Richard Heath Hembree, better known by his nickname Heater, is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hembree, who is 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 220 pounds, is a right-handed pitcher and batter.
Hembree attended Broome High School in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where he played baseball and high school football.
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He was a standout pitcher and quarterback for Broome, but due to a knee injury sustained while playing football, he did not pitch as a senior in 2007. Instead, Hembree spent his final season as a designated hitter, batting .320.
Hembree began his career at the University of South Carolina, but only made one appearance as a pitcher during his rookie season in 2008.
He then transferred to Spartanburg Methodist College, which is affiliated with the National Junior College Athletic Association. He went 7–0 with a 1.22 earned run average as a sophomore transfer (ERA).
Hembree transferred to the College of Charleston, an NCAA Division I school, after getting a scholarship there. He played his last season of college baseball there. He also went back to school to get a degree in physical education.
The San Francisco Giants selected Hembree in the fifth round of the 2010 MLB draft.
Hembree began his professional career in 2010 with the Arizona League Giants, where he went 0–0 with a 0.82 ERA in 12 relief appearances, striking out 22 batters and recording three saves in 11 innings pitched.
Hembree began the 2011 season pitching for the San Jose Giants of the Class A Advanced level before being promoted to the Richmond Flying Squirrels of the Double-A level in late June.
In 54 bullpen appearances, he was 1–1 with a 1.86 ERA, 78 strikeouts, and 38 saves in 53+13 innings.
How Old Is Heath Hembree?
Heath Hembree is 33 years old. He was born on January 13, 1989.