Chad Daniel Huffman (born April 29, 1985) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...

and

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

and

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

, and in

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

(NPB) for the

Chiba Lotte Marines The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba, Chiba, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by Lotte Holdings, Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd. The Marines were a founding member of the Pacific Le ...

Amateur career

Huffman played baseball and football at Elkins High School in

Missouri City, Texas Missouri City is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within the metropolitan area. The city is mostly in Fort Bend County, with a small portion in Harris County. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 74,259, an increas ...

. He was named first-team all-district in his sophomore year. In 2002, the Knights won the national championship and Huffman was named first-team all-district, all-state and all-Greater Houston as a junior. He broke his arm and missed all but 12 games in his senior year. In 2010, Huffman was inducted into the Elkins High School Baseball Hall of Fame. After graduating, he attended

Texas Christian University Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private university, private research university in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison Clark, Addison and Randolph Clark as the AddRan Male & Female College. It i ...

(TCU), where he played for the

TCU Horned Frogs The TCU Horned Frogs are the athletic teams that represent Texas Christian University. The 18 varsity teams participate in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA Division I and in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for football, competi ...

team from 2004 to 2006 and

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

team from 2003 to 2005. In his freshman year, he earned

Conference USA Conference USA (CUSA) is a collegiate athletic conference of member institutions in the Southern and Western United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. CUSA's offices are located in Dallas, Texas. Mem ...

freshman of the year and Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American for leading his team in batting average, slugging, runs scored, doubles, and hits. His 97 hits were a new TCU record. He was named to the All-

Tournament Team in both

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

and

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

. Before his sophomore season, Huffman was named a Louisville Slugger Second-Team Pre-season All-American. In 2005, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

with the

Falmouth Commodores The Falmouth Commodores are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Falmouth, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's West Division. The Commodores play their home games at Arnie All ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...

. In 2006, Huffman's offensive contributions led the Horned Frogs to the

Mountain West The Mountain West Conference (MW) is a collegiate athletic conference in the Western United States, participating in NCAA Division I. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The MW officially began operations on Janu ...

regular season and tournament titles for the first time in school history. He was also named MWC tournament MVP. As a junior, Huffman led the team in batting average (.388) and walks (38), while putting up career-high numbers in runs (71) and home runs (18). For his efforts, he was named third-team All-American by

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...

and the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association.

Professional career

San Diego Padres

The

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

selected Huffman in the second round, with the 53rd overall selection, of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Padres on June 22 and started his professional career as an outfielder for the Class A Short Season

Eugene Emeralds The Eugene Emeralds (nicknamed the Ems) are a Minor League Baseball team in the northwest United States, based in Eugene, Oregon. The Emeralds are members of the Northwest League and the High-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Eugene plays ...

. That year, Huffman's .439 on-base percentage led the

Northwest League The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Northwestern United States and Western Canada. A Class A Short Season league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseba ...

, and his .343 batting average and .576 slugging were ranked second. He also spent five games with the

Fort Wayne Wizards A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...

in the

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

. Heading into 2007, Huffman was ranked as the Padres' seventh best prospect by Baseball America. He began the season in High-A with the

Lake Elsinore Storm The Lake Elsinore Storm are a Minor League Baseball team based in Lake Elsinore, California. The Storm compete in the California League as the Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond, w ...

, hitting .307 with 15 home runs and 76 RBI in 84 games. Huffman was a

California League The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major Leagu ...

All-Star and was then promoted to Double-A in July. His offensive numbers leveled off with the

San Antonio Missions The San Antonio Missions are a Minor League Baseball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The Missions compete in the Texas League as the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Nelson W. W ...

, and he hit .270 with seven home runs and 28 RBI. Before the 2008 season, he was ranked as the 22nd best prospect in the Padres system by Baseball America. That year, he remained with San Antonio, was named to the

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

All-Star Game, and hit .284 with nine home runs and 58 RBI in 119 games. After the season, he played in the

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season baseball league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are filled ...

and was named a Rising Star. Prior to the 2009 season, Huffman was rated as the 23rd best prospect in the Padres system. He started the season in Triple-A and was a replacement on the PCL roster for the Triple-A All-Star Game and Home Run Derby that year. Huffman won the 2009 derby at

PGE Park Providence Park (formerly Jeld-Wen Field; PGE Park; Civic Stadium; originally Multnomah Stadium; and from 1893 until the stadium was built, Multnomah Field) is an outdoor association football, soccer venue located in the Goose Hollow, Portland, ...

as a member of the hometown

Portland Beavers The Portland Beavers was the name of separate minor league baseball teams, which represented Portland, Oregon, in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). The team was established in 1903, the first year of the PCL. Franchise history Many baseball teams h ...

. After hitting .269 with 20 home runs in 2009, he was added to the Padres' 40-man roster. Baseball America called him the Padres' 21st best prospect before the 2010. However, he was designated for assignment in spring training in order make room on the 40-man roster for

Matt Stairs Matthew Wade Stairs (born February 27, 1968) is a Canadian former professional baseball outfielder, first baseman, and designated hitter, who holds the record for most pinch-hit home runs in Major League Baseball (MLB) history with 23. His pinc ...

