Bobby Abreu

Through 2004, Abreu is a .305 hitter with 166 home runs and 674 RBI in 1167 games. In a four-season career, Hillenbrand is a .288 hitter with 65 home runs and 309 in 577 games. He also posted the league's tenth best OPS (.971) and eight highest in total bases (312). He was traded to the Blue Jays at the end of the season. Abreu finished the season with a .301 average, 30 home runs and 105 RBI, and ranked among the National League top five in five offensive categories: runs (4th, 118), doubles (4th, 47), stolen bases (3rd, 40), walks (2nd, 127) and on base percentage (5th, .428). In 2004, Hillenbrand hit a career-high .310 with 15 home runs and 80 RBI over 148 games. Finally, in 2004, he got his first All-Star berth, being voted in as the "32nd man" in online voting on MLB.com. He finished the season with a combined .280 batting average and career-highs in RBI (97) and home runs (20), including a three-homer game with the Diamondbacks in month of July.

In 2001 Abreu reached career highs in home runs (31) and RBI (110), and hit .308 in 2002 and .300 a year later. With Mueller hitting around .380 and playing a solid third base, Hillenbrand became expendable and was sent to Arizona for pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim on May 29. His .335 average that season ranked third in the National League and was the highest posted by a Phillies player since outfielder Tony González hit .339 in 1967. The Red Sox had signed free agent Bill Mueller, another third baseman, and many believed that Hillenbrand's lack of strike zone judgment would not be compatible with the on base percentage priorities of new Sox general manager Theo Epstein. In 1999 he made a brief run at the batting title. Nevertheless, Hillenbrand entered 2003 being the subject of trade rumors. In his first season with the Phillies, Abreu led his team with a .312 batting average and collected 17 home runs, 74 RBI, and 19 stolen bases in 151 games, with 271 putouts and 17 assists in right field. His play earned him the starting third baseman spot in the All-Star Game.

Despite the fact that Astros and Devil Rays both deeming him expendable, Abreu firmly established himself as one of the most promising young hitters and strong-armed rightfielders in the game. However, he retained his spot on the roster for 2002, and responded with a much better season, hitting 20 home runs with a .330 on base percentage and .459 of slugging average. Left unprotected in the 1997 expansion draft when Houston decided to keep fellow Venezuelan outfielder Richard Hidalgo, Abreu was selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, but minutes later he was traded to the Phillies for shortstop Kevin Stocker. Hillenbrand played 139 games for the Sox in his rookie season, mostly at third base, but a .263 batting average failed to hide his failure to get on base adequately, nor to hit with power. He played only 74 games over two seasons. An average season at age 25 did not bode well for his chances as a prospect, but he parlayed an invitation to spring training with the Red Sox in 2001 into a spot on the big-league team for opening day. Abreu started his major league career with the Houston Astros on September 1, 1996. The year 2000 saw Hillenbrand back at Trenton, now back to playing first base and third base as the injury prevented him from catching.

. However, a leg injury restricted him to only 69 games.
. This earned him a promotion in 1999 to AA Trenton Thunder of the Eastern League. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed. In 1998, still with Michigan, he was converted to play catcher and responded with his best season in the minors, with a .349 batting average and 19 home runs. Bob Kelly Abreu [ah-BRAY-oo] (born March 11, 1974 in Maracay, Aragua State, Venezuela) is a Major League Baseball right fielder who plays for the Philadelphia Phillies. Despite being drafted as a shortstop, he played at first base and third base his first two years in the minors.

Abreu is the first player in Phillies history and the first Venezuelan big leaguer to ever steal 30 bases and hit 30 home runs in one single season. In 1997, he was promoted to the Sarasota Red Sox of the Florida State League, and was promoted again after 57 games, finishing the season with 64 games with the Michigan Battle Cats of the Midwest League. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum displays the bat used by Abreu to hit the first home run in the Phillies’ new ballpark, Citizens Bank Park on April 12, 2004. Hillenbrand played 72 games in 1996 for the Low-A Lowell Spinners in the New York - Penn League. Abreu's longest homer was measured at 517'. He attended Mesa Community College from 1994-96, before being drafted by Boston in the 10th round of the 1996 amateur draft. He set records with 24 home runs in a single round and 41 overall, topping Miguel Tejada's previous marks of 15 and 27, set a year earlier. A native of Mesa, Arizona, Hillenbrand attended Mount View High School there, excelling in both baseball, as a shortstop, and soccer.

At Comerica Park –a field normally considered a "pitcher's park"–, Abreu won the Home Run Derby. He bats and throws right-handed. Louis Cardinals Jim Edmonds. Previously, Hillenbrand has played with the Boston Red Sox (2001-03) and Arizona Diamondbacks (2003-04). Abreu was voted a starter of the NL outfield for the All-Star Game, finishing second in fan voting, behind St. Shea Matthew Hillenbrand (born July 27, 1975) is a Major League Baseball first baseman/third baseman who plays for the Toronto Blue Jays. He also became the first player in major league history to hit nine home runs in a 10-game stretch.

Abreu also led the NL in slugging average (.792), on-base percentage (.535), walks (30) and was tied for the league lead with 30 RBI. In May, Abreu was honored as the Player of the Month in the National League, after hit .396 and 11 home runs. Bobby Bonds had seven straight 20/20 seasons (1969-75), while his son Barry had nine in a row (1990-98). One of three ML players with seven consecutive 20-HR, 20 stolen base seasons.

.929 career OPS [18th among active players, 39th on the all-time list] (1996-2004). .517 career slugging average [25th between active players, 62nd on the all-time list] (1996-2004). .412 career on base percentage [6th among active players, 30th on all-time list] (1996-2004). 210 career stolen bases [ranks him 25th among active players] (1996-2004).

Rested only in 12 games in four consecutive seasons (2001-04). Led league in games played (162, 2001). 7-time top 10 in walks (1998-2004). Twice reached the 30-30 club (2001, 2004).

6-time hit .300 or more in seven regular seasons (1998-2000, 2002-04). Led league in power/speed number (34.3, 2004). Led league in triples (11, 1999). Led league in doubles (50, 2002).

Silver Slugger Award (2004). Twice All-Star (2004-05).