| Paul Hinson | |
|---|---|
 Hinson as a police officer, c. 1957 | |
| Pinch runner | |
| Born:(1904-05-09)May 9, 1904 Vanleer, Tennessee | |
| Died: September 23, 1960(1960-09-23) (aged 56) Muskogee, Oklahoma | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 19, 1928, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 30, 1928, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Games played | 3 |
| Plate appearances | 0 |
| Runs scored | 1 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
James Paul Hinson (May 9, 1904 – September 23, 1960) was an American professionalbaseballshortstop andthird baseman who made three appearances for the1928 Boston Red Sox ofMajor League Baseball (MLB) as apinch runner. Listed at 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) and 150 pounds (68 kg), he batted and threw right-handed. He later served as a police officer inMuskogee, Oklahoma.
Hinson played inminor league baseball from 1927 to 1930, and again in 1933.[1] In five minor league seasons, he appeared in at least 340 games, with over 140 appearances at both shortstop and third base.[1] Hinson led theWestern Association instolen bases in 1927, with 48 steals in 120 games; he had a .315batting average that season and had a .922fielding percentage at third base.[2] He batted .306 in 1929 and .307 in 1930; records for some of his other seasons are incomplete.[1]
Hinson appeared in threemajor league games for theBoston Red Sox in 1928, each time as apinch runner.[3] He scored onerun, and did not get aplate appearance or play defensively.[3] Hinson's first and most successful pinch running appearance came on April 19 against theNew York Yankees, in the first game of a homedoubleheader atFenway Park.[4] With the Yankees leading, 6–3,Johnnie Heving led off the bottom of the eighth inning as apinch hitter for the pitcher; he singled, and Hinson entered the game to run for him.[5][6]Ira Flagstead doubled, advancing Hinson to third base, followed by a ground out byPhil Todt, scoring Hinson.[5] The Red Sox scored three more runs to take the lead, 7–6.[5] In the top of the ninth inning, pitcherRed Ruffing entered the game in place of Hinson, and held the Yankees scoreless to earn asave.[5] Hinson pinch ran in two other games, on May 7 and May 30, but did not score either time.[4] At the beginning of June, the Red Sox optioned Hinson to theSalem Witches of theNew England League;[7] he successfully stole home in his first game with Salem.[8]
As well as Hinson andsprinterHerb Washington, several other players have made a majority of their major league appearances a pinch runner, notablyMel Kerr for the1925 Chicago Cubs andGary Hargis for the1979 Pittsburgh Pirates. Other teams have occasionally kept pinch-running specialists for brief stretches, such asMatt Alexander,Allan Lewis,Don Hopkins andLarry Lintz.
Hinson was born in 1904 inVanleer, Tennessee.[3] During and after his baseball career, he served as apolice officer inMuskogee, Oklahoma, where he was shot in the hip in November 1930 while attempting to capture aburglary suspect.[9][10] Hinson ultimately became thechief of police, before leaving the force in 1957.[10] He died bysuicide in Muskogee at the age of 56 in 1960.[10] He was married, with no children.[10][11]