Andrew Jay "Smithers" Hinch (born May 15, 1974 in Waverly, Iowa) is the current manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks and a former Major League Baseball catcher. Hinch played for the Oakland Athletics (1998-2000), Kansas City Royals (2001-2002), Detroit Tigers (2003) and Philadelphia Phillies (2004). He has a degree in psychology from Stanford University.

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Hinch lived in Nashua, Iowa until he was eight and moved to Oklahoma. He is a 1992 graduate of Midwest City (Oklahoma) High School where he was drafted in the second round. He elected to attend Stanford University where he was a third-round pick after his junior year in 1995. He decided to return to school and was again a third-round pick as a senior in 1996. Hinch won a bronze medal for the United States at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and was named to the 1998 Topps All-Star Rookie Team.

[edit] MLB career

In an eight-season career, Hinch was a .219 hitter with 32 home runs and 112 RBI in 350 games.

[edit] Post playing career

Hinch retired after the 2005 season, and was hired by the Arizona Diamondbacks as their manager of minor league operations.^[1] Even while playing, he was planning his post-playing career. He went so far as to go to the 2003 General Manager's winter meetings to look for future job opportunites and contacts. In July 2006, Baseball America named him one of baseball's "10 to watch" in the next 10 years for his promise as a Farm Director and future General Manager. In August 2006, the Diamondbacks named Hinch director of player development.

He has been married to his wife Erin for a number of years, they have two daughters, Hayley and Katelyn, and they reside in Scottsdale, Arizona

[edit] Managerial career

Hinch was named manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 8, 2009, replacing Bob Melvin. Hinch, at age 34 years and 357 days, becomes the youngest person to be named manager of a Major League team since Eric Wedge. (34 years, 275 days)^[2]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Major league career managerial statistics from Baseball-Reference
• Career statistics and player information from ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or The Baseball Cube