Shea Hillenbrand
Encyclopedia
Shea Matthew Hillenbrand (born July 27, 1975, in Mesa
, Arizona
) is a professional baseball player who last played for the York Revolution
of the independent Atlantic League
.
A native of Mesa, Arizona, Hillenbrand attended Mountain View High School
there, excelling in both baseball
, as a shortstop
, and soccer. He attended Mesa Community College from 1994–96, before being drafted by Boston in the tenth round of the 1996 amateur draft.
in the New York - Penn League
. In 1997, he was promoted to the Sarasota Red Sox of the Florida State League
, and was promoted again after 57 games, finishing the season with 64 games with the Michigan Battle Cats
of the Midwest League
. Despite being drafted as a shortstop, he played at first base and third base his first two years in the minors.
In 1998, still with Michigan, he was converted to play catcher
and responded with his best season in the minors, with a .349 batting average
and 19 home run
s. This earned him a promotion in 1999 to AA Trenton Thunder
of the Eastern League
. However, a leg injury restricted him to only 69 games.
with the Red Sox in 2001 into a spot on the big-league team for opening day. Hillenbrand played 139 games for the Sox in his rookie season, mostly at third base, but a .263 batting average failed to hide his failure to hit with power and get on base adequately (he had one of the lowest walks-to-plate appearances rates in the MLB). In 2001 he had the lowest range factor among all AL third basemen (2.46).
However, he retained his spot on the roster for 2002, and responded with a much better season, hitting 20 home runs with a .330 on base percentage
and a .459 slugging average. His play earned him the starting third baseman spot in the All-Star Game
. He tied Robin Ventura
for the Major League lead in errors by a third baseman, however, with 23.http://sports.espn.go.com/mlbhist/stats/fielding?groupId=9&sortColumn=errors&sortOrder=true&split=81&qualified=null&season=2002&seasonType=2
Nevertheless, Hillenbrand entered 2003 being the subject of trade rumors. The Red Sox had signed free agent
Bill Mueller
, another third baseman who would win the batting title that year, and many believed that Hillenbrand's lack of strike zone judgment would not be compatible with the on base percentage priorities of new Sox general manager Theo Epstein
. With Mueller hitting around .380 and playing a solid third base, Hillenbrand became expendable and was sent to Arizona for pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim
on May 29. Hillenbrand was involved in a feud with Epstein following the incident.
He finished the season with a combined .280 batting average and career-highs in RBI
(97) and home runs (20), including a three-homer game with the Diamondbacks in month of July. Bill Mueller went on to win the AL Batting Title.
In 2004, Hillenbrand hit a career-high .310 with 15 home runs and 80 RBI over 148 games. At the same time, he shared the Major League lead in errors for a first baseman, with 13. He was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays
at the end of the 2004 season.
In 2005, his first year with the Blue Jays, Hillenbrand hit .291 with 18 home runs and 82 RBI over 152 games, while splitting time between 1B, 3B, and DH.
On July 19, 2006, Hillenbrand criticized the Blue Jays organization for failing to congratulate him on his recent adoption
of a baby girl and not playing him upon his return. He was also disgruntled about sharing first base duties with Lyle Overbay
and third base duties with Troy Glaus
while being made to play as a designated hitter
. Hillenbrand refused to sit with his team in the dugout during that night's game. After the game, an argument in the clubhouse took place between Hillenbrand and manager John Gibbons
over Hillenbrand allegedly writing defamatory comments about the team on the clubhouse billboard ("This is a sinking ship" and "Play for yourself") after batting practice. This led to a confrontation between Hillenbrand and Gibbons.
He was designated for assignment
that same evening, with the club citing irreconcilable differences. Two days later, Hillenbrand was traded to the San Francisco Giants
with reliever Vinnie Chulk
in exchange for Giants reliever Jeremy Accardo
. He later admitted to writing the comments on the board.
Hillenbrand signed a one year contract with the Angels on December 26, 2006. On June 27, 2007, he was designated for assignment a day after being quoted as saying, "If I'm not going to play here, give me enough respect to trade me or get rid of me." On July 9, 2007, having been replaced by the emergence of Reggie Willits
and first baseman Casey Kotchman
, Hillenbrand was waived by the Angels.
He signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres
on July 27, 2007. He spent 12 days with the Padres' Class-AAA affiliate, the Portland Beavers
, before being released on August 8, 2007. He hit .147 during that span. He signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers
two days later on August 10, 2007. He was called up to the Major Leagues three days later on August 13. He hit his only home run with the Dodgers on August 29 off Luis Ayala
of the Washington Nationals
.
In 2008, Hillenbrand went unsigned by any major league organization, only being contacted by the San Francisco Giants
during the off season. On July 2, 2008, the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League announced that they had signed Hillenbrand to be their starting third baseman. Hillenbrand played in 36 games for the Revolution hitting .340 with two home runs and 25 RBIs before his season was ended by a hamstring injury.
in Chandler, Arizona where they run a foundation called Against All Odds. The foundation rescues and rehabilitates animals and allows underprivileged inner-city kids to visit and interact with the animals.
