1. Early Life and Background
Gregory Michael Hansell was born on March 12, 1971, in California, United States.
2. Playing Career
Hansell's professional baseball career spanned both American and Japanese leagues, where he primarily served as a pitcher. His career included stints in Major League Baseball, a significant period in Nippon Professional Baseball, and subsequent attempts to return to the major league level.
2.1. Major League Baseball (MLB)
Hansell made his Major League Baseball debut on April 28, 1995, with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was recognized for his potential early in his career, being named the Los Angeles Dodgers Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 1994. After his time with the Dodgers, he went on to play for the Minnesota Twins in 1996, the Milwaukee Brewers in 1997, and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1999. His final MLB game was played on October 3, 1999.
2.2. Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB)
On December 7, 1999, Hansell was purchased from the Pittsburgh Pirates by the Hanshin Tigers of the Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. He joined the Tigers in 2000, initially considered a candidate for the closer role, replacing Ben Rivera. However, his aptitude as a starting pitcher was soon recognized, and he began making starts, a role he had not extensively experienced in MLB. In his first year with the Tigers in 2000, he pitched in 20 games, all as a starter, recording 7 wins and 8 losses. Despite the team finishing last in the Central League, Hansell's performance was the second-best on the team in terms of wins, trailing only Tetsuro Kawajiri.
In his second season in 2001, Hansell was a regular member of the starting rotation, appearing in 27 games, with 26 starts. He reached the innings pitched qualification for the ERA title, finishing with a 3.49 ERA, which ranked ninth in the league. However, he received limited run support from the offense, resulting in a 5-13 win-loss record, marking the most losses in the league that season.
His third season in 2002 was cut short when he suffered a worsening hernia shortly after the season began. He returned to the United States for endoscopic surgery in June. Despite a remarkable recovery that allowed him to return to Japan in the latter half of the season, hoping to remain with the Hanshin Tigers, he was ultimately excluded from manager Senichi Hoshino's team plans and departed the club.
2.3. Post-MLB/NPB Comeback Attempts
After leaving the Hanshin Tigers, Hansell expressed a strong desire to continue playing in Japan and reportedly received offers from multiple Japanese teams. The Chunichi Dragons were particularly interested in acquiring him. However, the Hanshin Tigers later released their closer, Marc Valdes, leading the Dragons to shift their focus from Hansell to Valdes. Consequently, Hansell's aspirations to continue playing in Japan did not materialize. In 2003, he joined the New York Yankees' minor league system. He later played in Mexico as he continued his efforts to return to Major League Baseball, but these attempts were unsuccessful, and he eventually retired as a player.
3. Post-Playing Career
Following his retirement as a professional baseball player, Gregory Hansell embarked on new ventures, primarily in baseball scouting and pursuing personal interests.
3.1. Scouting Career
In 2006, Hansell transitioned into a scouting role, becoming a US-based scout for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. During his time with the Hanshin Tigers, then-manager Katsuya Nomura had highly praised Hansell, stating that he would have achieved "20 wins if backed by the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes' いてまえItemaeJapanese (Go-for-it) lineup," highlighting his potential and effectiveness. As of 2017, Hansell was actively working as a US-based scout for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars.
3.2. Personal Activities and Interests
Beyond his baseball career, Hansell has a keen interest in personal computers and the Internet. Even before joining the Hanshin Tigers, during his active playing days, he regularly published a blog on the website of attheyard.com, a sports merchandise company. He also made it possible for fans to send him emails, demonstrating his engagement with digital platforms.
4. Detailed Records and Information
This section provides a comprehensive overview of Gregory Hansell's professional pitching statistics, major career milestones, and the uniform numbers he wore throughout his career in both Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball.
4.1. Yearly Pitching Statistics
| Year | Team | Games Pitched | Games Started | Complete Games | Shutouts | Walk-less Games | Wins | Losses | Saves | Holds | Winning Percentage | Batters Faced | Innings Pitched | Hits Allowed | Home Runs Allowed | Walks | Intentional Walks | Hit Batters | Strikeouts | Wild Pitches | Balks | Runs Allowed | Earned Runs | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | LAD | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -- | .000 | 93 | 19.1 | 29 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 16 | 7.45 | 1.81 |
| 1996 | MIN | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | -- | 1.000 | 329 | 74.1 | 83 | 14 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 46 | 9 | 1 | 48 | 47 | 5.69 | 1.53 |
| 1997 | MIL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | ---- | 21 | 4.2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 9.64 | 1.29 |
| 1999 | PIT | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | .250 | 168 | 39.1 | 42 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 34 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 17 | 3.89 | 1.35 |
| 2000 | Hanshin | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 0 | -- | .467 | 497 | 114.0 | 108 | 10 | 52 | 2 | 6 | 97 | 4 | 0 | 59 | 55 | 4.34 | 1.40 |
| 2001 | Hanshin | 27 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 0 | -- | .278 | 700 | 162.1 | 145 | 14 | 75 | 1 | 8 | 123 | 6 | 0 | 71 | 63 | 3.49 | 1.36 |
| 2002 | Hanshin | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | ---- | 19 | 4.2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.93 | 1.07 |
| MLB Totals (4 years) | 106 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | .500 | 611 | 137.2 | 159 | 25 | 49 | 5 | 8 | 98 | 11 | 1 | 90 | 85 | 5.56 | 1.51 | |
| NPB Totals (3 years) | 52 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 21 | 0 | -- | .364 | 1216 | 281.0 | 257 | 24 | 128 | 3 | 14 | 222 | 11 | 0 | 131 | 119 | 3.81 | 1.37 | |
4.2. Major Records
Hansell achieved several notable records during his time in Nippon Professional Baseball.
- NPB Pitching Records**
- First Appearance and First Start: April 2, 2000, against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars (Game 3) at Yokohama Stadium. He was the losing pitcher, giving up 6 runs in 4 innings.
- First Win and First Start Win: April 8, 2000, against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp (Game 2) at Hiroshima Municipal Stadium. He pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing 4 runs.
- First Strikeout: April 8, 2000, in the 2nd inning against Shuji Nishiyama (swinging strikeout).
- NPB Batting Records**
- First Hit and First RBI: April 8, 2000, in the 4th inning against Makoto Kito, a 2-run infield single to shortstop.
4.3. Uniform Numbers
Hansell wore several different uniform numbers throughout his professional baseball career:
- 52 (1995)
- 19 (1996)
- 53 (1997)
- 57 (1999)
- 49 (2000)
- 14 (2001)
- 42 (2002)
5. Evaluation and Impact
Gregory Hansell's career was marked by assessments from baseball professionals, particularly regarding his performance and potential in Japan.
5.1. Expert Evaluation
During his tenure with the Hanshin Tigers, manager Katsuya Nomura held Hansell in high regard. Nomura famously stated that Hansell would have been a "20-win pitcher if backed by the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes' いてまえItemaeJapanese (Go-for-it) lineup." This evaluation highlighted Hansell's pitching ability, suggesting that his win-loss record was more a reflection of his team's offensive support than his individual performance. Nomura's comment underscored Hansell's potential to be a dominant pitcher under more favorable team conditions.