Eric Hinske finding his niche with Braves

To say that Eric Hinske has had a unique career is definitely an understatement.

After winning his first World Series ring with the Red Sox in 2007 while hitting just .204 on the season, Hinske was forced to settle for a minor league contract the following year with the Tampa Bay Rays. He regained his form at the plate that year, clubbing 20 home runs, and was a part of the Rays’ Cinderella story when they made it to the World Series in 2008.

That was Hinske’s second-straight World Series appearance, and things only got crazier for the Wisconsin-native the following year after he signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates weren’t winning that year and were locked in last place in the NL Central, so Pittsburgh GM Neal Huntington managed to advertise Hinske’s .373 on-base percentage, getting the Yankees to bite and trade for him. It was with New York where Hinske went on to win his second World Series ring, in his third consecutive trip to the Fall Classic.

“It was great; I got the chance to win the World Series with the Yankees and Red Sox. There aren’t too many guys that have done that,” Hinske recalled. “[Those] years were a real cool time in my life, and I just feel pretty blessed.”

Hinske’s career hasn’t always been full of blessings, though; especially during his time with the team that acquired him in 2001, the Toronto Blue Jays.

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After storming out of the gate clubbing 38 doubles, 24 home runs, and drawing 77 walks en route to capturing AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2002, Blue Jay fans believed that they had an absolute stud in Hinske. Despite smoking a career-high 45 doubles the following year, Hinske was ultimately never able to improve on his strong rookie season, and drew criticism from the media and fans.

With his salary increasing through arbitration and his fan following decreasing, the Jays acquired multiple corner infielders to replace Hinske, and he was forced to sit and watch while other players passed him on the depth chart.

He was eventually traded to the Jays’ division rival in Boston in 2006, and the move represented a fresh start for a frustrated Hinske.

“It was the end of my tenure in Toronto, I was there for five years,” Hinske said of his time north of the border. “I could see the writing on the wall, they were trying to move my money and get me somewhere else.”

Now, after playing for four different clubs in the three consecutive seasons he appeared in the World Series, Hinske feels right at home in his second season with his current team, the Atlanta Braves.

The left-handed hitting Hinske signed a one-year contract with the Braves last year to primarily face right-handed pitchers and be available as a pinch-hitter. Hinske thrived in the role, going 14-for-47 with a .985 OPS as a pinch-hitter alone.

Hinske’s reliability in the role last season earned him another one-year contract with the Braves for 2011 with a club option for 2012, but earned him the of praise his new managerFredi Gonzalez early on this season.

“Hinske gets in there and he gives you a professional at-bat every time,” Gonzalez told The Good Point. “He’s come up with those [big] hits.”

While Hinske’s overall numbers this season are marginally lower than the ones he put up last season, he has been a better hitter with two outs and against right-handed pitching overall, which is all the Braves ask of him.

Most importantly though, with nine Major League seasons under his belt, Hinske is fully aware of why he was brought back to the Braves, even if he might no longer be considered an everyday Major League player.

“I understand my role on the team. When everyone is healthy I’m not going to be playing every day,” the 33-year-old said. “[I] just prepare like I’m going to be in there every day and try to do the best I can to help the team win when I get a chance.”

Having played both infield corners in his career as well as both corners in the outfield, Hinske takes pride in his versatility. Now primarily a bench player, Hinske feels his experience at multiple positions will help him for seasons to come, but he certainly won’t be picky when it comes to what position he’s told to play.

“Not anymore,” Hinske replied jokingly when asked if he preferred one position over the other. “Wherever I am in the lineup, right, left, [first]or third base, I’m comfortable at all four so I just go out there and do my job.”

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