How can someone who can completely maul Jorge Posada NOT be on the Team of the Decade? (NYSuperBlog.com)
In constructing the Team of the Decade of the 2000s, I’ve sought to create an actual team, not just one of superstars. Eric Hinske is the last man on the bench to be announced, joining Gabe Kapler, Alex Cora and Doug Mirabelli.
Hinske was acquired by Boston during the fateful year of 2006 to provide much-needed depth at first base, the outfield corners and third base (although he never once appeared in a game at third for Boston).
Hinske was similar to Doug Mirabelli during his time in Boston that he had a low batting average (.229 in Boston) but a fair amount of pop. He also had strong plate discipline and was considered a valuable asset to the team, serving as the utilityman in each 2007 postseason series roster.
Hinske was a hard-nosed player who was popular in the clubhouse, despite his rather rapid fall from grace after snagging the 2002 Rookie of the Year award. One play he made in April 2007 stands out, and that’s his mad lunge for a dying quail in right field, snagging the ball just as he did a massive face plant into the ground.
Hinske has since become quite a good luck charm: In 2008, he moved on to Tampa Bay and smacked 20 home runs en route to winning the American League pennant. He signed on with the Pirates to start 2009 and then was swapped to the Yankees where he exhibited the same low batting average, high plate discipline and solid power en route to another World Series. If you believe in such things, Atlanta is headed to the World Series in 2010 as a result of inking Hinske to be a bench player.
He wasn’t in Boston long — a shade under a year and a half — but his versatility, his ability, his contributions, his attitude, and yes — his faceplant, all make him a deserving member of the All-Aughts Team of the Decade as the utility player off the bench.