View source for Ron Hunt

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1941)}}
{{other people}}
{{BLP sources|date=February 2015}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Ron Hunt
|image=Ron Hunt Mets.jpg
|position=[[Second baseman]]
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1941|2|23}}
|birth_place=[[St. Louis, Missouri]], U.S.
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 16
|debutyear=1963
|debutteam=New York Mets
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 28
|finalyear=1974
|finalteam=St. Louis Cardinals
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.273
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=39
|stat3label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=370
|teams=
* [[New York Mets]] ({{mlby|1963}}–{{mlby|1966}})
* [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] ({{mlby|1967}})
* [[San Francisco Giants]] ({{mlby|1968}}–{{mlby|1970}})
* [[Montreal Expos]] ({{mlby|1971}}–{{mlby|1974}})
* [[St. Louis Cardinals]] ({{mlby|1974}})
|highlights=
* 2× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1964 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1964]], [[1966 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1966]])
* [[Montreal Expos#Montreal Expos Hall of Fame|Montreal Expos Hall of Fame]]
}}
'''Ronald Kenneth (Ron) Hunt''' (born February 23, 1941) is an American former professional baseball [[second baseman]]. He played 12 seasons in [[Major League Baseball]] from 1963 to 1974 for the [[New York Mets]], [[Los Angeles Dodgers]], [[San Francisco Giants]], [[Montreal Expos]] and [[St. Louis Cardinals]]. He batted and threw right-handed.

In {{Baseball year|1971}} Hunt set a single-season record for being hit by more pitches (50) than any player since 1900.<ref name=base/>

== Early life ==
Hunt was born in [[St. Louis]] on February 23, 1941.<ref name="Davidoff">{{cite news |last=Davidoff |first=Ken |date=November 15, 2018 |title=Beloved Met’s hard-nosed play has turned into a hard life: from beanings to Parkinson’s |url=https://nypost.com/2018/11/15/beloved-mets-hard-nosed-play-has-turned-into-a-hard-life-from-beanings-to-parkinsons/ |work=[[New York Post]] |location=New York, NY}}</ref> He graduated from [[Ritenour High School]] in [[Breckenridge Hills, Missouri]], where he played football and baseball.<ref name="Davidoff" /> 

==Career==
After graduating, he signed with the [[Milwaukee Braves]], with whom he spent four years in the minor leagues.<ref name="Davidoff"/> The Mets purchased his contract in October 1962 and added him to the major league roster.<ref name="Davidoff"/>

Hunt broke into the major leagues in {{Baseball year|1963}} as the Mets' regular second baseman, [[batting average (baseball)|batting]] .272 with 10 [[home run]]s, which would be his career high, and 42 [[runs batted in]], which he would tie in 1964.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Ron Hunt Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/huntro01.shtml |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Hunt had been the bullpen catcher until he approached manager [[Casey Stengel]] and asked to be sent to the minor leagues to play second base, if the Mets were not going to play him. Stengel responded by making Hunt the second baseman.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Doyle |first=Al |date=July 2000 |title=Former Player RON HUNT Recalls His Big League Career. |journal=Baseball Digest |volume=59 |issue=7}}</ref> 

That year, he also finished runner-up to [[Pete Rose]] for the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] [[MLB Rookie of the Year|Rookie of the Year]] honors.<ref name=":0" /> In something that would highlight his career, Stengel had offered a bonus to players willing to be [[Hit by pitch|hit by pitches]] (HBP) if it won a game. Hunt was hit by pitches 13 times that year.<ref name=":0" />

In {{Baseball year|1964}} he batted .303<ref name=":1" /> and became the Mets' first-ever starting All-Star representative.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Newman |first=Kyle |date=2020-03-26 |title=The New York Mets’ Greatest Forgotten Players: 2B Ron Hunt |url=https://elitesportsny.com/2020/03/26/the-new-york-mets-greatest-forgotten-players-2b-ron-hunt/ |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=Elite Sports NY |language=en-US}}</ref> The game was played in Hunt's home ballpark, the newly opened [[Shea Stadium]]. He got one hit in three at bats in the game.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1964 All-Star Game Box Score, July 7 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/allstar/1964-allstar-game.shtml |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> He was also an NL All-Star representative in {{Baseball year|1966}}. Hunt had no hits in one official at bat, but had a [[sacrifice bunt]] in the bottom of the 10th inning that moved [[Tim McCarver]] to second base to set up the winning run when [[Maury Wills]]' single drove McCarver home for the NL win.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1966 All-Star Game Box Score, July 12 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/allstar/1966-allstar-game.shtml |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> He was hit by 11 pitches that year.<ref name=":1" />