New York Yankees

On April 7, 2010, Huffman was claimed off waivers by New York Yankees and was sent to Triple-A Scranton. On June 13, the

recalled Huffman to replace the injured Marcus Thames. Prior to the call up, Huffman hit .279 with 5 home runs, 22 RBIs, and an on-base percentage of .344 over 190 at bats with the Triple-A

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders, are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pennsylvania, in the S ...

. He got his first career hit in his first Major League at-bat. Huffman was optioned back to Triple-A on July 4 when Thames came off the disabled list. He was designated for assignment on September 15.

Cleveland Indians

On September 17, 2010, he was claimed by the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

and optioned to the Triple-A

Columbus Clippers The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy Merchant ship, merch ...

. Huffman was removed from the

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

on November 3 and sent outright to Columbus. On April 21, he hit three home runs and drove in 10 runs in a game. That year, he hit .246 with 13 home runs and 58 RBI. After the season, Huffman played in the Arizona Fall League. He was a non-roster invitee with the Indians for spring training in 2012 and was assigned to Triple-A on March 27. He hit .282 with six home runs and 33 RBI in 67 games.

St. Louis Cardinals

On February 11, 2013, Huffman signed a minor league deal with the

. He spent the season in Triple-A, hitting.282 with 13 home runs and 55 RBI.

Chiba Lotte Marines

On December 14, 2013, Huffman signed a one-year deal with the

in Japan's

. His first NPB home run was a grand slam against the

Tokyo Yakult Swallows The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams in Tokyo, the other being the Yomiuri G ...

. During the 2014 season, Huffman batted .270 with 20 doubles, four home runs and 28 RBIs in 67 games. He played 64 games with the Marines' minor league squad in 2015.

Detroit Tigers

On December 30, 2015, Huffman signed a minor league contract with the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

. He played in 122 games for the Triple–A

Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A baseball team nicknamed the ...

and hit .286/.388/.505 with 17 home runs, a team-high 70 RBI, and 11 stolen bases. Huffman elected free agency following the season on November 7, 2016.

St. Louis Cardinals

On November 18, 2016, Huffman signed a minor league deal with the

that included an invitation to spring training. The Cardinals promoted him to the major leagues on June 7, 2017. On June 13, he hit a triple against the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

as a pinch hitter to garner his first major league hit since 2010. After 12 games with St. Louis, Huffman was optioned to Triple-A on June 25. On July 25, he was outrighted and given his unconditional release.

Washington Nationals

On July 27, 2017, Huffman signed a minor league deal with the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

. In 28 games for the Triple–A

Syracuse Chiefs Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...

, he batted .203/.294/.311 with one home run and five RBI. Huffman elected free agency following the season on November 6.

Detroit Tigers (second stint)

Huffman signed a minor league contract with the

on November 25, 2017. The deal included an invitation to the Tigers' 2018 spring training camp. Huffman spent the entire 2018 season in Triple-A with the

. He was an All-Star that year and won the Triple-A Home Run Derby at

Huntington Park Huntington Park is a city located in the South Central region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The area includes the separate communities of Florence, California, Florence, Firestone Park, California, Firestone Park, Graham, ...

. He helped lead the team to its first playoff berth since 2007, hitting .268/.359/.457 with 12 home runs and 40 RBI in 85 games. Huffman elected free agency following the season on November 2.

Personal life

Huffman is the son of Debbie and Royce Huffman (

TCU Horned Frogs football The TCU Horned Frogs football team represents Texas Christian University (TCU) in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The Horned Frogs play their home games in Amon G. Carter Stadium, which is located on the ...

player 1969–73), and has two older brothers. Royce Jr. was an all-conference performer in

and

TCU Horned Frogs baseball The TCU Horned Frogs baseball team represents Texas Christian University in NCAA Division I baseball. The Frogs have competed in the Big 12 Conference since 2013 and previously competed in the Mountain West, Conference USA, Western Athletic Conf ...

from 1995 to 1999. He was taken by the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

in the 12th round of the 1999 MLB draft and played for 11 years in the minors. Scott played football and baseball at

Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...

from 1998 to 2002.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Huffman, Chad 1985 births American expatriate baseball players in Japan Chiba Lotte Marines players Columbus Clippers players Eugene Emeralds players Falmouth Commodores players Fort Wayne Wizards players Lake Elsinore Storm players Leones del Caracas players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Living people Major League Baseball left fielders Memphis Redbirds players New York Yankees players Nippon Professional Baseball outfielders Baseball players from Houston Peoria Saguaros players Phoenix Desert Dogs players Portland Beavers players San Antonio Missions players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees players St. Louis Cardinals players Syracuse Chiefs players TCU Horned Frogs baseball players TCU Horned Frogs football players Toledo Mud Hens players Toros del Este players American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic