Eric Walter Munson (born October 3, 1977) is a former
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
catcher
Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...
and current minor-league baseball coach. He was the third overall pick in the
1999 Major League Baseball draft by 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 of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
, behind
Josh Hamilton
Joshua Holt Hamilton (born May 21, 1981) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from to , most prominently as a member of the Texas Rangers teams that won two consecutive Americ ...
and
Josh Beckett
Joshua Patrick Beckett (born May 15, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). A three-time MLB All-Star, he played for the Florida Marlins, the Boston Red Sox, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After ...
.
Amateur career
Munson graduated from San Diego's
Mount Carmel High School where he played baseball with former major league third baseman
Eric Chavez
Eric Cesar Chavez (born December 7, 1977) is an American professional baseball coach and former third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics (1998–2010), New York Yankees (2011–2012), and Arizona Diamondb ...
. Munson was named to the
All-America First Team by the
American Baseball Coaches Association
The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) is the world's largest Amateur baseball in the United States, amateur baseball Manager (baseball), coaching organization. It was founded in 1945 as the American Association of College Baseball Coach ...
and
Rawlings. Munson was first drafted out of high school in
1996 by the Atlanta Braves, who chose him 62nd overall in the 2nd round. Munson however did not sign, opting to play college baseball at the
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
, where he was named Freshman All-American. Among Munson's USC teammates were future Astros teammates
Jason Lane
Jason Dean Lane (born December 22, 1976) is an American professional baseball former player and current coach. He is the third base coach for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the Houston Astros and San ...
and
Morgan Ensberg. After three seasons at USC, Munson was drafted third overall in the 1st round of the
1999 amateur draft by 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 of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
.
Professional career
Minor leagues
The Tigers signed Munson to a $3.50 million signing bonus, a team record until
Rick Porcello
Frederick Alfred Porcello III (born December 27, 1988) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and New York Mets.
Selected by the Tigers in the 2007 MLB ...
was signed for $3.58 million in 2007. Despite playing the
catcher
Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...
position in high school and college, the Tigers had drafted Munson mostly for his hitting skills, and the decision was made to shift him to
first base
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 ...
. Although his batting average was merely average (.260s), Munson hit for power in the minor leagues, and was named to 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 ...
All Star Team in 1999 and the
Eastern League All Star Team in
2001. In
2002, while playing for the
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 Mud Hens team has played in ...
, Munson was named the Detroit Tigers Minor League Player of the Year.
Detroit Tigers
Munson began his major league career 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 of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
, making his debut in July 2000 for a week. He then was a September call up, and made appearances in three games. He also made September appearances in 2001 and 2002. During
spring training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
prior to the
2003 season, Munson was asked to try the
third base
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
position, as the Tigers had previously acquired
Carlos Peña
Carlos Felipe Peña (born May 17, 1978) is a Dominican former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, C ...
and
Dmitri Young
Dmitri Dell Young (born October 11, 1973) is an American former professional baseball player. He played all or parts of 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a left fielder, first baseman, and designated hitter, for the St. Louis Cardinals ...
, both of whom were slated to play first base or
designated hitter
The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...
. The club's regular third baseman,
Dean Palmer
Dean William Palmer (born December 27, 1968) is an American former third baseman in Major League Baseball who had a 14-year career from 1989 to 2003. He played for the Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers, all of the American Leag ...
, was dealing with numerous injuries and would not be available. Munson would go on to play in 91 games at third. On June 26, 2004, he hit what was then the longest home run in the history of
Comerica Park
Comerica Park is a baseball stadium located in Downtown Detroit. It has been the home of Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers since 2000, when the team left Tiger Stadium.
History Construction
Founded in 1894, the Tigers had played at the ...
off of
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...
pitcher
Brandon Villafuerte. It currently places tied for 2nd longest. The ball traveled an estimated 457 feet, striking the center field camera well at the concourse level. Munson was granted free agency at the end of the season.
Later playing career
He signed with the
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
in early
2005, but was released during spring training. Munson soon thereafter signed with the
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home ve ...
' top affiliate, the
Durham Bulls
The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened ...
, where he again played first base. Munson also appeared in 11 games for the Devil Rays.
Prior to the 2006 season, Munson was signed as a minor league free agent by the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
. With Houston, he backed up
Brad Ausmus
Bradley David Ausmus (; born April 14, 1969) is an American former professional baseball manager and catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). In his 18-year MLB playing career, Ausmus played for the San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Houston Ast ...
at catcher, the position he played in college at USC. On August 20, 2006, Munson was
designated for assignment
Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...
by the Astros and he accepted a demotion to their Triple-A affiliate, the
Round Rock Express
The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home games at the Dell Diamond. The team is named ...
, in the
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 ...
. He returned to Houston when the major league rosters expanded in September. Munson again signed a minor league contract with the Express for
2007, and began the season in the minors. Due to the injury to Astros catcher
Héctor Giménez, Munson was recalled to the major league roster on June 2, 2007.
The Milwaukee Brewers claimed Munson off waivers on October 15, 2007. On March 26, he was sent outright to the Brewers' Triple-A club in
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
. There, he split his time between first base and catcher. He became a free agent at the end of the season.
Munson signed a minor league deal with the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
on March 27, 2009 and reported to the Athletics' Triple-A affiliate, the
Sacramento River Cats
The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics for 15 ...
. On September 11, 2009, Munson's contract was purchased from triple-A and he joined the A's as a September call-up. In October 2009, Munson was granted free agency.
On February 25, 2010, Munson signed a minor league contract with 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 (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...
. On July 6, 2010, the
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 ...
(the Padres' AAA franchise) released Munson.
In August 2010, Munson signed to play for the
Newark Bears
The Newark Bears were an American minor league professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They were a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and, later, the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball. T ...
of the independent
Atlantic League.
Post-playing career
In September 2011, Munson joined the USC baseball coaching staff as an undergrad assistant coach under head coach Frank Cruz.
Munson joined the University of Dubuque Baseball staff as an assistant coach for the 2013 season. Munson will primarily work with the hitters and catchers while also providing a wealth of knowledge and on the field experience.
Munson opened up his own training facility, Gold Standard Athletics by Eric Munson, in the fall of 2013. He also coached for the 18U USA Baseball National Team where they won a gold medal in Taiwan.
Before the 2022 season, Munson was named hitting coach for the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
AAA
AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to:
Airports
* Anaa Airport in French Polynesia (IATA airport code AAA)
* Logan County Airport (Illinois) (FAA airport code AAA)
Arts, entertainment, and me ...
affiliate
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which open ...
.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Munson, Eric
1977 births
Living people
Detroit Tigers players
Tampa Bay Devil Rays players
Houston Astros players
Oakland Athletics players
Baseball players from San Diego
West Michigan Whitecaps players
Lakeland Tigers players
Jacksonville Suns players
Erie SeaWolves players
Toledo Mud Hens players
Durham Bulls players
Round Rock Express players
Nashville Sounds players
Sacramento River Cats players
Newark Bears players
Portland Beavers players
Bridgeport Bluefish players
USC Trojans baseball players
Major League Baseball third basemen
Major League Baseball catchers