Hunter Pence Had a Priceless Career on The Diamond

 

After 14 MLB seasons, Hunter Pence has called it a career. Although a native of Texas, Pence left his heart in San Francisco spending the majority of his big league tenure in the Bay Area earning World Series rings with the Giants in 2012 and 2014.

Pence was originally drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers late in the 2002 MLB Draft, but opted to transfer from Texarkana College to the University of Texas Arlington. The Houston Astros would draft Pence in the 2nd round of the 2004 draft and would reach the majors in 2007 when he would finish third in NL Rookie of the Year balloting and quickly became a fan favorite.

After four and a half seasons in Houston, the Astros dealt Pence to the Philadelphia Phillies at the trade deadline in 2011. A year later, Pence would make his way to San Francisco. After only hitting ..219 in 59 games with the Giants that season, Pence would cement his reputation when he made a fiery speech in the dugout prior to Game 3 of the 2012 NLDS against the Cincinnati Reds when they were on the verge of elimination. Pence's speech is considered the spark for the Giants' second World Series title in three years. Pence would also be a key figure during on the Giants' World Series championship team two years later.

Injuries would reduce Pence's effectiveness as he would miss nearly 250 games between 2015-2018. Pence signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers prior to the 2019 season and enjoyed a renaissance strong enough to earn his fourth career All-Star Team selection although he would be unable to play due to a groin injury. 

Pence, 37, would return to the Giants this season, but would be released a month ago after batting only .096 with 2 HR and 6 RBI in 17 games. In 14 MLB seasons, Pence played 1707 games collecting 1791 hits for a lifetime batting average of .279 with 244 HR and 942 RBI. 

In an online video announcing his retirement, Pence said he looked forward to becoming a Giants fan. Given his gregarious personality, I would not be surprised to see Pence in the Giants' broadcast booth or coaching staff. Pence won't be heading to Cooperstown, but he did have a priceless career on the diamond during which he put a lot of smiles on the faces of baseball fans everywhere.