Todd Hundley
Encyclopedia
Todd Randolph Hundley is a former Major League Baseball
catcher
and outfielder
. He is the son of former Chicago Cubs
catcher Randy Hundley
. Hundley is a graduate of William Fremd High School
, attended William Rainey Harper College and currently lives in Glenview, Illinois
.
on May 18, 1990 when he was 20. He came up with great fanfare but didn't hit very well his first few years in the major leagues
. After a few years and a few injuries, his hitting increasingly improved to match his defense. Hundley broke the single-season home run record for catchers (then held by Roy Campanella
) in 1996
with 41 home runs, which was also the single-season record for the Mets
. Since then, the record for home runs by a catcher in a single season has been broken by Javy López
in 2003
, and Carlos Beltrán
tied the Mets' single season record in 2006
. Hundley was an all-star in 1996
and 1997
while playing for the New York Mets
.
The Mets' acquisition of Mike Piazza
in May of 1998
combined with a career-threatening elbow injury brought his tenure with the Mets to a close. With Piazza on the roster, Hundley attempted to make a comeback as a left fielder, but was unsuccessful and was later traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers
at the end of the season on December 1, 1998 in a three-team trade that brought Armando Benitez
and Roger Cedeño
to the Mets while also sending fellow catcher Charles Johnson to the Orioles. In addition to the Dodgers
, Hundley also played for the Chicago Cubs
(2001–2002), and then returned to the Dodgers for the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
Throughout his career in baseball, Hundley earned over $47 million, according to the Society for American Baseball Research
(as of 2004).
on December 13, 2007 as a player who took performance-enhancing drugs. "The career arcs of two players vividly illustrated how the use of steroids spread through the major leagues. Todd Hundley and David Segui
were teammates on the New York Mets
in the mid-1990s. They received steroids from Kirk Radomski
, a former clubhouse attendant who was a major source of the drugs, according to Mitchell. As Mitchell reported, it was Segui, in a rolling-stone existence as a journeyman on seven teams, who introduced seven players, as well as a trainer, to Radomski. That trainer then reportedly supplied performance-enhancing drugs to three more players, including Roger Clemens
. Hundley went west in a 1999 trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers and took Radomski’s telephone number with him, Radomski told Mitchell. Hundley gave the number to catcher Paul Lo Duca
, who then put Radomski in touch with four more players, including pitchers Éric Gagné
, who once converted a record 84 consecutive saves, and Kevin Brown, a six-time All-Star, the report said. By the 2000 season, the Dodgers’ roster had 11 players who would end up in Mitchell’s report, more than any other team in one year. It is not clear that those 11 players were all using performance-enhancing drugs in 2000.
, was the first visitor to hit a home run into McCovey Cove
at AT&T Park
, on June 30, 2000. As a member of the Chicago Cubs
during a home game on June 26, 2002, Hundley "flipped the bird" to fans while rounding the bases after hitting a home run. Later, Hundley said he was acknowledging heckling fans behind the Reds dugout. The media and Cubs fans never fully accepted the claim.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
and outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
. He is the son of former Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
catcher Randy Hundley
Randy Hundley
Cecil Randolph "Randy" Hundley Jr. is a former American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs , Minnesota Twins , and the San Diego Padres...
. Hundley is a graduate of William Fremd High School
William Fremd High School
William Fremd High School, or Fremd, is a public four-year high school located in Palatine, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 211, which also includes James B...
, attended William Rainey Harper College and currently lives in Glenview, Illinois
Glenview, Cook County, Illinois
Glenview is a suburban village located approximately north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 41,847...
.
Professional career
Hundley made his major league debut with the New York MetsNew York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
on May 18, 1990 when he was 20. He came up with great fanfare but didn't hit very well his first few years in the major leagues
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. After a few years and a few injuries, his hitting increasingly improved to match his defense. Hundley broke the single-season home run record for catchers (then held by Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella , nicknamed "Campy", was an American baseball player, primarily at the position of catcher, in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball...
) in 1996
1996 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves ; John Wetteland, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Bernie Williams**American League Division Series*National League Championship Series MVP: Javy López...
with 41 home runs, which was also the single-season record for the Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. Since then, the record for home runs by a catcher in a single season has been broken by Javy López
Javy López
Javier López Torres is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Atlanta Braves , Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
in 2003
2003 in baseball
-Headline event of the year:*The Florida Marlins become World Series champions, holding off a dynastic New York Yankees team, 4 games to 2.-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion - Florida Marlins...
, and Carlos Beltrán
Carlos Beltrán
Carlos Iván Beltrán is a Major League Baseball outfielder.-Early life:In his youth, Beltrán excelled in many sports, with volleyball and baseball being his favorites. At his father's urging, he gave up volleyball to concentrate on baseball when he was seventeen...
tied the Mets' single season record in 2006
2006 in baseball
-Headline Event of the Year:*The 2006 World Baseball Classic final 4 teams are Japan, Cuba, Korea and the Dominican Republic, with the United States at 3–3 failing to qualify for the semi-finals. Under the leadership of manager Sadaharu Oh and veterans Ichiro Suzuki and Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japan ...
