Hilldenbrand DFA

[Royals Fan]

Per Torronto Star- Good 1st baseman on th19 -

9:54 pm et
According to the Toronto Star, the Jays have designated Shea Hillenbrand for assignmenent.
Hillenbrand wasn't in the dugout for tonight's game after a team meeting in which he was criticized by manager John Gibbons. "Gibby called a team meeting and then he stood up and reamed me out in front of my teammates," Hillenbrand said. "I'm very disappointed about what he did and I find it very unprofessional." Gibbons later entered the clubhouse during the game and informed him that he was being designated. No word yet on who will replace him on the roster, but Jason Phillips could be a possibility. Such a move would allow the Jays to give more DH time to Bengie Molina and Gregg Zaun. Eric Hinske is the biggest beneficiary of Hillenbrand's departure. Jul. 19 - 9:54 pm et

[pedro]

he's having a pretty good season too.

[Brutus]

Just listening to some of what Hillenbrand has complained about, I get the feeling the problems between he and the organization run much deeper than simply being embarrassed in a team meeting, being out of the lineup two consecutive nights and the organization not congratulating him on his adoption.

It sounds like this problem stems from something that has been building for at least a while.

[Wheelhouse]

Pick him up.

[wojo1025]

Sorry, but no way we get him. He'll be wearing either PinStripes or the Red B within 10 days. I wonder what the Jays are going to think when they release a guy that will be picked up by a team they're trying to catch in the AL East?! That is going to be kinda funny.

Also, where would we put him if we did pick him up? Hatte's playing well, Rich is playing well, everyone's upset that EE isn't getting any playing time as is!

Sorry, as nice of a player as he would be, we aren't getting him. He'll stay in the AL so he can DH

[Gallen5862]

Trade them Yan for Shea Hillenbrand.

[pedro]

this hurts the RA market.

[OnBaseMachine]

He'll end up in San Diego.

[westofyou]

Swing away Shea, the guy is a DH who can't take a walk to save his life.


CAREER
Non P
WALKS <= 125
OBA vs. the league average displayed only--not a sorting criteria
RUNS CREATED/GAME vs. the league average displayed only--not a sorting criteria

AT BATS AB BB OBA RC/G
1 Joe Hornung 4784 120 -.029 -.78
2 Hick Carpenter 4638 111 -.022 -.74
3 Dave Orr 3289 98 .047 3.75
4 Bill Killefer 3150 113 -.052 -1.43
5 Pop Snyder 3122 75 -.041 -1.43
6 Ossee Schreckengost 3053 102 -.024 -.59
7 Bill Bergen 3028 88 -.131 -3.17
8 Pete Gillespie 2927 106 .007 0.17
9 Mike Dorgan 2924 118 .005 -.01
10 Emil Verban 2910 108 -.041 -1.43
11 Silver Flint 2852 53 -.039 -1.25
12 Dude Esterbrook 2837 70 -.013 -.36
13 Otto Miller 2836 104 -.057 -1.46
14 Paul Casanova 2786 101 -.070 -1.76
15 Al Todd 2779 104 -.033 -1.04
16 Shea Hillenbrand 2773 112 -.008 -.14
17 Woody Jensen 2720 69 -.035 -.94
18 Sadie Houck 2659 48 -.023 -.64

[Heath]

I'd probably take a flyer on him if he's cheap.

[RedsManRick]

FWIW, according to MLB radio, he had to leave the team for a few days as he and his wife were adopting a child. When he got back, apparently he received a cold reception. The team expect it to happen during the offseason. This just seems stupid to me. I can't imagine that nobody is willing to flip a prospect or two for him. I agree, he'll be in San Diego.

[schroomytunes]

Although he is a good player, we really have no place for him to play here. We already have RA, EE, Hatte, if anything we need to land another OF and a 5th starter before the deadline.

[jmcclain19]

Hilldenbrand? Didn't he crash over New Jersey?

http://www.corrosion-doctors.org/Hydrogen/images/hindenburg-1937.jpg

[LoganBuck]

Shea is a good friend of my wife's cousin's family in Arizona. I will see if I can get the scoop here.

[Brian]

I don't know if this had something to do with it, but I cut him from my fantasy baseball team Sunday night. I sure hope I didn't get him fired, LOL.

Does seem like an odd move though, you don't normally see guys batting over .300 get DFAd.

[MrCinatit]

Hilldenbrand? Didn't he crash over New Jersey?


Oh, the humanity.

[Rob Dicken]

It would be nice to have him, but we don't need him.

