born october american professional baseball baseman mlb played making mlb debut highly touted prospect coming florida described left handed hitter raw power scouts drafted overall pick mlb draft received million signing bonus advanced relatively quickly minor league baseball debuting mlb finished rookie year ballot season hitting home runs games mvp mlb star game early life father mike retired mother nurse mother born cuba came united_states age seven family escape regime growing pittsburgh pennsylvania parents met mike assigned duty florida worked married years later son born born years later miami growing credited family helping succeed baseball player began playing baseball early age hitter practice swings father volunteered hour shifts tough neighborhood miami focus son baseball games usually coached traveled state far new_york home play baseball tournaments home watched florida games study hitting techniques team players order improve skills father helped batting practice finishing long shifts work mother helped taped baseball game evaluate baseball ability skills time reached high school worked close seven hours day mainly ate protein helped form muscular build family hired highly regarded hitting instructor father baseman help son skills brother mike played baseball receiving scholarship interested professional baseball player currently stock broker miami high school career time teenager member baseball squads won couple state championships attended florida parents selected rich baseball program considered best united_states despite expensive tuition sophomore year grew inches size powerful prep prospect senior year hit home runs team usa today super rankings year won state championship attracted mlb college scouts evaluated amateur home runs popularity youtube caught attention sports agent received achievements high school including named florida baseball player year twice member team american amateur baseball congress mvp award offered baseball scholarship planned attend negotiations mlb team named prep baseball players country scouting agencies time graduated including number sports_illustrated high school baseball power hitters scouts consensus pick chosen round overall selection mlb draft remained unsigned summer general manager operating agent negotiated deal negotiations helped lead team based cincinnati second place finish american amateur baseball congress world series sides agreed contract minutes signing drafted players august received million dollar signing bonus largest sum given draft pick history minor leagues soon signing contract assigned time rookie level minor league baseball reporting general manager moore told reporters rushed reach majors stating needs advance hierarchy natural pace played handful games contract dispute client pittsburgh pirates second overall pick delayed playing team claimed signed contract august deadline passed won report pirates filed stating contract signed past deadline major_league_baseball extended august deadline association permission sides settled claim month later allowing join respective teams disputed original contract instead heading sent train season minor league ball sent rookie league affiliate struggled plate june hit home run games leading team strikeouts missed time left finger injury end season hit home runs later mentioned season tough year named seventh best base prospect started season class advanced affiliate struggles continued soon diagnosed eye condition laser surgery correct problem returned week later hitting significantly improved hitting slugging percentage played star game hits rbi victory effort promoted class july bat hit home run playoffs hit home runs individually second highest total single playoff series team went win championship farm system ranked number baseball entering season led prospect baseman baseball critics agreed team known past decades contender couple years prospects record publication ranked best baseman prospect major_league_baseball prior season rated eighth best overall prospect prospect overall hype placed general manager traded team best player young award winner milwaukee brewers prospects focus team future began season class aaa affiliate purchased contract leading minor leagues batting average hits base percentage mlb career recalled veteran catcher moved day disabled list space man roster mlb debut base following day starter replacing prior debut touted journalists super prospect rookie debut promoted mid june deadline avoided salary arbitration extra year went bats striking twice walked twice stole base loss second biggest crowd season yankee stadium started cleanup hitter hit mlb home run yankees pitcher month hit home runs named month batting average fell points end june manager citing plate hit game winning run home run closer july home run led twins replace closer day month july named american_league rookie month hits including run home run win detroit_tigers september day sportswriter called tiger killer statistics tigers included batting average home runs season led major batting categories september earning second rookie month award finished year voting winner hit home runs runs batted rbis games praised rookie catcher calling future perennial star players february announced signed year contract season financial terms deal released spring training led players rbis slugging percentage discussing spring training said baseball player acts like baseball player boy going damn good opening day kansas_city media face franchise city future sports star commentary performance year started base opening day going hit home run victory day later struggled hitting couple weeks season endured game losing streak entering april ended season slash line home runs rbis defense earned gold glove award july game boston_red_sox hit hand pitch day day bruised hand july game aggravated injury checked swing fourth inning rays revealed displaced fracture finger right hand missed weeks injury finished season batting home runs runs batted postseason helped lead record setting run winning consecutive extra inning games getting base times game oakland slammed game winning run homer game anaheim baseman player mlb history hit triple home run extra innings year postseason early morning hours october completed sweep angels posted twitter inviting kansas_city fans come celebrate downtown bar power light district eventually reported showed fans ended free drinks decided help pay open bar hour teammates sprayed champagne crowd february agreed million year contract gets million season million season eligible arbitration eligible free agency season career year batting average home runs rbis recorded final games october tied rbis postseason franchise history singled home base representing ahead run game game world series overtook record rbis postseason walk sacrifice fly bring 14th inning representing 25th postseason rbi helping eighth inning error helped run lead starred game hits run scored rbis help win series lead november scored tying run 9th inning eventually led win game world series won consecutive gold glove award july named mlb star game mvp san_diego second inning hit game tying home run
Eric Hosmer