Travis Hafner

Travis Hafner File:Travishafner.jpg Position Designated Hitter Team Cleveland Indians Number 48 Years of Experience 4 years Age 29 Height 6 ft 3 in (1.83 m) Weight 240 lb. (95 kg) Bats Left Throws Right 2006 Salary $2,700,000 Selection Drafted 31st round, 1996 Drafted by Texas Rangers Major League Debut August 6, 2002

Travis Lee "Reach-around" Hafner (born June 3, 1977 in Jamestown, North Dakota) is a designated hitter/first baseman who currently plays for the Cleveland Indians. He throws right handed, and bats left handed. A native of Sykeston, North Dakota, he attended Cowley County College in Arkansas City, Kansas and was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 31st round of the 1996 draft. In the winter of 2002, he was traded to the Indians along with Aaron Myette for catcher Einar Diaz and right-handed pitcher Ryan Drese. He is often referred to by the nickname "Pronk", which combined two competing nicknames "Project" and "Donkey," originally suggested by former teammate Bill Selby during spring training of 2003.

Hafner has developed into one of the better hitters in Major League Baseball, showing excellent power to go with his top-notch plate discipline.

In 2006, Hafner is currently on pace for the best season of his career. So far he has compiled a .296 BA, with 29 home runs and 86 RBI through the season.

2003

Hafner enjoyed moderate success in 2003, sharing playing time with other first basemen. He also was a Designated Hitter. He showcased his hitting talent when he hit for the cycle in Minnesota. His last hit being the ever difficult triple. This was unknown by most Cleveland fans, since the city was in the midst of the blackout of 2003.

2004

In 2004 Hafner had a breakout offensive season. He finished 9th on the AL MVP ballot for 2004. In 2004 Hafner hit above the .300 mark in each month with the exception of August, and had his most success in July (31-86, .360, 8HR, 28RBI) when he received consideration for AL Player of the Month honors. He hit his first career grand slam in the home opener on April 12 vs. the Minnesota Twins. Overall in 2004 he played in 140 games, had 150 hits, 28 home runs, 109 RBI, and batted .311. He also scored 96 runs, and had a OBP of .410.

2005

In 2005 Hafner had an even better offensive season than in 2004. He was named Tribe Man of the Year and finished 5th in the AL MVP voting. He homered in a career-high six straight games from Sept. 18-24. Hafner was named American League Player of the Month for June, hitting .345 (30-87) with 10 doubles, 8HR and 29 RBI in 24 games. From June 1 thru the end of the season he hit .321 (106-330) with 32 doubles, 28 HR and 88 RBI in 92 games. He was hit in the face by a pitch on July 16 and was placed on the 15-day disabled list on July 26. Hafner was activated from the DL on August 4 and proceeded to hit .296 (59-199) with 15 HR and 45 RBI in 54 games. He signed a long-term contract through the 2007 season (2008 club option). Overall in 2005 he played in 137 games, had 148 hits, 33 home runs, 108 RBI, and batted .305. He also scored 94 runs and had an OBP of .408.

2006

On his 29th birthday on June 3, Hafner hit a grand slam and had six RBIs. On July 7, Hafner hit his fifth grand slam of the season, setting a new Cleveland franchise record and becoming the first player in Major League history to hit five grand-slams before the All-Star Break. Hafner was not selected to the All-Star Team in 2006, even though he was batting .318 with 25 homers and 74 RBIs at the break.

Harold Reynolds said it was a shame that Hafner was not selected as a reserve for the AL and said Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was unfair for picking two of his first basemen from the White Sox while excluding Hafner. During the All-Star Game discussion, many baseball analysts argued that Hafner may currently be the best hitter in the American League because of his plate discipline, high on-base-percentage, and ability to work a count.

Trivia

• Hafner is a huge fan of the WWE, especially the wrestler Batista.

• Hafner ranks second all-time for career home runs by a player born in North Dakota with 101. Darin Erstad is currently first with 114. (note: although Roger Maris was raised in North Dakota, he was born in Hibbing, Minnesota.)

• Hafner is one of only four players to hit five grand slams in a single season. Don Mattingly had six in 1987, while Jim Gentile (1961) and Ernie Banks (1955) both had five grand slams in a single season.

• Hafner graduated Valedictorian of his high-school class which had less than a dozen students.

• Hafner is a big fan of playing Xbox and Playstation 2.

• Hafners Favorite road city in baseball is Chicago.

Career statistics

Batting Average: .297
Home Runs: 104
RBI: 340
Slugging: .573
Hits: 485
2B: 124
3B: 8
Games: 481
Runs: 302
At Bats: 1635
Strikeouts: 400
On Base Percentage: .400
BB: 249
OPS: .973
SB: 5
CS: 4
Grand Slams: 7

Stats as of July 21, 2006

External links

• baseball-reference.com career statistics for Travis Hafner
• si.com - Biography from Sports Illustrated May 25, 2006

• Cowley College press release: June 27, 2006