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Drafted by the Philidelphia Phillies in the 1989 MLB Draft
Eric Chavez was selected by the Oakland Athletics, in the first round, as the tenth pick, in the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft. He chose a professional baseball career over a full scholarship to the University of Southern California (USC). His time in the minor leagues was relatively short, lasting just under two seasons. He spent the 1997 season playing for the Visalia Oaks, the Single-A team in the Athletics' farm system. He played 134 games, all at third base, and hit .271 with 18 home runs and 100 RBI. Before the start of the 1998 season, Chavez was promoted to the Double-A Huntsville Stars. After 88 games, he had a batting average of .328, 28 home runs, 86 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, and a triple. His efforts caused him to be promoted to the Edmonton Trappers, where in 47 games he hit 11 home runs and had a .325 batting average. When Edmonton's season finished up on September 8, 1998, he was called up to the major leagues. He finished his minor league career by being named Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America, as well as earning the J.G. Taylor Spink Award as the Topps/NAPBL Minor League Player of the Year.
At Mt. Carmel High School, Eric Chavez was a two-time Baseball America High School All-American selection. In his junior year, he was the only junior selected nationwide for the honor, finishing the year with a batting average of .537, nine home runs, 35 runs batted in, and 51 stolen bases. As a senior, he batted .458 with 11 home runs, 24 RBIs and 33 stolen bases in route to his second All-American selection.
Honors & Awards
• Silver Slugger Award winner (2002)
• Six Gold Glove Awards (winner 2001-06)
• Led AL
in bases on
balls
in 2004
• Hit for Cycle 2000
Eric Munson was first drafted, out of high school, in 1996 by the Atlanta Braves, who chose him 62nd overall in the 2nd round. Munson, however, did not sign, opting to play college baseball at the University of Southern California (USC), where he was named Freshman All-American. After three seasons at USC, Munson was drafted third overall in the 1st round of the 1999 Major League Baseball amateur draft by the Detroit Tigers. He was named to the Midwest League All Star Team in 1999 and the Eastern League All Star Team in 2001. In 2002, while playing for the Toledo Mud Hens, Munson was named the Detroit Tigers Minor League Player of the Year.
Munson began his major league career with the Detroit Tigers, making his first appearances in three games during a September call-up in 2000. He has since played for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2005), Houston Astros (2006-2007) and the Oakland Athletics (2009 – present).
On June 26, 2004, he hit the longest home run in the history of Comerica Park off Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Villafuerte. The ball traveled an estimated 457 feet over the center field fence.
