Eric Hosmer made his debut at Kauffman Stadium in a May, 2011 game for the Kansas City Royals. It was an Event, and I attended that game gleefully with my future wife. He walked twice, stole a base, and turned a nifty double play. Ever since then, he's been up and down, but he most certainly has had his moments. Hosmer appears to be in a breakout year, and he has continued his postseason dominance from last year without nary a hitch.
Here at Royals Review, we are sometimes perceived as having a 'glass half-empty' outlook on things and a propensity to criticize even when unwarranted. While critique and analysis is an unapologetic part of who we are, we are Royals fans as you, the reader, are (or should be--get on that if you aren't).
Therefore, in celebration of Hosmer's year, we present the Top Ten hits of his illustrious career. May he continue destroying baseballs forever. Amen.
10. June 12, 2013: walkoff single in the bottom of the 10th inning against Detroit
With the game tied at 2, Miguel Tejada led off with a single up the middle. Alcides Escobar and Alex Gordon both grounded out. On an 0-1 pitch with two outs, Hosmer smacked a Phil Coke pitch right up the middle to score Tejada. Royals win 3-2.
This was the height of the Billy Butler's Hit-It-A-Ton BBQ Sauce shenanigans, and somebody smothered Hosmer's face with some in the celebratory scrum. Elliot Johnson also attempted to pants Hosmer with moderate success.
9. September 20, 2012: walkoff single in the bottom of the ninth inning against Chicago
Billy Butler led off the bottom of the ninth with the score even at 3-3. Jarrod Dyson, master runner, replaced him at first. After Salvador Perez and Mike Moustakas made unproductive outs, Dyson stole second base. Jeff Francoeur was intentionally walked so that lefty Matt Thornton could face fellow lefty Hosmer. Hosmer fought off an 0-2 pitch to left field, easily scoring Dyson from second.
8. July 24, 2013: game-tying home run in the bottom of the eighth against Baltimore
Hosmer hit a home run in the bottom of the first inning. In the eighth inning, with Kansas City down 3-1, Lorenzo Cain singled after an Elliot Johnson strikeout. Hosmer proceeded to simply annihilate a ball into the fountains to tie it up 3-3.
7. September 8, 2013: three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth against Detroit
With two outs on a 2-2 count following two singles by Alex Gordon and Emilio Bonifacio down 1-2, Hosmer smashed a three-run home run, breaking the parade of twos and giving the Royals a 4-2 lead against Doug Fister and the tigers. The Royals would not relinquish the lead, winning another game in a last-minute bid for the playoffs in the season's final month.
6. July 28, 2015: go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth against Cleveland
With two outs and a full count in the top of the ninth inning, it looked like Kansas City would allow the Indians a crack at a walkoff victory in the bottom half of the inning. Hosmer did not think so. The ball went away to give the Royals a 2-1 lead. Saveman Holland would easily finish the Indians for the victory.
5. April 23, 2015: go-ahead double in the top of the 13th against Chicago
This was near the end of the infamous Cain/Smardijdija, Royals/White Sox fight that saw suspensions given to multiple players and seemingly cement the Royals as 'Bad Boys' of the league. Moustakas singled with one out in the 13th, and Dyson followed with a fielder's choice. Though Moose was out at second base, Dyson stayed at first. As Dyson was in the midst of stealing second, Hosmer roped a double down the right field line, scoring Dyson as the winning run.
4. May 18, 2011: game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth against Texas
In the bottom of the ninth, Hosmer led off and smashed a game-tying home run to right field against Neftali Feliz, quite timely for his third career home run. Francoeur, Butler, and Wilson Betemit were unable to score in the rest of that inning, though. The Rangers would get to Jeremy Jeffress as Adrian Beltre zinged a go-ahead single to center field. Brayan Pena singled Betemit to score in the bottom of the 11th inning, but Chris Getz struck out looking to end the game.
3. July 15, 2011: go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth against Minnesota
Backed against the wall down 0-1 with two outs and a 0-1 count, Hosmer blasted a deep home run to straightaway center field against Matt Capps, plating Melky Cabrera and himself to make it 2-1 Royals. It was Hosmer's ninth career homer. Joakim Soria would close the game.
2. September 30, 2014: clutch triple in the bottom of the 12th against Oakland
The Wild Card Game. Down 7-8 with one out, Hosmer crushed a ball to left-center field between Jonny Gomes and Sam Fuld, who collided. Hosmer raced to third base. We all know the rest--Christian Colon singled Hosmer in on a high chopper, stole second base, and flew home on the most beautiful hit by Salvador Perez.
1. October 3, 2014: go-ahead home run in the top of the 11th against Los Angeles
With the game knotted up at 1-1 against the dangerous Angels in their home ballpark, Lorenzo Cain singled, placing a speedy man on base. It did not matter. Hosmer rifled a laser beam of a home run into right field, the Royals' go-ahead run en route to their third consecutive extra-innings postseason victory.