Eric Hinske’s return to Turner Field as a first base coach for the Chicago Cubs might not qualify to some as triumphant. But compared to where he was the last time he came to town, Hinske will gladly take it.
A little less than a year ago, the former Braves bench player came to Atlanta as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The team had just landed after a series in Washington when general manager Kevin Towers decided Eric Chavez was ready to return from the disabled list.
So before Hinske had a chance to even greet his former Braves teammates, having spent the previous three seasons in that home dugout at Turner Field, he was designated for assignment, a.k.a. released.
The news was so unexpected that Hinske’s longtime locker-mate, Chipper Jones, had not heard it yet. And Jones, who had his No. 10 jersey retired that night in a pre-game ceremony last June 28, singled out Hinske from the podium during his speech not knowing Hinske was busy packing his bags.
“I guess there never is a good time to be designated for assignment,” Hinske said with a smile. “What are you going to do?”
Hinske was at a crossroads. And ultimately he chose retirement, at age 35, after 12 major-league seasons.
“It’s tough when you get to the end,” Hinske said. “You’re humbled. You have to look yourself in the mirror and say, ‘Do I want to keep trying to do this?’ Or know that you can’t, (that) your bat is slowing down a little bit. And that’s how I felt. I did a lot of soul-searching. I talked to my wife and my dad. I knew that I was done and I was good with it.”
But Hinske knew he wanted to stay in the game and it took a little time to find the opportunity.
Hinske, who played on three consecutive World Series teams with the Red Sox, Devil Rays and Yankees, got his first call from the Yankees and general manager Brian Cashman. The Yankees hired him as a major-league scout. He jumped at the chance and found himself on the phone with former Braves teammate Brian McCann, trying to help the Yankees pursue him in free agency.
Three weeks into that job, “Theo Epstein” popped up on Hinske’s caller ID. The former Red Sox general manager, now GM for the Cubs, wanted Hinske to interview for their first base coaching job. A good interview five days later got Hinske back in uniform.
“I was just so happy, lucky that I didn’t have to go to the minor leagues first,” Hinske said. “It’s very rare where you see a guy step off the field and go right on to coaching. (Braves bullpen coach) Eddie Perez did it. I was very proud of that fact. I felt like I did things the right way as a player, so that helped me a lot when I was done. So I’m very proud of that.”
Hinske said coaching has felt natural to him, after years of mentoring younger players like Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman as a veteran clubhouse leader and top pinch-hitter.
“It’s cool,” Hinske said. “You don’t have to stress about hitting the heater anymore.”
He laughed and admitted coaching is more work.
“You don’t have to worry about yourself anymore, you’ve got to worry about everybody else,” Hinske said. “(Go to) meetings. I’ve got to position the outfielders, so I need to know where all those guys hit the ball.”
He’s also still trying to perfect batting practice pitching, so t team hasn’t added that to his duties just yet.
He made time in his schedule when at Turner Field to talk with multiple members of the Atlanta media. “I’m big in Atlanta, man,” joked Hinske when one of the Cubs players gave him a hard time for doing yet another interview.
Hinske soaked it up, making the most of his trip to a city — that with the exception of one day last June — he remembers fondly.
“Three of the best years of my career, I feel like, no doubt,” Hinske said. “I loved every moment here. I loved the guys. I loved the managers. And I loved everything. It was a great place for me and my family.”
