The internet feed will get loaded with his name when searched,” The Hammer.” He is huge, a bit plumped up, and chubby.
Basically known for his explosive batting skills, Bob Hamelin earned the American League Rookie of the Year as a newbie in the baseball world.
Bob was drafted in 1988 by the Kansas City Royals in the second round but made his MLB debut for the Royals on September 12, 1993.
He had a short career of six years in MLB but has played for the big teams like Royals, Detroit Tigers, and Milwaukee Brewers.
Before that, Bob was a fine athlete at Irvine High School and further attended Santa Ana College and the University of California.
He made his name quite early and later invaded as one of the best candidates in Kansas. But, at the same time, fading away as a player was also a part of his career.
Though his professional MLB career did not last long, he did manage to work for his passion, becoming a scout.
However, he stays in touch with baseball, the love of his life. So let’s just cut the introduction part a bit short and take a step further onto navigating his side of the story.
But before that, let’s see what does the designated hitter has to serve more?
Bob Hamelin | Quick Facts
| Full Name | Robert James Hamelin |
| Birth Date | November 29, 1967 |
| Birth Place | Elizabeth, New Jersey |
| Nick Name | The Hammer |
| Religion | Not known |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Education | Irvine High School, Santa Ana College |
| Zodiac Sign | Sagittarius |
| Father’sName | Robert James Hamelin III |
| Mother’sName | Margaret Hamelin |
| Siblings | Three siblings |
| Age | 56 years old |
| Height | 6 feet 1 inch/185 cm |
| Weight | 235 lb/108 kg |
| MLB Debut | September 12, 1993 |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Bluish |
| Play Style | Bat: Left, Throw: Left |
| Build | Athlete |
| Marital Status | Married to Marre |
| Kids | Jackson |
| Position | First Baseman, Designated Hitter |
| Profession | Former MLB Player |
| Net Worth | more than $1 million as of 2024 |
| Salary | Not known |
| Teams played for | Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers |
| Jersey Number | #3 (Royals) |
| League | Major League Baseball |
| Active Years | 1993 to 1998 |
| Social Media | |
| Merch | Autographed Baseball Card, Signed “2004 Al ROY” Official Rowlings Ball, Rookie Card, Topps Finest Card |
| Last Update | April, 2024 |
Bob Hamelin | Early Life and Family
To start with the basics, Bob Hamelin was born to his parents, Robert James Hamelin III and Margaret. He grew up along with three other siblings in the streets of Elizabeth, New Jersey. He was the second among the four kids.
Bob’s father made the earnings through a salesman job and had to move to Irvine, Calif, with his family. Bob was just eleven years old at that time.
Nothing much has been revealed on the internet about his early life and childhood, but he was involved in evolving himself in the Randolph Little League before shifting.
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Bob Hamelin | High School and College Days
After moving from their home in Randolph, New Jersey, to Irvine, California, Bob attended Irvine High School.
The school was where he grasped one more opportunity to explore his talent not only in a single sport but also in dual. By that, we mean, He enjoyed playing both football and baseball.
Not to mention, Bob was also titled the School’s Athlete of the Year as a senior year student.
Well, moving onto his college days, the initial moments themselves were filled with the twist and turns. The University of Notre Dame hired him to play football, but he polished his baseball career.
Quite a constructive self-decision to be made by a young lad to pursue a career of his interest.
After finishing his high school career, Bob attended Santa Ana College and pulled his socks up for the school baseball team.
Following that, Bob soon made another quick move and switched to the University of California, where he garnered his capabilities to play baseball for his college squad.
In 1987, he showed up for the Harwich Mariners, a Cape Cod Baseball League member in the US, and played collegiate summer baseball.
Bob Hamelin | Major Leagues
Not to mention, Bob’s qualities and capabilities were the most talked about topics in the baseball town or organizations. As words spread easily, people heard amazing stories about him. The former Royals right-hander Mark Gubicza mentioned,
“We have heard that he hits the ball as far as Jackson could hit it, maybe farther. We have come across some of his shots in the spring training. The ball quickly swings from one side to another as he hits.”
The Kansas City Royals drafted Bob in the second round of the MLB draft in 1988.
And not to mention, after that, he was all set to be the next cornerstone of the Royals team.
He played in the minor leagues for at least five years but faced quite a hard time as he had to battle injuries and make his place on the team.
As hard work and determination never go in vain, and finally, in 1993, Bob was invited to show up for his debut in the majors. He performed in 16 games and could hit just .224 with two home runs.
Bob became the squad’s proven candidate the following season when he won the 1994 AL Rookie of the Year Award. He was considered the full starter for the Royals.
He also broke the Royals rookie home run record (hitting 24) made by Bo Jackson in 1987.
To talk about the stat, Bob scored a .282 batting average and hit 24 home runs with 65 runs batted ins in the strike-shortened 1994 season.
Interestingly, he earned himself the nickname “The Hammer,” which we will surely discuss in detail.
Hamelin Slipping Down and Retirement
Well, it seemed like luck was not much in his favor as suddenly, after the 1994 season, Bob’s career started taking a downward slope.
The Royals hired a new manager who did go in his support further. Hal McRae was a huge fan of Hamelin and rendered him with multiple opportunities to play on the field as the previous manager.
