User:GhostRiver/pence

Hunter Andrew Pence (born April 13, 1983) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. Between 2007 and 2020, he spent 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), playing for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, and Texas Rangers. A four-time All-Star, Pence won the World Series with the Giants in 2012 and 2014.

Early life
Hunter Andrew Pence was born April 13, 1983, in Fort Worth, Texas. His father Howard worked as a consultant in the oil industry, and the family's economic state constantly fluctuated. Pence's older siblings played baseball and tumbling, and he followed them into both sports.

College career
After graduating high school, Pence took the only college baseball athletic scholarship he was offered, at Texarkana College.

Draft and minor leagues
The Houston Astros selected Pence in the second round, 64th overall, of the 2004 MLB draft. He was the Astros' first selection that year, as they lost their first-round draft pick to the New York Yankees by signing Andy Pettitte in free agency. He joined the organization on a reported $575,000 signing bonus and reported to the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York–Penn League. There, he batted .296 with eight home runs and 37 RBI, while his .518 slugging percentage was second in the league. Pence also excelled defensively, receiving ValleyCats Defensive Player of the Month honors in August.

Pence opened the 2005 season with the Single-A Lexington Legends of the South Atlantic League, although he missed the first three games of the season with the remainder of a suspension for a benches-clearing brawl the previous year.


 * 2005 Lexington Legends
 * 2005 Salem Avalanche
 * 2006 Corpus Christi Hooks
 * 2006 Mesa Solar Sox
 * 2007 Round Rock Express

Houston Astros (2007–2011)

 * 2007
 * 2008
 * 2009
 * 2010
 * 2011

Philadelphia Phillies (2011–2012)

 * 2011 (NLDS)
 * 2012

San Francisco Giants (2012–2018)
On July 31, 2012, the Phillies traded Pence to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Nate Schierholtz, Tommy Joseph, and Seth Rosin. While the Giants had a strong pitching staff, they struggled with generating offense and hoped that Pence would assist, particularly with runners in scoring position.


 * 2012 (NLDS, NLCS, WS)
 * 2013

At the end of the season, Pence received the 2013 Willie Mac Award, given to the "most inspirational player" on the Giants, as voted upon by players, coaches, training staff, and fans.


 * 2014 (NLDS, NLCS, WS)
 * 2015




 * 2016 (WC, NLDS)
 * 2017
 * 2018

Texas Rangers (2019)
After leaving the Giants, Pence spent the 2018–19 offseason reworking his swing with a private hitting instructor Doug Latta. He also played in the Dominican Winter League with the Toros del Este, batting .276 in 31 plate appearances. That February, he signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers.


 * 2019

Second stint with the Giants (2020)
On February 7, 2020, Pence returned to the Giants on a one-year, $3 million contract, with up to $2.25 million in additional bonuses.


 * 2020

Honors
In 2022, the Giants added Pence to their Wall of Fame, a series of plaques honoring retired players' impact on the team. Pence's plaque unveiling was the first to take place on the field at Oracle Park rather than at the wall on King Street.
 * https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/09/17/hunter-pence-hits-all-the-right-notes-in-sf-giants-wall-of-fame-ceremony/