FAYETTEVILLE — Former Arkansas baseball standout Eric Hinske was named to the Chicago Cubs coaching staff Tuesday.
Hinske will coach first base for the Cubs, who drafted him in the 17th round of the 1998 draft. He just completed his 12th and final season as a player in Major League Baseball.
In 2002, Hinske won the American League Rookie of the Year award with the Blue Jays and was part of the World Series winning teams with the Red Sox (2007) and Yankees (2008). He also spent time in MLB with the Rays, Pirates, Braves and Diamondbacks, finishing his career with a .249 batting average and 137 home runs.
Hinske played three seasons for the Razorbacks from 1996-98. He ranks in the top 10 of seven career batting records at Arkansas, including RBIs, runs scored and batting average. He set a school record with 87 runs scored in 1997.