Eric Hetzel
Eric Paul Hetzel (born September 25, 1963 in Crowley, Louisiana) is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played between 1989 and 1990 for the Boston Red Sox. Listed at 6' 3", 175 lb., Hetzel batted and threw right-handed. He was selected by Boston in the first round (1st pick) of the 1985 draft out of Louisiana State University.
| Eric Hetzel | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitcher | |||
| Born: September 25, 1963 Crowley, Louisiana | |||
| |||
| MLB debut | |||
| July 1, 1989, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| September 13, 1990, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Games pitched | 21 | ||
| Win–Loss record | 3–7 | ||
| Earned run average | 6.12 | ||
| Strikeouts | 53 | ||
| Teams | |||
Hetzel spent six years in the Red Sox organization. He debuted in 1985, with Class-A Greensboro, and posted a 7-5 mark with a 5.57 ERA. In 1987 he went 10-12 with a 3.55 ERA for Class-A Winter Haven, after missing a year with an unknown injury. Promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket in 1988, he finished 6-10 with a 3.96 ERA, and went 4-4, 2.48 in 1989, before joining the Red Sox during the midseason. He ended with a 2-3 record and a 6.26 ERA In 11 starts for Boston.
Hetzel started the 1990 season in Pawtucket. Again, he earned a midseason call-up to the Red Sox after going 6-5 with a 3.64 ERA in 18 starts, but he went just 1-4 with 5.91 ERA in eight appearances for the big team. In 1991 he returned for his third stint with Pawtucket, ending with a 9-5 mark and a 3.57 ERA in 19 starts.
In two major league seasons career, Hetzel posted a 3-7 record with 53 strikeouts and a 6.12 ERA in 21 appearances, including 19 starts and 85⅓ innings of work. In 112 minor league starts, he went 42-41 with 592 strikeouts and a 3.74 ERA in 702 ⅔ innings.
A shoulder injury forced him to leave the game.
Hetzel is married to Catherine Arceneaux of Crowley. They have 6 children.