It’s March 14, 1996, and the Orioles beat the Florida Marlins 4-3 in spring training. O’s ace Mike Mussina was back on the mound after missing a few days with a sore stomach muscle. He looked sharp, which sent a sigh of relief across Birdland. Today, we’ll focus on Mussina’s battery mate. Catcher Chris Hoiles’s frustrating spring continued, as he went 0-for-4 and has just one hit in 24 at bats during the exhibition season. One of the league’s best and most underrated catchers, he has prepared vigorously for this season as he is looking to bounce back from a “down” 1995 campaign.

Chris Hoiles was born in March of 1965 in Bowling Green, Ohio. Growing up in rural Wayne, Ohio, Hoiles always played catcher, whether it was in Little League, high school, or at Eastern Michigan University. And he was very good at it. Guys in small towns in colder climates often fall under the radar in baseball, but Hoiles managed to be drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 19th round of the 1986 draft. 

In 1988, after two years in the Detroit system, the Tigers traded Hoiles and a couple other players to Baltimore for outfielder Fred Lynn. He got a cup of coffee in the majors in 1989 (6 games) and 1990 (24 games), and finally became a regular in 1991.

He was excellent in an injury-shortened season in 1992, clubbing 20 home runs and getting on base at a remarkable clip (.384 obp) in just 96 games. And then 1993 happened, and he had a season that put him not just among the best at his position, but among the best players in all of baseball. His batting line was ridiculous for anyone, let alone a catcher, at .310 avg/.416 obp/.585 slg/1.001 ops. He hit 29 home runs, which meant the phone was ringing off the hook at his parents’ — Tim and Carol Hoiles — house back in Wayne.

“Chris has a ritual with his home runs,” Carol said. “He will call us no matter what time of night when he hits a home run. Even if it’s just for a second. He’s kept it up even now in the big leagues.” (The Sentinel-Tribune; Bowling Green, Ohio; p. 6; September 3, 1993)

The Orioles never imagined they’d be getting so much productivity back when they picked up Hoiles in 1988. Just ask Hall-of-Fame Orioles legend Frank Robinson, the team’s former manager and current assistant general manager. “When we acquired Chris, we felt he’d hit the long ball occasionally, but we didn’t have any idea he’d become the hitter he is today.” (The Sentinel-Tribune; Bowling Green, Ohio; p. 6; September 3, 1993)

Of all the players on the team, Hoiles is perhaps the most reflective of the different era of baseball in the 1990s. Of the stats above, only home runs and batting average were cited in most stories about the slugging catcher. On base percentage and OPS (on-base plus slugging) became more valued in the 2000s, and now higher end analytics that measure a player’s performance compared to the league average (WAR, OPS+ and wRC+) and other more advanced stats dominate baseball discourse. I won’t get into the details of those stats, but the point is that all of them (traditional and advanced) seemed to show Hoiles as a solidly above average hitter in 1994 and 1995, which, from a position as demanding as catcher, is a great asset for the team. (Also, full disclosure, Hoiles is one of my favorite Orioles of all time.)

However, reading the paper at the time, you would think that Hoiles’s 1995 season — where he hit .250 with 19 homers and a .833 ops over 114 games — was complete dogshit. “O’s veteran catcher is confident 1996 will be nothing like last season’s unproductive, injury-filled disaster,” said a subhead on a Buster Olney feature on Hoiles in The Baltimore Sun. (Baltimore Sun, p. 1C, February 17, 1996) Hoiles played through a shoulder injury that greatly impacted his offense and defense during the first half of the season. He was quite bad during those months, but after sitting out a couple weeks, he finished the season on fire. He hit .291 after the All Star break, raising his average from .171 to .250 on the season. 

Frustrated by injuries, Hoiles himself said the season was a disappointment. “I tell you, it was a struggle to find something good in what was going on,” he said. “I’m one of those who likes to try to look at the positive, but there wasn’t a whole lot [of positive] to dwell on. It was all negative.”

Eager to bounce back in 1996, the slow start to spring training must be grinding on Hoiles. It’s a good thing the games don’t count. About to turn 31 and one of the longest tenured Orioles, Hoiles is a leader in the clubhouse. The injuries of the past few years have showed that he’s tough as nails, but hopefully he won’t have to prove that again this year.

Here are some quick hit updates on stuff we talked about this week:

Welcome to a recurring segment where I find fun things in today’s (in 1996) Baltimore Sun!

In March of 1996, most 17-year-old boys were doing what you’d think they’d be doing, writing to Ann Landers complaining about women’s fashion.