Bats Right Throws Right Home runs 7 Height 1.9 m Salary 513,308 USD (2016) Parents Hugh Campbell | Batting average .221 Runs batted in 44 Bats Right-handed Current team Las Vegas 51s (Infielder) | |
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Similar Terry Collins, T J Rivera, Ty Kelly, James Loney, Román Méndez | ||
Eric Singleton Campbell (born April 9, 1987), nicknamed Soup, is an American professional baseball utility player for the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He made his major league debut in 2014 for the New York Mets. While primarily a third baseman, Campbell has also filled in at left field and first base for the Mets.
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College
Prior to playing professionally, he attended Norwich Free Academy and then Boston College. As a freshman at Boston College, he hit .260. He improved his batting average to .350 with 20 doubles and 41 RBI in 52 games as a sophomore and as a junior, he hit .306 with 18 doubles, 43 runs and 41 RBI in 53 games. He was drafted by the New York Mets in the 8th round of the 2008 MLB Amateur Draft.
New York Mets
He began his professional career in low-A with the Brooklyn Cyclones that summer, hitting .260 and fielding .949 at third base, his main position. He split 2009 between the Savannah Sand Gnats, where he hit .248, and St. Lucie Mets, with whom he had 6 hits in 22 at-bats. In 2010, he played for the GCL Mets (going 3-for-11 at the plate), St. Lucie (with whom he hit .335 in 46 games) and the Binghamton Mets (with whom he hit .279 in 50 games). With Binghamton in 2011, he batted .247. With Binghamton again in 2012, he hit .297, earning a spot on the Eastern League Mid-Season All-Star team. He reached Triple-A for the first time in 2013, hitting .314 with 25 doubles, eight home runs and 66 RBI in 120 games for the Las Vegas 51s.
2014
Campbell was promoted to the Mets from Las Vegas on May 10, 2014. He made his debut batting against the Philadelphia Phillies in the bottom of the sixth inning pinch-hitting for Lucas Duda with the bases loaded, hitting a sac-fly to right fielder Marlon Byrd on a 1-0 count driving in Daniel Murphy for his first major league RBI off pitcher Jake Diekman. On May 11, Campbell got his first major league hit, a single in the bottom of the fourth inning off pitcher Cole Hamels. On May 21, he hit his first major league homerun, a two run home run off Los Angeles Dodgers' pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu.
On July 7, during a game between the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets at Citi Field, in the bottom of the 9th inning and the game tied at three, Juan Lagares bunted towards third base to advance base runner Eric Campbell to second base. Braves third baseman Chris Johnson fielded the ball and threw to shortstop Andrelton Simmons, who was covering second base. Simmons was in no danger of being hit by the runner, yet the umpires ruled the runner out, calling it was a neighborhood play. Mets manager Terry Collins argued that it could not have been a neighborhood play, since it was a bunt play and recording a double play would be almost impossible. Simmons was moving away from 2nd base, and didn't record an out at 1st, either. Therefore, Collins claimed the only reason Simmons had to come off the base was an errant throw. The umpires accepted the claim and reviewed the play, and after review the out call was overturned. This led to an argument and ejection of Braves manager Fredi González, who later said about the call that it was one of the worst calls he'd seen in his life. The Mets would go on to win the game 4-3 in 11 innings.
Campbell finished the 2014 season appearing in 85 games with a batting average of .263 in 190 at-bats in 211 plate appearances while compiling 50 hits, 16 RBIs, 3 home runs, 17 walks, 16 runs scored and striking out 55 times.
2015
Campbell began the 2015 season with the 51s. On April 15, Campbell was called up to the after David Wright was placed on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring. On May 5, he was demoted to make room for catcher Johnny Monell on the roster. He was recalled to the Mets replacing Dilson Herrera who was placed on the DL due to a fractured tip of his middle finger on May 15. On August 10, he was sent back to the 51s to make room for Michael Cuddyer coming off the 15-day disabled list. He was recalled on September 1 due to expanded rosters.
Campbell finished the 2015 season appearing in 71 games with a batting average of .197 in 173 at-bats in 206 plate appearances while compiling 34 hits, 19 RBIs, 3 home runs, 26 walks, 28 runs scored and striking out 37 times. The Wall Street Journal dubbed Campbell "baseball's unluckiest hitter" in 2015 based on statistics compiled by Inside Edge which showed that his rate of "well-hit" balls was much higher than his actual batting average.
2016
Campbell made the Mets' roster for Opening Day in 2016. On April 12, Campbell was demoted after making three appearances primarily as a Pinch runner and Pinch hitter to make room for Rafael Montero. Campbell was promoted again when Jacob deGrom was placed on the Family Emergency List three days later. On May 31, Campbell was demoted back to the 51s to make room for newly acquired first baseman James Loney. Campbell was batting .159 with one home run and five RBIs in 30 games. After the conclusion of the Triple-A season, Campbell was called back up to the Major Leagues. He was outrighted off the 40-man roster on November 2, 2016, assigned to the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s.
Hanshin Tigers
In December 2016, Campbell signed with the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League.