[smith288]

Sounds like the Jays treated him extremely poorly. Adoption is a very grueling and emotional process and to not even be congratulated is akin to coming back from maternity leave for a woman and nobody ever giving her a congratulation or mentioning her absense.

I'd be ticked off too if I was Shea.

[markymark69]

Sounds like the Jays treated him extremely poorly. Adoption is a very grueling and emotional process and to not even be congratulated is akin to coming back from maternity leave for a woman and nobody ever giving her a congratulation or mentioning her absense.

I'd be ticked off too if I was Shea.

I have to agree, especially having gone through the adoption process myself and you are absolutely correct, it takes a long time and is very emotional. Unfortunate situation for Hillenbrand. I really don't see a place for him on the team without trading Aurilia or Hatteberg. Seems to be having a good season and anyone who adopts a child has my respect, no matter what type of person they are.

[cincinnati chili]

This is getting to be a pattern with Shea. He allegedly called Theo Esptein a F-A-G-G-O-T on a Boston radio show. He was also a bit of a malcontent with the Sox, after Jimy Williams (who treated Shea like his pet) got canned.

I wouldn't necessarily take Shea at his word that he was mistreated.

From a baseball standpoint, he has negative economic value. He's not a good enough hitter to be a full time first baseman (lifetime obp under .330), and even if you stick him at 3B his $5.8 million price tag is way too high.

That being said, it was curious that the Jays designated him for assignment rather than just trading him quickly for minimal value. They better be confident that someone will agree to take him on in the next days. Otherwise the Jays will have to eat all but $300K of his salary.

[REDREAD]

FWIW, according to MLB radio, he had to leave the team for a few days as he and his wife were adopting a child. When he got back, apparently he received a cold reception. The team expect it to happen during the offseason. .

If this is true, it looks like we finally got a team that embarassed itself worse than the Reds. It can take a year or more to go through all the hoops to adopt and get placed with a child, and then the team expects him to wait until the offseason to get his kid? that's outrageous. :thumbdown

[Johnny Footstool]

Avoid Shea Hillenbrand.

[smith288]

Avoid Shea Hillenbrand.
We dont have a need for him but it does temper the market for RA which is a bummer.

[westofyou]

This is getting to be a pattern with Shea.
I wouldn't necessarily take Shea at his word that he was mistreated.



"They don't know what they have with me. If they get rid of me, they'll know what they have. You've heard of Jeff Bagwell?"

Shea Hillenbrand


"But if you tell me that Bill Mueller is going to be the first one off the bench and he's going to give you a day off, would you sign him to two years for $4.5 million? And they're talking about cutting costs and saving money. I'm not stupid."

"Why not sign me to a multiyear [contract]? Sign me now so I don't have to go to arbitration." What happens if I go out and have an All-Star year this year and go to arbitration? You have to pay me more."

Hillenbrand said on-base percentage is overrated unless you're the leadoff batter.
To me, if I get a 7-8-9 hitter on base, it don't mean [expletive] to me."


Shea Hillenbrand

[princeton]

Shea will be the next Knicks' or Rangers' GM

[bounty37h]

"If this is true, it looks like we finally got a team that embarassed itself worse than the Reds."

Just out of curiosity, what exactly does this refer to?

[Benihana]

He'll end up in San Diego.


this is what i was thinking. Unfortunately that doesn't help the Aurillia market.

[cincinnati chili]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2525630

More details. I love the image of the Toronto GM getting accupuncture treatment while Gibbons and Hillenbrand are brawling.

[KronoRed]

I wouldn't believe one word out of this guys mouth

Would serve him right to get traded to the royals and see a real sinking ship ;)

[Brutus]

Hillenbrand may be a lunatic, but Gibbons doesn't seem to be denying some of the heftier charges levied against him by Hillenbrand.

Regardless of Hillenbrand's philosophy on baseball and getting on base, he's hitting .301 with 12 and 40 with an .822 OPS. That might not be all-star caliber, but it's not exactly awful, either. The Reds probably don't need him with Aurillia, Encarnacion and Hatteberg, so that's a moot point, but I could think of much worse options.

I'm not going to say walks are overrated, because I don't feel they are, but if you're carrying those numbers, swinging away isn't the most dreadful thing ever. Walks are better than outs, but getting hits is always greater than walks.

[Handofdeath]

Hillenbrand is a poor man's Sean Casey.

[westofyou]

Hillenbrand is a poor man's Sean Casey.
With the ego of Barry Bonds.