Chip Hale
Designated Hitter · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1989-1997)
Chip Hale was a designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball from 1989 to 1997 for the Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Dodgers, a span of 9 seasons. In 333 career games, he hit .277 with 159 hits, 7 home runs, and 78 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Designated Hitter
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 190 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1989-08-27
- Last Game
- 1997-05-04
Full name: Walter William Hale
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 333 | 575 | 62 | 159 | 27 | 1 | 7 | 78 | 2 | 58 | 68 | .277 | .346 | .363 | .709 | -124 |
Career AVG .277 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .346 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .363 vs. league average .407 across their career seasons — 10.7% below league average.
Career OPS .709 vs. league average .740 across their career seasons — near league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | MIN | AL | 28 | 67 | 6 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 6 | .209 | .254 (-18%) | .319 (-33%) | .375 (-32%) | .694 (-33%) | -365.2 |
| 1990 | MIN | AL | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1993 | MIN | AL | 69 | 186 | 25 | 62 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 27 | 2 | 18 | 17 | .333 | .265 (+26%) | .332 (+23%) | .403 (+5%) | .735 (+13%) | 553.6 |
| 1994 | MIN | AL | 67 | 118 | 13 | 31 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 16 | 14 | .263 | .269 (-3%) | .338 (+3%) | .424 (-14%) | .763 (-6%) | -103.9 |
| 1995 | MIN | AL | 69 | 103 | 10 | 27 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 11 | 20 | .262 | .266 (-2%) | .337 (-1%) | .417 (-14%) | .755 (-8%) | -121.0 |
| 1996 | MIN | AL | 85 | 87 | 8 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 10 | 6 | .276 | .269 (+2%) | .340 (+2%) | .426 (-14%) | .767 (-7%) | -88.0 |
| 1997 | LAN | NL | 14 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .083 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 333 | 575 | 62 | 159 | 27 | 1 | 7 | 78 | 2 | 58 | 68 | .277 | — | — | — | — | -124 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (333 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 173 | 290 | 27 | 80 | 1 | 34 | .276 |
| Away | 160 | 285 | 35 | 79 | 6 | 44 | .277 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-05-04 | LAD | CHC | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-05-02 | LAD | CHC | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1997-04-28 | LAD | ATL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1997-04-26 | LAD | MIA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1997-04-22 | LAD | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1997-04-20 | LAD | HOU | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-04-15 | LAD | NYN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-04-13 | LAD | PIT | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-04-09 | LAD | NYN | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-04-08 | LAD | NYN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 17 | 2 | 53 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 2B | 64 | 23 | 56 | 101 | 5 | 23 |
| 3B | 59 | 34 | 25 | 78 | 3 | 6 |
| OF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | MIN | 2B | 16 | 11 | 14 | 36 | 1 | 8 |
| 1989 | MIN | 3B | 9 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 | MIN | 2B | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| 1993 | MIN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1993 | MIN | 2B | 21 | 9 | 23 | 36 | 3 | 8 |
| 1993 | MIN | 3B | 19 | 13 | 11 | 26 | 1 | 2 |
| 1993 | MIN | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | MIN | 1B | 7 | 2 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 1994 | MIN | 2B | 5 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| 1994 | MIN | 3B | 21 | 18 | 9 | 45 | 2 | 2 |
| 1994 | MIN | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | MIN | 1B | 3 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | MIN | 2B | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 1995 | MIN | 3B | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1996 | MIN | 1B | 6 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1996 | MIN | 2B | 14 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 2 |
| 1996 | MIN | 3B | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1996 | MIN | OF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | LAN | 3B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 17 |
| Second Base | 64 |
| Third Base | 59 |
| Right Field | 4 |
| Designated Hitter | 68 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | LAN | NL | $280,000 |
| 1996 | MIN | AL | $175,000 |
| 1995 | MIN | AL | $167,500 |
| 1994 | MIN | AL | $150,000 |
| 1993 | MIN | AL | $128,000 |
| 1990 | MIN | AL | $100,000 |
| 1989 | MIN | AL | $68,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $1,068,500 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arizona | Tucson | AZ | 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 |
Chip Hale: the record in brief
The profile opens with Chip Hale's first major league game on August 27, 1989; the last one listed came on May 4, 1997. Club by club, the record runs the Minnesota Twins (1989 to 1996) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (1997). Hale played primarily as a designated hitter and batted left-handed and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on December 2, 1964, in San Jose, CA, USA and a listed size of 5'11" and 190 pounds. The given name on file is Walter William Hale.
Hale's career batting table shows 333 games, 575 at bats and 159 hits, a .277 average, along with 7 homers and 78 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .346 clip and slugging .363, Hale finished with a .709 OPS. Against a .264 league average for those years, Hale's .277 average was near the norm. The hits column peaks at 62, in 1993. The Lg AVG column puts Hale's 1993 at .333 against .265, the widest margin among the busiest seasons at 26%. The seasons in which Hale beat the league batting average were 1993 and 1996.
Frequently Asked Questions about Chip Hale
- What years did Chip Hale play?
- Chip Hale played in Major League Baseball from 1989 to 1997.
- Was Chip Hale a pitcher?
- No. Chip Hale was a position player (Designated Hitter).
- How many home runs did Chip Hale hit?
- Chip Hale hit 7 career home runs with 159 hits.
- What was Chip Hale's career batting average?
- Chip Hale batted .277 over his career, with 159 hits in 575 at bats.
- How many RBI did Chip Hale have?
- Chip Hale drove in 78 runs in his career.
- Is Chip Hale in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Chip Hale has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.