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Corey Hart (born Jon Corey Hart on March 24, 1982) is an American baseball outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Early life[]
Hart started for the Greenwood High School Gators in Bowling Green. Hart also played basketball for four years at Greenwood. On the diamond, he played nearly every position, routinely in the middle infield and even pitching in relief.
Career[]
Minor leagues[]
Hart was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 11th round of the 2000 MLB Draft.
He started his career in 2000 with the Rookie League Ogden Raptors, primarily playing at first base. He moved up to the single-A High Desert Mavericks and then the double-A Huntsville Stars by the 2002 season; defensive problems caused Hart to be moved to the outfield. Playing there, he moved up to the Class AAA Indianapolis Indians by 2004.
In 2005, Hart batted .308 with 17 home runs and 69 RBIs in 113 games for the triple-A Nashville Sounds. While there, Hart played alongside future major league teammates Prince Fielder and JJ Hardy. He also had 31 stolen bases, a relatively unusual feat for a player as tall as the 6'6" (1.98 m) Hart. Hart continued to play in both the minor and major leagues through 2006, and was regarded as one of Milwaukee's top prospects.
Milwaukee Brewers[]
Hart made his MLB debut with the Brewers on May 25, 2004. Hart's next appearance in the majors was August 14, 2005, when he hit his first career MLB home run, a three-run blast against the Cincinnati Reds into the Upper Deck at Miller Park. Hart played 87 games for the major league club in 2006 and was with the Brewers for the entire 2007 season, mainly seeing action in right-field. Hart also led off for the Brewers for almost half of the 2007 season when second baseman Rickie Weeks was on the disabled list.
During Spring Training prior to the 2007 season, Hart, who stands at 6'6", recorded the fastest 60 yard dash of any player on the Brewers roster.
During the 2007 season, Hart had a 22-game hitting streak[10] which was finally snapped in a July 7 game against the Washington Nationals, as Hart went 0-4 with a walk.
In 2007, Hart became the first Brewer since 2003 to steal 20 bases and hit 20 home runs in a single season.
In 2008, Hart was selected as an outfielder to the National League team at the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which took place on July 15 at Yankee Stadium.[1] He was voted in by the fans as a final vote in which he beat out David Wright of the Mets as well as Pat Burrell of the Phillies, Aaron Rowand of the Giants, and Carlos Lee of the Astros (a former Brewer himself).
On August 30, 2008 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Hart became the first Brewers player in team history to have back to back 20-20 seasons.
Hart reached base on an error 14 times in 2008, more than any other batter in the NL.