Hunter Pence News: Pro Sports Daily

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August 27

Houston Chronicle

"Hunter Pence entered Wednesday night on an 0-for-11 slump while hitting .215 (17-for-79) in August, but he's not worried. "I'm fine. Sometimes you get out a few days in a row," he said. "It's not going to stay. I don't go through long periods of that. It's unusual. I know I'll get my hits and be fine. Tell me a player that hasn't had a rough streak or a rough week. There's no panic at all." Pence's recent struggles aren't rare for younger players. He snapped the skid at 0-for-12 with a single up the middle in the fourth inning. "Ups and downs of the game, a long season," Cecil Cooper said when asked about Pence's struggles. "A younger player is going to have probably a bigger period where ..."

Pence, Tejada got there with attitude

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July 6

Houston Chronicle

"Here's to attitude and joy, to hustle and working hard and loving what you do. Those are the things that have helped make Miguel Tejada and Hunter Pence special. They're not just good baseball players. They're good baseball players with exactly the right attitude. Tejada and Pence were named to the 2009 National League All-Star team Sunday, and even though they're at different points in their careers, even though they're different in so many ways, a common thread connects them. They're among the first to arrive every day and the last to leave. They're among the hardest workers. But there's something else about them. They both love their jobs in ways we'd all like to love our jobs. They ..."

Pence’s contract renewed

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February 26

Houston Chronicle

"Unable to reach a contract agreement before Grapefruit League play started, the Astros have decided to renew Hunter Pence’s contract at what likely is going to be a salary below $450,000. Because Pence isn’t eligible for arbitration yet, the club can renew his contract at the salary they want to pay him March 11. “Our last day to negotiate was yesterday,” general manager Ed Wade said Wednesday. “So I talked to Hunter (Tuesday) and told him this is part of the system and what we try to do is be fair with our guys within our own organization. We’re not necessarily interested in being the highest-paying club or certainly not the lowest-paying club. We want to be right in the middle. “We feel ..."

Astros outfielder Pence learning as he goes

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August 31

Houston Chronicle

"Still a relative newcomer to baseball, the Astros’ Hunter Pence understands he has work to do to get better. That’s why he pores over information in his free time, trying to get an edge. He sees improvement on occasion but gets kicked around from time to time, too. Pence knows that’s just part of the learning process of this complicated game. “The more you play,” he said, “the better you get.” Chess, after all, isn’t your run-of-the-mill board game. And trying to get established in the majors isn’t quite as easy as becoming a fixture in your company softball league. After a breakthrough 2007 season with the Astros in which he finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, ..."

Pence Benched; Winter ball for Bourn

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August 24

Houston Chronicle

"Cecil Cooper had Hunter Pence out of the starting lineup and made it a point to have a brief chat with him a day after Pence didn’t sprint home on Brad Ausmus’ groundout to short in the second inning. With one out, men on second and third, Roy Oswalt on deck and the Astros trailing 1-0, Mets shortstop Jose Reyes was playing back Friday. Instead of running on contact, as he was told by third-base coach Ed Romero, Pence hesitated and ultimately was stranded when Oswalt struck out. “He mentioned it,” Pence said of Cooper. “And obviously I knew you got to go on that ball. The whole situation was the corners were in and you got to see the ball past the pitcher and not at the corners. “The ball ..."

Pence looks for remedy for hitting woes

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July 18

Houston Chronicle

"A year ago, Hunter Pence made it look easy as a rookie. He didn't bite at so many sliders in the dirt, but now he realizes he must stop swinging at those pitches. He also must find a way to regain the confidence he carried last season. "I'm a real big advocate of mental toughness and believing in yourself," Pence said. "And I let a little doubt creep into my mind. I've got to get rid of that. I came (to hit Thursday) and kind of know what I've got to do."

Pence's joy a constant for Astros

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June 25

Houston Chronicle

columnist Steve Campbell

"Even in batting practice, he doesn't try to dial down the energy. The eagerness. The exuberance of being a grown man who plays a boy's game and gets paid for it. Hunter Pence steps into the batting cage hundreds of times a year. He is 25, and if he's really lucky, he'll never let life or losing or anything else change him in any fundamental way. He'll never develop an air of nonchalance about the process."

Pence homers for newborn niece

May 22

Houston Chronicle

"For Hunter Pence, his game-winning grand slam Tuesday night will carry a special meaning long after he retires from baseball. Earlier that day, his niece, Hayley Pence, was born in California. Pence had been on baby watch since the club was in Los Angeles two weeks ago, and he even called his older brother, Howard, a few hours before Tuesday's game to check if the baby had been born. "At 4:30 (p.m.), I was calling and calling, and still no baby," he said. "But then I had a message saying, 'Hit one for the new HP in the family.' " Pence came through later that night after his sister in-law Allison had delivered."

Pence's youthful enthusiasm part of wonderful package

May 21

Houston Chronicle

columnist Richard Justice

"Someday soon, maybe next month or next season, we're going to find out Hunter Pence isn't real. Is there any other explanation? No one can be this good this soon. No one can be this perfect. If your classroom assignment was to design the perfect young baseball player, he might be what you'd come up with. He has power and speed and smarts. He has energy, passion and a relentless work ethic. He's one of those people absolutely determined to be great."

Pence's slam helps home team even series with Cubs

May 21

Houston Chronicle

"As Hunter Pence's shot soared toward right field Tuesday night, the crowd quickly made it clear who held the note on Minute Maid Park. This ballpark, just in case Chicago Cubs fans forgot, belongs to the Astros and their fans. With a deafening roar, most of the folks jumped out of their seats as Pence's grand slam cleared the wall in right to provide the Astros a 4-2 victory over the Cubs."