Flashback Friday: 10/23 Coming Home
The World Series is almost set and this week's Flashback Friday is a look back at a local boy who has participated in the last two Fall Classics and -- if the Yankees can win one of the next two games in the American League Championship Series and decide to put him on the roster -- he could play in three straight.
That local boy is Eric Hinske, a Menasha High School product. Hinske has been well-traveled in his baseball career ever since being selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 17th round of the 1998 draft out of the University of Arkansas. Hinske did not make it to the major leagues as a Chicago Cub. But, he was American League Rookie of the Year in 2002 with the Toronto Blue Jays. From there he has been a member of the Boston Red Sox, the Tampa Bay Rays, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and -- since being traded on June 30 of this year -- the New York Yankees.
Hinske started his pro career with Williamsport in the New York-Penn League in 1998 and it looked like he would end his first season there. However, the Cubs had a different idea. Not that Hinske minded. Due to a fortuitous schedule, his second game with the Rockford Cubbies was on September 2, 1998 at then-Fox Cities Stadium against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and in front of friends and family.
Benjamin Wideman caught up with Hinske after the game and below is the article from the September 3, 1998 edition of the Post-Crescent.
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Cubbies' Hinske off to a sizzling start in the Midwest League
First impressions go a long way.
For that matter, so have the baseballs hit by Eric Hinske.
In just two games with the Rockford Cubbies since getting promoted Sunday, the Menasha native has hit .667 (six-for-9) with four RBI, two doubles, a home runs, and five runs scored.
He scored the game-winning run in the Cubbies' 11-9 victory Wednesday night over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.
Hinske finished the game three-for-five. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder launched one ball off the top of the center-field wall for an RBI double. Another was caught at the warning track in center field, at the time tying the game in the third inning.
Cubbies manager Ruben Amaro clearly has come away liking what he sees.
"He looks like a kid who's got power and uses his hands well at the plate," Amaro said. "(Wednesday), he played good first base, so from what I've seen overall so far from Eric, it is encouraging."
Hinske, 21, may be a new face to Amaro, but he's no secret to area baseball fans.
As a senior with the Menasha Blue Jays, he was selected Post-Crescent area player of the year for dominating the Fox Valley Association.
At the University of Arkansas, he teamed with old Appleton West foe and current Kane County Cougars star Matt Erickson.
In this year's draft, the Chicago Cubs organization selected Hinske in the 17th round and sent him to Williamsport, Pa., of the New York-Penn Rookie League, where he hit .298 with nine home runs, 57 RBI and 46 runs in 68 games.
Hinske admitted he didn't expect to be moved up this late in the season.
But the long-awaited call came Sunday. And it couldn't have been more timely, he said.
"It's just great to be here," he said, smiling, after spending nearly ten minutes in the Fox Cities Stadium stands chatting with family and friends.
"I didn't know if I'd ever get a chance to actually play here. To finally play here is a lot of fun. I'm having a great time, all my family and friends, it's great."
Hinske said he was promoted to add more offensive punch for Rockford, which is locked in a battle with Peoria for the Midwest League Central Division second-half title.
The champion faces Wisconsin in the first round of the playoffs Tuesday.
Thanks to Wednesday's win, in which Hinske played a large role, the Cubbies moved within one-half game of Peoria.
For now, Hinske is simply enjoying the ride, saying in many ways he enjoys the pros better than college.
"Here, it's more laid back," he said. "They treat you
more like a man. They don't baby-sit you in pro baseball like they do in
college. Here, either you do it or they release you. That's all
there is to it."
But, wouldn't that add more pressure?
"You can't look at it like that," he said. "You have to go out there and have fun and hope things work out for you.
"Right now, I'm just having a lot of fun. I think I can hold my
own in the Midwest League."
When the season ends, Hinske heads off to Mesa, Ariz.., for the instructional
league, which runs Sept.15 to Oct. 23. He said next year there's a chance
he could begin the season at high-Class A.
No matter where he's playing, he knows exactly what he needs to accomplish to move up the ranks.
"I need to stay consistent," he said. "I need to hit .300 and hit home runs. I play the corner position (first base), so I can't not hit home runs. I just have to keep hitting the ball well and play good defense and I should be OK."
Said Amaro: "He's a player. He's a gamer. He's got a great attitude, and that's a good thing to have. They'll find a way to play him somewhere."
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Bonus: Rattlers Report for the game:
Menasha native Eric Hinske scored the game-winning run in the 11th inning as his Rockford Cubbies beat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 11-9 in a Midwest League baseball game Wednesday night at Fox Cities Stadium.
The game featured 15 extra-base hits, including three triples by Rockford's Jason Smith, tying a Midwest League record.
Wisconsin rallied to tie it with four runs in the bottom of the ninth. Mike Marchiano hit a two-run double off the center-field wall and later scored the game-tying run from third on a botched rundown by Rockford.
Marchiano finished with three RBI while teammate Jermaine Clark went three-for-five with two runs scored.
Hinske finished three-for-five with an RBI and two runs scored.
NOTES:
Wisconsin broke the Midwest League single-season strikeout record, fanning 12 to
bring its total to 1,227. The old record of 1,220 was set by the Timber
Rattlers last year. They still have five regular-season games
left...Tonight's 6 p.m. game against Rockford is their last regular season home
contest. Ryan Anderson is scheduled to start. The Timber Rattlers
open the league playoffs Tuesday on the road against an undetermined
opponent. They play Wednesday at home, and, if necessary, on Thursday.
Wednesday's attendance: 2,751
1998 attendance (67 dates): 223,973 (3,343 avg.)
1997 attendance (67 dates): 227,104 (3,390 avg.)
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ADDITIONALLY:
1.) Hinske didn't even have the best night for the Cubbies. Jason Smith, who has been even more well-traveled than Hinske, had two other hits on top of his three triples to go 5-for-6 with three RBI.
2.) The Timber Rattler in the picture up top with Hinske is Jermaine Clark. Clark had a pretty good game that night as he went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored.
3.) Hinske would hit .450 (9-for-20) in six games at the end of the regular season. He also hit four doubles, a homer, and drove in four runs. He did help the Cubbies run down the Chiefs for the MWL Central Division second-half title. He also helped the Cubbies make it to the Championship Series. Rockford beat the Timber Rattlers in three games in the first round and swept Fort Wayne in the second round. The West Michigan Whitecaps beat Rockford in four games in the Finals.
4.) The article starts on page one of the PC Sports Section and is accompanied by that color picture. There is a black and white picture of Hinske on the inside of the paper where the article contines. However, in the caption of that photo he is identified as Ryan Hinske.
5.) The Timber Rattlers pitchers ended the 1998 season with 1274 strikeouts in 137 games. That is still a Midwest League record.
6.) If Fire Joe Morgan were around in 1998, they would have loved Ruben Amaro's description of Hinske as "a gamer". And by loved, I mean, of course, hated with the heat of eleventy bajillion white-hot suns. Example:
So now we have, gamer qualification-wise:
Play to win
Big plays
Hard-nosed
Good attitude
Hang in on double play
Hurt yourself
Catch balls
Make your teammates better
Multiple positions
Switch hitter
You make people smile
Here's my new theory: literally anything you do can make you a gamer. You like
Neapolitan ice cream? Gamer. You play the harpsichord? Gaming it. Civil War
reenactment buff? Game on.
Man, I miss those guys.