James Paul Hinson (May 9, 1904 – September 23, 1960) was an American professional baseball shortstop and third baseman who made three appearances for the 1928 Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pinch runner. Listed at 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) and 150 pounds (68 kg), he batted and threw right-handed. He later served as a police officer in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
| Paul Hinson | |
|---|---|
 Hinson as a police officer, c. 1957 | |
| Pinch runner | |
| Born: May 9, 1904 Vanleer, Tennessee | |
| Died: September 23, 1960 (aged 56) Muskogee, Oklahoma | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 19, 1928, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 30, 1928, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Games played | 3 |
| Plate appearances | 0 |
| Runs scored | 1 |
| Teams | |
Biography
editHinson played in minor league baseball from 1927 to 1930, and again in 1933.[1] In five minor league seasons, he appeared in at least 340 games, with over 140 appearances at both shortstop and third base.[1] Hinson led the Western Association in stolen bases in 1927, with 48 steals in 120 games; he had a .315 batting average that season and had a .922 fielding percentage at third base.[2] He batted .306 in 1929 and .307 in 1930; records for some of his other seasons are incomplete.[1]
Hinson appeared in three major league games for the Boston Red Sox in 1928, each time as a pinch runner.[3] He scored one run, and did not get a plate appearance or play defensively.[3] Hinson's first and most successful pinch running appearance came on April 19 against the New York Yankees, in the first game of a home doubleheader at Fenway Park.[4] With the Yankees leading, 6–3, Johnnie Heving led off the bottom of the eighth inning as a pinch hitter for the pitcher; he singled, and Hinson entered the game to run for him.[5][6] Ira Flagstead doubled, advancing Hinson to third base, followed by a ground out by Phil Todt, scoring Hinson.[5] The Red Sox scored three more runs to take the lead, 7–6.[5] In the top of the ninth inning, pitcher Red Ruffing entered the game in place of Hinson, and held the Yankees scoreless to earn a save.[5] Hinson pinch ran in two other games, on May 7 and May 30, but did not score either time.[4] At the beginning of June, the Red Sox optioned Hinson to the Salem Witches of the New England League;[7] he successfully stole home in his first game with Salem.[8]
As well as Hinson and sprinter Herb Washington, several other players have made a majority of their major league appearances a pinch runner, notably Mel Kerr for the 1925 Chicago Cubs and Gary Hargis for the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates. Other teams have occasionally kept pinch-running specialists for brief stretches, such as Matt Alexander, Allan Lewis, Don Hopkins and Larry Lintz.
Hinson was born in 1904 in Vanleer, Tennessee.[3] During and after his baseball career, he served as a police officer in Muskogee, Oklahoma, where he was shot in the hip in November 1930 while attempting to capture a burglary suspect.[9][10] Hinson ultimately became the chief of police, before leaving the force in 1957.[10] He died by suicide in Muskogee at the age of 56 in 1960.[10] He was married, with no children.[10][11]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Paul Hinson Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
- ^ "Red Sox Recruit Fast on Baselines". The Boston Globe. January 20, 1928. p. 20. Retrieved August 9, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Paul Hinson". Retrosheet. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
- ^ a b "The 1928 BOS A Regular Season Batting Log for Paul Hinson". Retrosheet. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Boston Red Sox 7, New York Yankees 6 (1)". Retrosheet. April 19, 1928. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
- ^ O'Leary, James C. (April 20, 1928). "Sox Victors, 7-6, Yankees Win, 7-2". The Boston Globe. p. 25. Retrieved August 9, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Red Sox Send Three to Salem Club on Option". The Boston Globe. June 1, 1928. p. 19. Retrieved August 9, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ex-Red Sox Help Salem to Victory". The Boston Globe. June 2, 1928. p. 11. Retrieved August 9, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Baseball Player Cop Runs Into Loaded Revolver". Seminole Morning News. Seminole, Oklahoma. AP. November 9, 1930. p. 18. Retrieved August 9, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d "Former Police Chief Hinson Is Found Dead". Muskogee Phoenix. Muskogee, Oklahoma. September 24, 1960. p. 1. Retrieved August 9, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hinson (cont'd)". Muskogee Phoenix. Muskogee, Oklahoma. September 24, 1960. p. 2. Retrieved August 9, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
Further reading
edit- Nowlin, Bill. "Paul Hinson". SABR. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
External links
edit- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Paul Hinson at Find a Grave