Jimmy O'Neal Hurst (March 1, 1972 – July 6, 2024) was an American professional baseball

right fielder A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...

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 ...

. He appeared briefly in only 13 games in one season in

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), ...

for 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 ...

in 1997. Later on he also played in Japan for the

Hiroshima Toyo Carp The is a professional baseball team based in Hiroshima, Japan. They compete in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda founder Jujiro Matsuda ...

in 2003.

Career

Hurst was drafted by the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

in the 12th round of the 1990 amateur draft. Hurst played his first professional season with their Rookie league

GCL White Sox The GCL White Sox were a Gulf Coast League minor league baseball team that played from 1966 to 1977 and from 1980 to 1997. The club was affiliated with the Chicago White Sox. They won two league championships, in 1970 and 1977 - both under manager ...

in 1991, and his last with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks of the independent

Northern League Northern League may refer to: Sport Baseball * Northern League (baseball, 1902–71), a name used by several minor leagues that operated in the upper midwestern U.S. and Manitoba from 1902 to 1971 * Northern League (baseball, 1993–2010), an indep ...

in 2008. He played his last affiliated league season in 1999 for the then

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

' Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs. In 2002 while playing for the Newark Bears, Hurst was named Atlantic League MVP after hitting .341 with 100 RBIs, 35

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s, and 150 hits.

Death

Hurst died on July 6, 2024, after being hospitalized as the result of a brain bleed. He was 52.

References

External links

1972 births 2024 deaths Acereros de Monclova players African-American baseball players American expatriate baseball players in Canada American expatriate baseball players in Japan Atlantic City Surf players Baseball players from Alabama Birmingham Barons players Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks players Detroit Tigers players Gulf Coast White Sox players Hiroshima Toyo Carp players Jacksonville Suns players Major League Baseball right fielders Nashua Pride players Nashville Sounds players New Haven County Cutters players Newark Bears players Nippon Professional Baseball outfielders Pawtucket Red Sox players Prince William Cannons players Utica Blue Sox players Schaumburg Flyers players South Bend White Sox players Syracuse SkyChiefs players Three Rivers Raiders baseball players Toledo Mud Hens players Winnipeg Goldeyes players American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Deaths from intracranial haemorrhage {{US-baseball-outfielder-1970s-stub