Hunt was injured in 1965, and only played in 57 games.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /> He was hit by pitches 6 times, the only time in his twelve year career he was not hit by at least 10 pitches.<ref name=":1" /> In 1966, Hunt's last year with the Mets, he had a .288 batting average, scored 63 [[Run (baseball)|runs]], and was hit by 11 pitches.<ref name=":1" /> In November 1966, Hunt and [[Jim Hickman (1960s outfielder)|Jim Hickman]] were traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for [[Tommy Davis (outfielder)|Tommy Davis]] and [[Derrell Griffith]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Durso |first=Joseph |date=November 30, 1966 |title=Mets Trade Hunt, Hickman to Dodgers for Tommy Davis, Griffith; LOCAL TEAM GETS A CLEAN-UP HITTER Davis Will Play Left Field-- Hunt's Arrival to Bring Shifts at Los Angeles |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/allstar/1966-allstar-game.shtml |work=New York Times}}</ref> After batting .263 during the {{Baseball year|1967}} season, a year in which he was injured again,<ref name=":2" /> and being hit by 10 pitches,<ref name=":1" /> Hunt was traded with [[Nate Oliver]] to the [[San Francisco Giants]] for [[Tom Haller]] and Frank Kasheta.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Ron Hunt Trades and Transactions |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/trades.php?p=huntro01 |website=baseball-almanac.com}}</ref>

In his first season with the Giants in {{Baseball year|1968}}, Hunt batted .250 with two home runs, and scored 79 runs. He was hit by pitches 25 times, leading the league.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=1968 Major League Baseball Batting Leaders |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/1968-batting-leaders.shtml |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> This was the first of seven consecutive years he led the NL in being hit by pitches.<ref name=":1" /> His second home run came off [[Bob Gibson]] in the first inning of the Giants' September 17 game against the [[St. Louis Cardinals]], and accounted for the only run in [[Gaylord Perry]]'s [[no-hitter]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Box Score for Cardinals (0) vs Giants (1) on September 17, 1968 at Candlestick Park |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=196809170SFN#:~:text=On%20September%2017,%201968,%20the%20San%20Francisco%20Giants,regular%20season%20baseball%20game.%20Research%20by%20Baseball%20Almanac. |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=www.baseball-almanac.com}}</ref>

After two more seasons in San Francisco (batting .262 and .281, and being hit by pitches 25 and 26 times respectively), Hunt was traded to the Montreal Expos after the 1970 season.<ref name=":3" /> In 1971, he hit .279 and scored 89 runs. He was hit by pitches a remarkable 50 times, a post-1900 record.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="base" />

In nearly four seasons in Montreal, he batted .277, including a career high .309 in {{Baseball year|1973}}.<ref name=":1" /> After his record of being hit 50 times in 1971, he would follow that up with 26, 24, and 16 (14 with the Expos) in the next three years.<ref name=":1" /> Late in the {{Baseball year|1974}} season, the struggling Expos, seeking to turn over their roster, made Hunt the first to go by placing him on waivers.<ref>{{cite book|last=Iber|first=Jorge|page=111|title=Mike Torrez: A Baseball Biography|publisher=McFarland|location=Jefferson, NC|year=2016|isbn=978-0-7864-9632-7}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> He was claimed by his hometown St. Louis Cardinals, with whom he closed out his career after playing 12 games.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> The Cardinals brought Hunt to [[Spring training]] in 1975, but released him in March,<ref name=":3" /> after which he retired.

In his 12-year career Hunt batted .273 with 39 home runs and 370 RBIs in 1483 [[games played]].<ref name=":1" /> He was also one of the most difficult batters to [[strikeout|strike out]], fanning 382 times in 5235 [[at-bat]]s,<ref name=":1" /> or once in every 13.70 at-bats (tied for 369th best as of 2024).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Career Leaders & Records for AB per SO |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/at_bats_per_strikeout_career.shtml |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> In 1973, he set an Expos record by only striking out 19 times in 401 at-bats, the fewest ever in franchise history by a player who had at least 400 at-bats on the season.{{citation needed|date=December 2024}}

