Scott Hatteberg

Infobox MLB player
name = Scott Hatteberg


width =
caption =
team = Free Agent
number = --
position = First baseman
birthdate = birth date and age|1969|12|14
birthplace = city-state|Salem|Oregon
bats = Left
throws = Right
debutdate = August 8
debutyear = 1995
debutteam = Boston Red Sox
statyear = 2007
stat1label = Batting average
stat1value = .274
stat2label = Home runs
stat2value = 106
stat3label = Runs batted in
stat3value = 522
teams =
*Boston Red Sox (by|1995-by|2001)
*Oakland Athletics (by|2002-by|2005)
*Cincinnati Reds (by|2006-by|2008)

Scott Allen Hatteberg (born December 14, 1969 in Salem, Oregon) is an American Major League Baseball first baseman who is currently a free agent.

Early life

He played Little League in his native Salem, Oregon, and Pony League and American Legion baseball in Yakima, Washington. Hatteberg graduated from Eisenhower High School (Yakima, Washington) in 1988. He was MVP of the baseball and basketball teams and also lettered in football. He was team captain his senior year and hit .570 with 7 home runs.

College career

He attended Washington State University from by|1989-by|1991 and the Cougars won the Pac-10 North all three years. He was captain and MVP in 1991; as a catcher he formed a battery with future major league pitcher Aaron Sele. Hatteberg played in the Alaska Baseball League in 1989-by|1990.

Early career

Boston Red Sox

He was a member of the 1990 U.S. team at the Goodwill Games and hit a home run vs. Mexico. He was the third player selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 1991 June draft, a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds as compensation from Kansas City Royals for the signing of Type A free agent Mike Boddicker. He played catcher for the Red Sox in parts of seven seasons from by|1995-by|2001, hitting 34 home runs and batting .267. On August 6, 2001, against the Texas Rangers, he became the only player in MLB history to hit into a triple play and hit a grand slam in his next at bat. The bat he used for that game is now in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

In Hatteberg's last season with the Red Sox, he ruptured a nerve in his elbow. After surgery, he was unable to hold or throw a baseball. His baseball career was considered over, and his contract with the Red Sox expired on December 20, 2001.

Oakland Athletics

Paul DePodesta, assistant general manager of the Oakland Athletics, resurrected Hatteberg's baseball career by negotiating with Hatteberg to play for Oakland under a one-year contract with a $950,000 base salary plus incentives the day after he was released by the Red Sox. There was one catch---because Hatteberg could no longer throw the baseball, he would have to play first base.

In January by|2002, Hatteberg signed with the Oakland Athletics and became a first baseman and designated hitter for four seasons. Hatteberg, originally considered a horrible first baseman, blossomed in the position under the tutelage of Oakland infield coach Ron Washington.

Hatteberg's conversion from catcher to first baseman by the A's is the subject of a chapter in the Michael Lewis' book "". Oakland General Manager Billy Beane speaks openly about how the team pursued Hatteberg because of his high on-base percentage, which, A's management had determined, correlated most often to runs scored. Beane also mentioned that it was one of the most affordable "skills" for small-market clubs like the A's.

Being an everyday player, Hatteberg helped the A's reach the playoffs twice in 2002 and by|2003, hitting 49 homers and batting .269 from 2002-by|2005.

His most memorable moment as a member of the Oakland A's was on September 4, 2002. With a historic 19-game winning streak on the line and the game against the Kansas City Royals tied at 11 after the A's had blown an 11-0 lead, Hatteberg slammed a 1-0 pitch well over the right center field wall for a walk-off home run to give the A's a 12-11 win and an American League record 20-game winning streak.

Cincinnati Reds

On February 12, by|2006, the Cincinnati Reds signed Hatteberg to a one-year, $750,000 contract. He was originally expected to give the Reds flexibility at first base, backing up Adam Dunn. When the Reds traded Wily Mo Peña to the Red Sox, Dunn moved back to the outfield, and Hatteberg shared first-base duties with Rich Aurilia.

On August 8, 2006, Hatteberg recorded his 1000th career hit against Jason Marquis of the St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. He went 3-for-5 in this game, increasing his batting average to .323.

On May 27, by|2008, Hatteberg was designated for assignment by the Reds to make room on the roster for top prospect Jay Bruce. During the first weeks of the 2008 season Hatteberg had been reduced to pinch-hitting with rookie Joey Votto assuming first base duties for the Reds. Pinch-hitting was new to Hatteberg, and he admitted that it was a role in which he was not particularly comfortable. On June 4, Hatteberg was released.

Personal

He and his wife Elizabeth, nicknamed "Bitsy", have three children, Lauren (11-8-97), Sophia (2-21-00) and Ella (3-24-04). He is a self-taught guitar player and avid fly fisherman.

External links

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