. Hundley was an all-star in 1996
1996 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves ; John Wetteland, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Bernie Williams**American League Division Series*National League Championship Series MVP: Javy López...
and 1997
1997 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Florida Marlins over Cleveland Indians ; Liván Hernández, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Marquis Grissom**American League Division Series*National League Championship Series MVP: Liván Hernández...
while playing for the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
.
The Mets' acquisition of Mike Piazza
Mike Piazza
Michael Joseph "Mike" Piazza ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He played in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics....
in May of 1998
1998 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:*Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Greg Vaughn all hit 30 home runs before the All-Star break and engage in a historic chase for Roger Maris's single-season record of 61 home runs...
combined with a career-threatening elbow injury brought his tenure with the Mets to a close. With Piazza on the roster, Hundley attempted to make a comeback as a left fielder, but was unsuccessful and was later traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
at the end of the season on December 1, 1998 in a three-team trade that brought Armando Benitez
Armando Benítez
Armando Germán Benítez is a relief pitcher who is currently a free agent.-Baltimore Orioles:...
and Roger Cedeño
Roger Cedeño
Roger Leandro Cedeño , is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and switch-hitting batter who had an 11-year career playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, and St. Louis Cardinals.Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an undrafted amateur free agent in...
to the Mets while also sending fellow catcher Charles Johnson to the Orioles. In addition to the Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, Hundley also played for the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
(2001–2002), and then returned to the Dodgers for the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
Throughout his career in baseball, Hundley earned over $47 million, according to the Society for American Baseball Research
Society for American Baseball Research
The Society for American Baseball Research was established in Cooperstown, New York, in August 1971 by Bob Davids of Washington, D.C. The Society's mission is to foster the research and dissemination of the history and record of baseball, while generating interest in the game...
(as of 2004).
Mitchell Report
Hundley was named in the Mitchell ReportMitchell Report (baseball)
The Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball, informally known as the "Mitchell Report", is the result of former Democratic United States Senator from Maine...
on December 13, 2007 as a player who took performance-enhancing drugs. "The career arcs of two players vividly illustrated how the use of steroids spread through the major leagues. Todd Hundley and David Segui
David Segui
David Vincent Segui, is a Cuban-American former Major League Baseball first baseman. Segui played collegiate baseball for Louisiana Tech University and Kansas City Kansas Community College. During a 15-year baseball career, he played with the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Montreal Expos,...
were teammates on the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in the mid-1990s. They received steroids from Kirk Radomski
Kirk Radomski
Kirk J. Radomski is a former batboy and clubhouse employee for the New York Mets Major League Baseball team from 1985–1995, who on April 27, 2007 pleaded guilty in United States district court to money laundering and illegal distribution of anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, Clenbuterol,...
, a former clubhouse attendant who was a major source of the drugs, according to Mitchell. As Mitchell reported, it was Segui, in a rolling-stone existence as a journeyman on seven teams, who introduced seven players, as well as a trainer, to Radomski. That trainer then reportedly supplied performance-enhancing drugs to three more players, including Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
. Hundley went west in a 1999 trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers and took Radomski’s telephone number with him, Radomski told Mitchell. Hundley gave the number to catcher Paul Lo Duca
Paul Lo Duca
Paul Anthony Lo Duca is a television personality and a former Major League Baseball catcher. Previously, Lo Duca played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Florida Marlins , New York Mets , and Washington Nationals...
, who then put Radomski in touch with four more players, including pitchers Éric Gagné
Éric Gagné
Éric Serge Gagné is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.Signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in 1995, Gagné began his career as a starting pitcher...
, who once converted a record 84 consecutive saves, and Kevin Brown, a six-time All-Star, the report said. By the 2000 season, the Dodgers’ roster had 11 players who would end up in Mitchell’s report, more than any other team in one year. It is not clear that those 11 players were all using performance-enhancing drugs in 2000.
Noteworthy Career Events
He hit a home run on Opening Day four seasons in a row, between 1994 and 1997. As a member of the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, was the first visitor to hit a home run into McCovey Cove
McCovey Cove
McCovey Cove is the unofficial name of a section of San Francisco Bay beyond the right field wall of AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, coined after famed Giants first baseman Willie McCovey. The proper name for the cove is China Basin, which is the mouth of Mission Creek as it meets the...
at AT&T Park
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
, on June 30, 2000. As a member of the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
during a home game on June 26, 2002, Hundley "flipped the bird" to fans while rounding the bases after hitting a home run. Later, Hundley said he was acknowledging heckling fans behind the Reds dugout. The media and Cubs fans never fully accepted the claim.
See also
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of second generation MLB players
- List of Major League Baseball players named in the Mitchell Report