Brian Hunter (first baseman)
| Brian Hunter | |
|---|---|
Hunter with the Burlington Braves c. 1988 | |
| First baseman | |
| Born: March 4, 1968 Torrance, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 31, 1991, for the Atlanta Braves | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 1, 2000, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .234 |
| Home runs | 67 |
| Runs batted in | 259 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Brian Raynold Hunter (born March 4, 1968) is an American former professional baseball player. He played all or parts of nine seasons in Major League Baseball between 1991 and 2000 for the Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies. While he was primarily a first baseman, he also appeared in nearly 100 games as an outfielder. After retiring, he has worked as a scout and coach.
Career
Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 8th round of the 1987 amateur draft, Hunter appeared in three World Series in 1991, 1992 and 1999 as a member of the Braves.
As a rookie, Hunter hit two home runs in the 1991 postseason. He hit a two-run home run in the first inning of the deciding Game 7 of the National League Championship Series at Three Rivers Stadium against the Pittsburgh Pirates; the Braves won the game 4–0, advancing to the World Series to face the Minnesota Twins.[1] In Game 5 against the Twins, he homered in a 14–5 Atlanta victory.[2]
Hunter his 26 home runs over his first two major league seasons, but lost his role after Atlanta traded for Fred McGriff. Atlanta traded Hunter to Pittsburgh on on November 17, 1993 for a player to be named later (PTBNL).[3] (Minor leaguer Jose Delgado was sent to Atlanta to complete the trade.)[4]
On July 27, 1994, Pittsburgh traded Hunter to the Cincinnati Reds for a PTBNL. After the strike-shortened season, the Reds sent Micah Franklin to complete the trade.[4]
Hunter signed with the Seattle Mariners in 1996,[4] and he elected free agency after the season after refusing a minor league assignment.[5]
Hunter returned to Atlanta in 1999. He appeared in his third World Series, coming off the bench and making two errors in Game 1 of the series, a loss to the New York Yankees. No first baseman had made two errors in one inning of a World Series game since Frank Torre in 1958.[6]
Post-playing career
Hunter worked as a scout for the Washington Nationals and New York Mets before the Atlanta Braves hired him in 2006.[7] He worked for Atlanta through 2012.[8]
Hunter has coached youth baseball teams, including coaching "The Program" team and coaching for MLB's Breakthrough Series.[9][10] He coached the American League team in the 2025 All-Star Futures Game.[11]
Personal life
Hunter is the brother of basketball player and coach Loree Moore.[12]
References
- ^ Parascenzo, Marino (October 18, 1991). "Hunter finds hot bat, three RBIs". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved November 26, 2025 – via Google News Archive Search.
- ^ "Brian Hunter Postseason Batting Game Logs". Baseball Reference. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ^ "Pirates get Hunter from Braves". Herald-Journal. Associated Press. November 18, 1993. Retrieved November 26, 2025 – via Google News Archive Search.
- ^ a b c "Brian Hunter Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball Reference. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ^ "Mariners become free agents". Beaver Country Times. October 10, 1996. pp. C2.
- ^ "With 2 errors, it's no life of Brian for Hunter". New York Daily News. October 24, 1999. Archived from the original on November 26, 2025. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ^ Shanks, Bill (November 7, 2006). "Braves hire Brian Hunter, 5 others as scouts". Scout.com. Archived from the original on August 17, 2013.
- ^ Atlanta Braves 2012 Media Guide. 2012. p. 180.
- ^ "FEATURE: MLB Breakthrough Series Makes Champs NC Debut". USA Baseball. June 23, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ^ Cornejo, Christopher (June 11, 2024). "MLB's 'Summer of Development' kicks off with Breakthrough Series". MLB.com. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ^ Bell, Demetrius (May 19, 2025). "Chipper Jones and Marquis Grissom set to manage 2025 All-Star Futures Teams". Battery Power. SB Nation. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ^ "Assistant Coach Loree Moore". Citrus College Athletics. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference · Baseball Reference (Minors) · Retrosheet · Baseball Almanac