The couple personally owns a full-size quarter horse
, three miniature horse
s, 30 tortoise
s, three rabbits, many lemurs and four schnauzer
s.
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
) is a professional baseball player who last played for the York Revolution
York Revolution
The York Revolution is an American professional baseball team based in York, Pennsylvania. It is a member of the Freedom Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent league not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
of the independent Atlantic League
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is a professional, independent baseball organization located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, especially the greater metropolitan areas of the Northeast megalopolis. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League...
.
A native of Mesa, Arizona, Hillenbrand attended Mountain View High School
Mountain View High School (Mesa)
Mountain View High School is a high school in Mesa, Arizona. It was established in 1976. It is known for its numerous athletic and academic accomplishments...
there, excelling in both baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, as a shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, and soccer. He attended Mesa Community College from 1994–96, before being drafted by Boston in the tenth round of the 1996 amateur draft.
Minor league career
Hillenbrand played 72 games in 1996 for the Low-A Lowell SpinnersLowell Spinners
The Lowell Spinners are a Short-Season A minor league baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.-History:Founded in 1996 after Clyde Smoll moved the Elmira Pioneers to Lowell, Massachusetts, the Spinners play in the New York - Penn League, which has a Short-Season A classification with 76 games a...
in the New York - Penn League
New York - Penn League
The New York – Penn League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the northeastern United States. It is classified as a "Short-Season A" league; its season starts in June, after major-league teams have signed their amateur draft picks to professional contracts, and ends in early...
. In 1997, he was promoted to the Sarasota Red Sox of the Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
, and was promoted again after 57 games, finishing the season with 64 games with the Michigan Battle Cats
Michigan Battle Cats
The Michigan Battle Cats was a minor league baseball team which began playing in the Midwest League in 1995 and called C.O. Brown Stadium in Battle Creek, Michigan home. The franchise had previously been located in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994 where they were called the Madison Hatters. Prior to that...
of the Midwest League
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
. Despite being drafted as a shortstop, he played at first base and third base his first two years in the minors.
In 1998, still with Michigan, he was converted to play catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
and responded with his best season in the minors, with a .349 batting average
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 :...
and 19 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. This earned him a promotion in 1999 to AA Trenton Thunder
Trenton Thunder
The Trenton Thunder are an American Minor League Baseball team and are the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. The Thunder play in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League, and are the two-time defending league champions...
of the Eastern League
Eastern League (U.S. baseball)
The Eastern League is a minor league baseball league which operates primarily in the northeastern United States, although it has had a team in Ohio since 1989. The Eastern League has played at the AA level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923 as the New York-Pennsylvania League...
. However, a leg injury restricted him to only 69 games.
Major League career
The 2000 season saw Hillenbrand back at Trenton, now back to playing first base and third base as the injury prevented him from catching. An average season at age 25 did not bode well for his chances as a prospect, but he parlayed an invitation to spring trainingSpring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
with the Red Sox in 2001 into a spot on the big-league team for opening day. Hillenbrand played 139 games for the Sox in his rookie season, mostly at third base, but a .263 batting average failed to hide his failure to hit with power and get on base adequately (he had one of the lowest walks-to-plate appearances rates in the MLB). In 2001 he had the lowest range factor among all AL third basemen (2.46).
However, he retained his spot on the roster for 2002, and responded with a much better season, hitting 20 home runs with a .330 on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
and a .459 slugging average. His play earned him the starting third baseman spot in the All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
. He tied Robin Ventura
Robin Ventura
Robin Mark Ventura is the current manager of the Chicago White Sox. He is a former professional baseball player, a third baseman who played for four major league teams, most notably for the Chicago White Sox...
for the Major League lead in errors by a third baseman, however, with 23.http://sports.espn.go.com/mlbhist/stats/fielding?groupId=9&sortColumn=errors&sortOrder=true&split=81&qualified=null&season=2002&seasonType=2
Nevertheless, Hillenbrand entered 2003 being the subject of trade rumors. The Red Sox had signed free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
Bill Mueller
Bill Mueller
William Richard Mueller is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. Mueller's playing career was spent with the San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox , and Los Angeles Dodgers . He won the American League batting title in 2003, and helped the Red Sox win the 2004 World Series...
, another third baseman who would win the batting title that year, and many believed that Hillenbrand's lack of strike zone judgment would not be compatible with the on base percentage priorities of new Sox general manager Theo Epstein
Theo Epstein
Theo Nathan Epstein is the President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs.On November 25, 2002, he became the youngest GM in the history of Major League Baseball when the Boston Red Sox hired him at the age of 28...
. With Mueller hitting around .380 and playing a solid third base, Hillenbrand became expendable and was sent to Arizona for pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim
Byung-Hyun Kim
Byung-Hyun Kim is a South Korean professional baseball pitcher for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball. He is best known for his years with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Boston Red Sox. In 2001, Kim took over mid-season as the Diamondbacks' closer and saved 19...
on May 29. Hillenbrand was involved in a feud with Epstein following the incident.
He finished the season with a combined .280 batting average and career-highs in RBI
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...
(97) and home runs (20), including a three-homer game with the Diamondbacks in month of July. Bill Mueller went on to win the AL Batting Title.
In 2004, Hillenbrand hit a career-high .310 with 15 home runs and 80 RBI over 148 games. At the same time, he shared the Major League lead in errors for a first baseman, with 13. He was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
at the end of the 2004 season.
In 2005, his first year with the Blue Jays, Hillenbrand hit .291 with 18 home runs and 82 RBI over 152 games, while splitting time between 1B, 3B, and DH.
On July 19, 2006, Hillenbrand criticized the Blue Jays organization for failing to congratulate him on his recent adoption
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
of a baby girl and not playing him upon his return. He was also disgruntled about sharing first base duties with Lyle Overbay
Lyle Overbay
Lyle Stefan Overbay is an American professional baseball first baseman who is a free agent.-Amateur career:...
and third base duties with Troy Glaus
Troy Glaus
Troy Edward Glaus is a Major League Baseball first baseman and third baseman who is currently a free agent. Previously, Glaus played with the Anaheim Angels , Arizona Diamondbacks , Toronto Blue Jays , St. Louis Cardinals , and the Atlanta Braves . Glaus lettered in baseball while attending UCLA...
while being made to play as a designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
. Hillenbrand refused to sit with his team in the dugout during that night's game. After the game, an argument in the clubhouse took place between Hillenbrand and manager John Gibbons
John Gibbons
John Michael Gibbons was the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays in Major League Baseball from 2004 to 2008...
over Hillenbrand allegedly writing defamatory comments about the team on the clubhouse billboard ("This is a sinking ship" and "Play for yourself") after batting practice. This led to a confrontation between Hillenbrand and Gibbons.
He was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment
Designated for assignment is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball. When a player is designated for assignment, he is immediately removed from the club's 40-man roster. This gives the club 10 days to decide what to do with the player while freeing up a roster spot for another...
that same evening, with the club citing irreconcilable differences. Two days later, Hillenbrand was traded to the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
with reliever Vinnie Chulk
Vinnie Chulk
Charles Vincent "Vinnie" Chulk is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who currently plays in the Oakland Athletics organization. He is of Cuban heritage.-Early life:...
in exchange for Giants reliever Jeremy Accardo
Jeremy Accardo
Jeremy Lee Accardo is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-San Francisco Giants:...
. He later admitted to writing the comments on the board.
Hillenbrand signed a one year contract with the Angels on December 26, 2006. On June 27, 2007, he was designated for assignment a day after being quoted as saying, "If I'm not going to play here, give me enough respect to trade me or get rid of me." On July 9, 2007, having been replaced by the emergence of Reggie Willits
Reggie Willits
Reggie Gene Willits is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent.-Early life:...
and first baseman Casey Kotchman
Casey Kotchman
Casey John Kotchman is an American Major League Baseball first baseman.-High school:He was on the 2001 national champion team of Seminole High School in Seminole, Florida.-Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim:...
, Hillenbrand was waived by the Angels.
He signed a minor league contract with 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...
on July 27, 2007. He spent 12 days with the Padres' Class-AAA affiliate, the Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
, before being released on August 8, 2007. He hit .147 during that span. He signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
two days later on August 10, 2007. He was called up to the Major Leagues three days later on August 13. He hit his only home run with the Dodgers on August 29 off Luis Ayala
Luis Ayala
Luis Ignacio Ayala is a Major League Baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He is 6' 2" and weighs 190 lbs. and bats and throws right-handed.-Mexican League:...
of the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
.
In 2008, Hillenbrand went unsigned by any major league organization, only being contacted by the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
during the off season. On July 2, 2008, the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League announced that they had signed Hillenbrand to be their starting third baseman. Hillenbrand played in 36 games for the Revolution hitting .340 with two home runs and 25 RBIs before his season was ended by a hamstring injury.
Personal life
Hillenbrand and his wife Jessica have three adopted children, Austin, Dakota, and Noah. They reside in the off season on a ranchRanch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
in Chandler, Arizona where they run a foundation called Against All Odds. The foundation rescues and rehabilitates animals and allows underprivileged inner-city kids to visit and interact with the animals.
The couple personally owns a full-size quarter horse
American Quarter Horse
The American Quarter Horse is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name came from its ability to outdistance other breeds of horses in races of a quarter mile or less; some individuals have been clocked at speeds up to 55 mph...
, three miniature horse
Miniature horse
Miniature horses are found in many nations, particularly in Europe and the Americas. The designation of miniature horse is determined by the height of the animal, which, depending on the particular breed registry involved, is usually less than as measured at the last hairs of the mane, which are...
s, 30 tortoise
Tortoise
Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...
s, three rabbits, many lemurs and four schnauzer
Schnauzer
A Schnauzer is a German dog type that originated in Germany in the 15th and 16th centuries. The term comes from Schnauze , the German word for "snout", because of the dog's distinctively bearded snout. The word Schnauzer also means moustache in German; some authorities, such as Encyclopædia...
s.