Reds.
In his 257 plate appearances, his BABIP plummeted from .489 in 2008 to a low .258
. So did his rate stats, which were .239 AVG, .300 OBP, and .427 SLG.