Charles Edward Hinton Jr. (May 3, 1934 – January 27, 2013) was an American 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 ...
player. An
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 ...
, Hinton 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 ...
for the
Washington Senators (1961–64),
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 ...
(1965–67, 1969–71) and
California Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. Since 1966, the team has pl ...
(1968). He batted and threw right-handed and was listed as tall and .
In an eleven-season career, Hinton posted a .264
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
with 113
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
s and 443
runs batted in
A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...
in 1353
games played
Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.
Associat ...
.
Playing career
Hinton attended
Shaw University
Shaw University is a private historically black university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded on December 1, 1865, Shaw University is the oldest HBCU to begin offering courses in the Southern United States. The school had its origin in the fo ...
, where he played
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 ...
,
American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
, and
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
for the
Shaw Bears. He served for two years in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
.
[
In 1956, Hinton attended a baseball tryout camp, where he signed a contract with the ]Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
. He won two minor-league batting championships in the Orioles system, playing with the Aberdeen Pheasants
The Aberdeen Pheasants was the primary moniker minor league baseball teams located in Aberdeen, South Dakota between 1920 and 1997. The Pheasants played in the Northern League from 1946 until the league folded in 1971. Aberdeen was the Class C ...
of Class C Northern League in 1959 and the Stockton Ports
The Stockton Ports are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Athletics. They are located in Stockton, California, and are named for the city's seaport. The team plays its home games at Banner I ...
of the Class C 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 ...
in 1960.[ The Orioles promoted Hinton to the ]Vancouver Mounties
The Vancouver Mounties were a high-level minor league baseball club based in Vancouver, British Columbia, that played in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) from 1956– 62 and – 69. Its home field was Capilano Stadium. During the Mounties' first tw ...
of the Class AAA
Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
during the 1960 season. Afraid they might lose Hinton in the 1960 Major League Baseball (MLB) expansion draft, the Orioles had Hinton fake a shoulder injury during winter league baseball. Despite this, the Washington Senators selected Hinton in the expansion draft.[
The Senators optioned Hinton to the ]Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory ...
of the Class AAA American Association before the regular season began. They promoted Hinton from the minor leagues on May 14, 1961, and he made his MLB debut the next day. He finished the 1961 season with a .260 batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
.[ In 1962, he had a .310 batting average, good for fourth in the ]American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
,[ and finished second in ]stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base unaided by other actions and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out ...
s to Luis Aparicio
Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel (born April 29, 1934), nicknamed "Little Louie", is a Venezuelans, Venezuelan former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop from 1956 to 1973 for three American League ...
.[ Hit in the head with a pitch on September 5, 1963, Hinton was unconscious when he was carried off the field. He returned to the lineup eight days later, but felt limited by symptoms of the ]concussion
A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brief ...
.[ Hinton was named to represent the ]American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
in the 1964 MLB All-Star Game.
After the 1964 season, the Senators traded Hinton to 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 ...
for Bob Chance and Woodie Held
Woodson George "Woodie" Held (March 25, 1932 – June 11, 2009) was an American shortstop/outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, Baltimor ...
. He was dealt to the California Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. Since 1966, the team has pl ...
for José Cardenal
José Rosario Domec Cardenal (born October 7, 1943) is a Cuban American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1963 to 1980, most prominently as a member of the Chicago Cubs, with ...
on November 29, 1967.[Lacy, Sam. "Chuck Hinton welcomes trade to Angels, Rigney," ''The Baltimore Afro-American'', December 2, 1967.](_blank)
Retrieved March 2, 2013 Hinton batted .195 in the 1968 season with the Angels. Just before the 1969 season, the Angels traded Hinton back to the Indians for Lou Johnson
Louis Brown Johnson (September 22, 1934 – October 1, 2020), nicknamed "Sweet Lou," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. Johnson's professional baseball career lasted for 17 seasons, and included 8 years in the majors: parts of 196 ...
. The Indians released Hinton after the 1971 season. In all, Hinton played six years with the Indians.
Post-playing career
From 1972 to 2000, Hinton was head coach for the Howard University
Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Mid ...
baseball team. Hinton led the Bison to their first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC ) is a List of NCAA conferences, collegiate athletic conference whose full members are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and the Mid-A ...
championship.
In 1982, he founded the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association
The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created in 1982 by former Washington Senators player Chuck Hinton to promote the game of baseball, raise money for charities, inspire and educa ...
(MLBPAA), a non-profit organization that promotes the game of baseball, raises money for charities, inspires and educates youth through positive sport images and protects the dignity of the game through former players.[
]
Personal
Hinton and his wife, Irma, lived in Washington, D.C. They had four children. He died from complications of Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...
on January 27, 2013.
Highlights
* 1964 American League All-Star
*Two hitting-streaks in 1962 (17 and 15 games)
*Fourth in the 1962 American League batting title (.310), behind Pete Runnels
James Edward "Pete" Runnels (January 28, 1928 – May 20, 1991) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as an infielder for the Washington Senators (1951–57), Boston Red Sox (1958– ...
(.326), Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Mick" and "the Commerce Comet", was an American professional baseball player who played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...
(.321) and Floyd Robinson (.312)
*Three times led the Washington Senators in batting average (1962–64), four times in triples
TripleS (; ; stylized as tripleS) is a South Korean 24-member multinational girl group formed by Modhaus. They aim to be the world's first decentralized idol group, where the members will rotate between the full group, sub-units, and solo activi ...
and stolen bases (1961–64), and was the last Senator to hit .300
*His uniform number 32 is honored in the Washington Wall of Stars
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hinton, Chuck
1934 births
2013 deaths
Aberdeen Pheasants players
African-American baseball coaches
African-American baseball players
American League All-Stars
Baseball players from North Carolina
Baseball players from Washington, D.C.
Burials at Quantico National Cemetery
California Angels players
Cleveland Indians players
Howard Bison baseball coaches
Indianapolis Indians players
Major League Baseball outfielders
Phoenix Stars players
Shaw Bears baseball players
Shaw Bears football players
Shaw Bears men's basketball players
Sportspeople from Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Stockton Ports players
Vancouver Mounties players
Washington Senators (1961–1971) players
20th-century American sportsmen
20th-century African-American sportsmen
21st-century African-American sportsmen