Hunt hit his last major league home run on September 21, 1971, against the Phillies as a member of the Expos at [[Jarry Park]]. He then went 1,302 at-bats and 378 games without hitting another when he closed out his career at the end of the 1974 season with a brief stint with the St. Louis Cardinals.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://retrosheet.org/boxesetc/H/Phuntr101.htm|title=Ron Hunt Career Stats At Retrosheet|website=retrosheet.org|accessdate= December 13, 2023}}</ref>

==Hit by pitches==
Hunt, whose [[motto]] was, "Some people give their bodies to science; I give mine to baseball,"<ref name=jonah/> was [[hit by pitch]]es more often than anyone during his playing days. He led the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] in getting hit by pitches in each of his final seven Major League seasons,<ref name=":1" /> and the Major Leagues in all but his final season ({{Baseball year|1974}}, when the Orioles' [[Bobby Grich]] was hit 20 times).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hit by Pitch Year-by-Year Leaders {{!}} Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/hitting/hit-by-pitch-yearly.shtml |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=www.baseball-almanac.com}}</ref> He was hit by 25 pitches in {{Baseball year|1968}}, 25 in {{Baseball year|1969}}, 26 in {{Baseball year|1970}}, 50 in {{Baseball year|1971}}, 26 in {{Baseball year|1972}} and 24 in {{Baseball year|1973}}, and 16 in 1974.<ref name=":1" />

Hunt said in a July 2000 interview with ''Baseball Digest'' that he really began to get hit by pitches after being traded to San Francisco. "But," Hunt asked, "why would you hit me to face [[Willie Mays]], [[Willie McCovey]] and [[Jim Ray Hart]]?"<ref name=":0" />

It was when Hunt was with the Giants that he made a close study of how to be hit by pitches. He knew the rules required that a batter had to "attempt" to get out of the way of a pitched ball. He would practice by standing in front of a mirror, aligning his shoulders, elbows, hips and ankles exactly where the corner of [[home plate]] would be, and practice twisting his body toward the [[catcher]]. He was not actually moving out of the way of the pitched ball, but he made an appearance of moving that he could contend met the rule's definition of an "attempt".<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |date=July 1, 1987 |title=The Memoirs Of Pigpen Hunt |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/07/01/sports/sports-of-the-times-the-memoirs-of-pigpen-hunt.html |work=New York Times}}</ref>

In {{Baseball year|1971}}, as a member of the [[Montreal Expos]], he set a single-season record for being hit by more pitches (50) than any player since 1900. This was the most since the 19th century [[Baltimore Orioles (1882–1899)|Baltimore Orioles]]' shortstop [[Hughie Jennings]] was hit 51 times in 1896.<ref name="base" /> (At the time Hunt was hit by his fiftieth, Jennings was only credited with 49 HBPs in 1896.  Hunt was therefore credited in 1971 with setting a new all-time record.  Years later, further historical research gave Jennings credit for two more HBPs in 1896, restoring the all-time record to Jennings.<ref name="base">{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/HBP_season.shtml|title=Single Season Leaders & Records for Hit By Pitch|publisher=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|year=2015|accessdate=February 12, 2015}}</ref>) As of 2024, the closest post-1900 player in being hit by pitches in a season is [[Don Baylor]], with 35 in 1986.<ref name="base" />

Hunt, who batted right-handed, would stand with his "left arm hanging over the plate" and allow himself to be hit to make up for his lack of hitting power.<ref name="jonah">{{cite web |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-year-ron-hunt-got-hit-by-50-pitches/|title=The Year Ron Hunt Got Hit By 50 Pitches|first=Jonah|last=Keri|authorlink=Jonah Keri|date=February 3, 2015|access-date=February 12, 2015|work=[[FiveThirtyEight]]}}</ref> On June 25, 1971, he was hit three times during a [[Doubleheader (baseball)|doubleheader]].<ref name="jonah" /> He had the habit of tossing back the ball that had hit him to the pitcher.<ref name="jonah" />

