Player Spotlight - Jeremy Hunter (2K Hits, 300 HR, 1K RBI)

[mrbornac]

In the year 2007, all that "Superman", Jeremy Hunter added to his career stat line are the fantastic figures of 2,000 hits, 300 home runs, and 1,000 RBI. Not bad for a career for a catcher.

But wait, is there more?

Hell yes, at only 31 years old, the numbers that Hunter has put together are totals that almost any player would be happy to retire with. But if you look at his totals from this year, you can see that he is not slowing down. Hunter batted .334, his highest total since 2003, and good enough for 8th in the league. But he is not just a singles hitter, his .583 slugging was good enough for 5th in the game.

It appears that Hunter was raised by wolves, as while he is listed in game as an American, the place he was born is listed as "Unknown". Very mysterious.

Back to the player, Superman's minor league records seem to be absent for before 1995, but what we do know about his time in the minors is that he tore through AA and AAA quickly, and made it up to the big leagues for a cup of coffee in the end of 1996. His first 97 at bats did not show his true power, although, there were glimpses of what was to come. 1997 was the first of 11 seasons running where Hunter has hit at least 21 Home Runs, and with an average of .286, that years was the last time he hit under .303 for a season. A symbol of consistency, he has amassed over 500 at bats in every year since 1998, has not yet struck out 100 times in any season, and while he is not the best catcher in the league, he has performed exceptionally well at the plate, while playing behind it as well.

He did not shy away in the postseason this year either, in 12 games, he got 17 hits, including 3 Home Runs, and his OPS was .998, knocking in 7 runs and scoring 8 of his own. Not shabby.

He has yet to win the MVP award, and it looks like this year he may be beaten by a 1B on a loaded team. But while foolish voters may look at gaudy numbers and think that a few points of OPS here, or a home run there might make someone else "More Valuable", not paying attention to the position or the player. I challenge anyone to find a player who's presence and production means more to the success of their team than Jeremy Hunter. The name Superman is no joke.

[recte44]

He really is quite valuable. Very, very impressive numbers; catcher or not.