Corey Hart (baseball)

3.2.1. Milwaukee Brewers (2004-2013)

Corey Hart made his MLB debut with the Milwaukee Brewers on May 25, 2004. His first appearance in the majors saw him strike out against Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Kazuhiro Ishii as a pinch-hitter in the fourth inning.

His next MLB appearance was on August 14, 2005, when he hit his first career MLB home run, a three-run blast into the Upper Deck at Miller Park against the Cincinnati Reds. On August 23, he recorded his first career multi-hit game. In 2006, Hart played 87 games for the major league club and began to establish himself, making 10 starts as the leadoff hitter. On August 17, he hit his first leadoff home run, and from September 4 to 13, he achieved an 8-game hitting streak, including his first two-home run game with 6 RBI on September 5.

In 2007, Hart was a full-time player, primarily in right field, and often batted leadoff or fifth. He recorded the fastest 60-yard dash among all Brewers players during spring training. He achieved a 22-game hitting streak from June 13 to July 6, which was the third-longest in Brewers franchise history and the longest since Cecil Cooper's streak in 1980. That year, Hart became the first Brewer since 2003 to steal 20 bases and hit 20 home runs in a single season. As of September 2011, he and Ryan Braun were the only two Brewers to have two 20-steals/20-homers seasons in their careers. He finished among the league leaders in triples (fourth), hit by pitch (seventh), and batting average with runners in scoring position (.339, seventh). Following the season, he received the Unsung Hero Award and the Good Guy Award from the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

In 2008, Hart became the first player in Brewers history to achieve back-to-back 20-home run, 20-stolen base seasons. He was selected to the National League All-Star team as an outfielder through the "32nd man" final vote, where he triumphed over players like David Wright, Pat Burrell, Aaron Rowand, and former Brewer Carlos Lee. On April 13, he recorded a 4-hit game, and from April 21 to May 4, he had a 13-game on-base streak. He performed strongly in April (.295, .358 OBP) and May (.306, .342 OBP, .861 OPS). While his overall numbers dipped in the second half (.239, .659 OPS), he still managed an 11-game hitting streak from August 24 to September 5. He finished third in the league in doubles and had 47 multi-hit games. He also led the NL by reaching base on an error 14 times. In the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, he batted .231 (3-for-14) as the Brewers lost in four games.

In 2009, despite a strong spring training where he batted .351 with 7 home runs, his regular season was impacted by an appendectomy on August 2, which required a 40-day recovery. He finished the season with 115 games played, .260, 12 home runs, 48 RBI, and 11 stolen bases-his lowest numbers since becoming a regular. There were rumors of a trade involving pitcher Jon Niese of the New York Mets.

However, Hart rebounded strongly in 2010. He was voted by his peers to play in the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Anaheim and was also selected by MLB officials to participate in the Home Run Derby. As the regular Brewers right fielder, he had a career-best season with 31 home runs, 102 RBI, and a .283. Alongside Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, and Casey McGehee, the Brewers boasted one of the best top five batting lineups in MLB.

On May 23, 2011, Hart tied Brewers franchise records by hitting three home runs and collecting seven RBI in a single game. He had another productive season with the Brewers, posting 26 home runs, 63 RBI, a .285, a .386 OBP, and an .866 OPS. His slight drop in home runs and RBI was attributed to missing the first month of the season due to injury and being moved to the leadoff spot in July, which limited his RBI opportunities. He remained in the leadoff spot for the playoffs due to his regular season success.

In 2012, Hart started as the Brewers' regular right fielder, but injuries to first basemen Mat Gamel and Travis Ishikawa led to his transition to first base, a position he handled successfully. He recorded a .995 fielding percentage while playing over 100 games at first base. Offensively, he continued to be productive, batting .270 with 30 home runs and 83 RBI.

Hart missed the entire 2013 season after undergoing surgery on his left knee in January 2013. He became a free agent on October 31, 2013.

3.2.2. Seattle Mariners (2014)

On December 11, 2013, Corey Hart agreed to a one-year contract worth 6.00 M USD with the Seattle Mariners, a deal that included up to 7.00 M USD in incentives. The Mariners officially announced the signing on December 13. He made the team's Opening Day roster. However, his tenure with the Mariners was plagued by injuries; he was placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 20 due to a left hamstring injury, returning on July 4. On August 2, he was back on the disabled list with a bruised right knee, returning on September 1. Expected to significantly contribute offensively after a strong track record, he was limited to 68 games due to these injuries. He struggled at the plate, finishing the season with a .203, 6 home runs, 21 RBI, and 2 stolen bases. On September 29, 2014, Hart was designated for assignment and became a free agent on October 6.

3.2.3. Pittsburgh Pirates (2015)

On December 19, 2014, the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Corey Hart to a one-year contract valued at 2.50 M USD. The contract included additional performance incentives: he could earn 250.00 K USD each time he reached 350, 375, 400, and 425 plate appearances, and an additional 300.00 K USD each time he reached 450, 475, 500, 525, and 550 plate appearances. Hart played his final professional season with the Pirates in 2015. He became a free agent on November 2, 2015.