On September 29, 1971, against the [[Chicago Cubs]] at [[Jarry Park Stadium|Jarry Park]], Hunt was hit by a [[Milt Pappas]] pitch to give him 50 on the season,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chicago Cubs vs Montreal Expos Box Score: September 29, 1971 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MON/MON197109290.shtml |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> obliterating the post-1900 record of 31 by [[Steve Evans (baseball)|Steve Evans]].<ref name="base" /> Pappas, furious at Hunt, argued to home plate umpire [[Ken Burkhart]] that the pitch was directly over the plate,<ref name=":4" /> that Hunt got hit by the ball without even trying to get out of the way.{{citation needed|date=December 2024}} Earlier in the year, Pappas had also contributed #27 in the Hunt collection, prompting Cub manager [[Leo Durocher]] to cry foul after home plate umpire [[Augie Donatelli]] awarded Hunt first base on that pitch.{{citation needed|date=December 2024}} [[Cincinnati Reds]] manager [[Sparky Anderson]] had a similar complaint after Hunt was hit by a [[Jim McGlothlin]] pitch on August 7 of that year{{citation needed|date=December 2024}}; the HBP was Hunt's 32nd of the season,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Montreal Expos vs Cincinnati Reds Box Score: August 7, 1971 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN197108070.shtml#:~:text=Cincinnati%20Reds%203%2053-63%20Prev%20GameNext%20Game%20Saturday,,0%200%200%200%200%204%2012%200 |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> which broke the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] record set by [[Steve Evans (baseball)|Steve Evans]] of the {{Baseball year|1910}} [[St. Louis Cardinals]].<ref name=":5" />

On April 29, {{Baseball year|1969}}, Hunt tied a Major League record with three HBPs in a game against the Cincinnati Reds.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cincinnati Reds vs San Francisco Giants Box Score: April 29, 1969 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN196904290.shtml#:~:text=Cincinnati%20Reds%20vs%20San%20Francisco%20Giants%20Box%20Score:,April%2029,%201969%20Attendance:%203,247%20Venue:%20Candlestick%20Park |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> At the time, he was only the fifth player to be hit by a pitch three times in one game.{{citation needed|date=December 2024}} As of 2024, the feat has been done over 30 times.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=MLB Hit by a Pitch Records {{!}} Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/rb_hbp2.shtml |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=www.baseball-almanac.com |language=en-us}}</ref>

Upon his retirement, his 243 HBPs were a post-[[dead-ball era]] career record. [[Hughie Jennings]] holds the all-time record with 287.<ref name=":5" /> [[Don Baylor]] would break the [[live-ball era|live-ball]] record in {{Baseball year|1987}}<ref name=":4" /> and retire with 267 HBPs. [[Craig Biggio]] would break Baylor's record in {{Baseball year|2005}} and retire at the end of the {{Baseball year|2007}} season with 285 HBPs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/HBP_career.shtml|title = Career Leaders & Records for Hit by Pitch}}</ref>

==Personal life==
After baseball, Hunt owned a liquor store and a sporting goods store in [[Wentzville, Missouri]]. Hunt later raised cattle. He founded The Ron Hunt Eagles Baseball Association, a non-profit corporation. It is a live-in training program for 14-18 year olds from the United States, Canada and overseas come to learn and play team baseball, and to prepare them for college.  The players live on site in dorms and play on a field Hunt built, competing in around 40 games over the summer with teams across the Midwest.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Baseball Savvy: Where Are They Now |url=https://www.baseballsavvy.com/w_hunt.html |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=www.baseballsavvy.com}}</ref> 

As of 2018, Hunt was reportedly suffering from [[Parkinson's disease]].<ref name="Davidoff" /> Doctors attributed his Parkinson’s-like symptoms to head trauma sustained during his baseball career.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Belleville |first=Gary |title=August 17, 1971: Expos, Padres brawl after Ron Hunt gets plunked in consecutive plate appearances |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/august-17-1971-expos-padres-brawl-after-ron-hunt-gets-plunked-in-consecutive-plate-appearances/ |website=SABR.org}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Baseball stats| mlb=116325|espn=23202|br=h/huntro01|fangraphs=1006212|brm=hunt--001ron |retro=H/Phuntr101}}
*[https://baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=huntro01 Ron Hunt] at Baseball Almanac

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunt, Ron}}
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American expatriate baseball players in Canada]]
[[Category:Austin Senators players]]
[[Category:Baseball players from St. Louis]]
[[Category:Cedar Rapids Braves players]]
[[Category:Florida Instructional League Mets players]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Dodgers players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball second basemen]]
[[Category:McCook Braves players]]
[[Category:Montreal Expos players]]
[[Category:National League All-Stars]]
[[Category:New York Mets players]]
[[Category:People from Wentzville, Missouri]]
[[Category:Baseball players from St. Charles County, Missouri]]
[[Category:San Francisco Giants players]]
[[Category:St. Louis Cardinals players]]