However, things were not the same with the new coach. He had a miserable start in 1995 and was sunk to triple-A after hitting just .168 with nine home runs.
Besides that, Bob also had one of the worst baseball cards of all-time in 1996, the Pinnacle Foil baseball card.
Before the 1997 season, Bob was released by the Royals and then later hired by Detroit Tigers. Again, he gave his solid best and gathered 18 home runs with a. 270 batting average in 110 games.
However, Bob did not work for a long time with the Tigers as they decided to waive him. After which, he joined the Milwaukee Brewers.
And as per sources, it was while playing for the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers AAA Team) in 1999 that he decided to quit his baseball career.
After grounding out, Hamelin went back to the dugout and spoke to manager Gene Roof, “I’m done,” ending his professional baseball career as a player.
Bob Hamelin | Stats
| Year | WAR | H | AB | HR | BA | R | RBI | OBP | SB | SLG |
| Career | 2.5 | 313 | 1272 | 67 | .246 | 179 | 209 | .352 | 11 | .464 |
Learn more about his stats and stolen bases at Fangraphs.
Bob Hamelin | Post Retirement
After stopping his play in the major leagues, he owned a manufacturing company and worked there for many years. But it seems like his athleticism could not keep him away from sports for much longer.
After passing a test for it, Bob soon grabbed a scouting job and returned to the baseball world as a scout for the Washington Nationals and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Furthermore, he joined the Major League scouting corps of the Boston Red Sox.
Lately, Bob and a collection of his baseball cards were featured in the first episode of SB Nation’s two-part series “The Bob Emergency,” hosted by Jon Bois.
All’s well that ends well; it doesn’t matter if Bob is not there on the field as a player; he is soaring there high as a scout.
He utilizes his potential by managing and grooming other talents for the future and working with the players in the same position he was in.
Altogether, Bob has tried his best to put his career on an upward slope in the sport.
Career Highlights
- Bob won the American league and TSN Rookie of the Year awards in 1994.
- He stood 5th in slugging percentage (AL 1994, .599).
- Bob stood 5th in OPS (AL 1994, .987)
- He ranked ninth in home runs (AL 1994, 24)
Bob Hamelin | What is he like in his personal life?
Well, to occupy his personal life details is likely to be the most difficult task. As while we navigate the whole internet page, we get the least distinctive information on him.
But yes, the chubby (if this would not sound wrong) first baseman and the designated hitter is a married man.
Bob is married to his beautiful wife, Marre, and they both share a son named Jackson. Besides this, gathering the minor details about their ongoing relationship and family life was tougher.
Well, drawing your attention apart from his personal life, the proven fact about his life is that Bob loved baseball no matter what.
And he is still clinging on to the baseball field and giving it all to take his professional career a level higher.
Moreover, Bob is a big-time foodie. Food is something that he has fondly mentioned quite often on his Twitter account.
It seems delicacies add spice to his taste buds and give a reason to add humor to his life.
Bob Hamelin | Age, Height, and Horoscope
Born on November 27, 1967, Bob is 56 years old. And to dig further, his body frame featured 6 feet 1 inch tall in height and a fleshy 235 lbs now.
Also, he always wears wire-rimmed glasses and had an unignorable round belly talking about his signature look.
To most, he might be chubby and cute, and the rest might find him a bit unhealthy.
Anyway, every human being on this planet has their own opinion, but that doesn’t stop Bob’s supporters from loving him; he will always remain a fan favorite.
To add on, Bob falls under the sun-sign Sagittarius, which completely fits in with his personality and the traits that he carries with him.
He is an optimist and an intelligent human being. He loves freedom, and more than that, he takes life as fair play. Hamelin is fun to be around and takes a sheer interest in conversations.
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Bob Hamelin | Net Worth, Income, and Contracts
It does not weigh any importance whether he takes up any job, he is in the field as a player or as a scout, but he fulfills all his responsibility carefully. That’s what must have kept him going for some serious reasons.
To bring on his net worth,
Aligning with online sources, Bob Hamelin has an accumulated net worth of more than 1.4 million as of 2024.
Bob Hamelin | Social Media Presence
Elusive would not be the wrong word to define him. Well, yes, Bob is an elusive person, difficult to catch. He is neither fond of any social media tools nor likes to remain in the gossip.
However, Bob holds an account on Twitter. Not bad, because at least something is better than nothing.
He is available as @BobHamelin with 372 followers. Quite bad luck for his fans, he does not seem to tweet often there, and his last tweet was on April 16, 2018.
But there is nothing wrong with giving him a follow. So, you surely can feel free and follow him to know more.
Bob Hamelin | Frequently Asked Question
Why is Bob nicknamed “The Hammer”?
As a rookie, he made 24 runs and 65 RBIs in a game; thus, everyone started naming him “The Hammer,” as per the confined sources.
Which is the worst baseball card of all time?
Bob Hamelin’s 1996 Pinnacle Foil No. 289 is considered one of the worst baseball cards of all time. It catches the baseballer’s face at a very bad angle, and all the card elements are awfully placed.
Why does Bob Hamelin have an obituary?
The obituary does not belong to the former baseballer. However, it is for someone sharing the exact same name as Hamelin. Bob, on the other hand, is in his early 50s and in good health.
