Jeremy Hermida

When Jeremy Hermida stepped up to the plate for his first at-bat in the major leagues on August 31, 2005, he wasn’t thinking about accomplishing something no one in baseball had done for more than a century. With the bases loaded and the game out of reach for the Florida Marlins, the 21-year-old rookie was sent up to pinch-hit for the pitcher in the seventh inning. He just wanted to swing the bat and get a hit.

But he did much more than that. On the third pitch he saw from Alberto Reyes of the St. Louis Cardinals, Hermida smashed a line drive over the right-field wall – a grand slam in his first at-bat.

“You always dream of coming in and maybe not getting a home run in your first at-bat, but just getting a hit,” Hermida said afterward. “To do something like that, it’s something I couldn’t even describe. … It didn’t really hit me until I crossed home plate.”1

Hermida became the second known major-league player – the first since Bill Duggleby of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1898 – to hit a grand slam in his first at-bat. (Two others have done it since, as of 2024.)2 His parents, Larry and Tammy, were back home in Georgia watching the nationally televised game on ESPN.

“We’d seen too many of his hits. We absolutely knew the ball was gone,” Tammy Hermida said. “I think I ran out of the room. And my husband fell to the floor, screaming, ‘That’s my boy! That’s my boy!’”3

Hermida’s stirring start raised expectations, but the former first-round draft pick struggled to live up to them. He had several productive seasons with the Marlins and provided a few more memorable moments, but a series of injuries limited him to part-time status after the age of 25. He spent time with the Boston Red Sox, Oakland A’s, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, and Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan before calling it a career after the 2015 season.

Jeremy Ryan Hermida was born on January 30, 1984, in Atlanta. His parents were both Florida natives and his father, Larry, worked in the home-building industry. Jeremy was a natural right-hander, but at around 4 years old, he began swinging left-handed with his father’s guidance off a tee in the backyard of the family home in suburban Marietta.

“There was no time limit. Early in the morning, late at night, he was ready [to hit],” said Larry, a self-described “Tampa park rat” who would occasionally bring his son along on work trips with their baseball equipment stored in the car. “There’s not a park or batting cage we didn’t pull over at as he was growing up.”4    

Jeremy admired Seattle Mariners star Ken Griffey Jr. because “he did so much so young,” but often wore the number 7 because his father’s idol was Mickey Mantle.5 At the age of 14, Jeremy joined East Cobb Baseball, a prestigious club program that produced future major leaguers Michael Barrett, Corey Patterson, and Adam Everett, among others. He began swinging with a wood bat to build stronger habits and received hitting instruction from former Atlanta Braves outfielder Terry Harper and East Cobb coach Danny Pralgo.6

Wheeler High School coach David McDonald was in his 27th year when Hermida arrived as a freshman in 1999. By midseason, McDonald had inserted the young lefty outfielder into the starting lineup. “I guess I was doing my best coaching job not to coach him,” McDonald said. “I could see as a ninth-grader he had his mind set to do things after high school.”7

Hermida was teammates with star shortstop Josh Burrus, who was taken in the first round by the hometown Braves in the 2001 amateur draft. Hermida signed a letter of intent with Clemson University that fall, but midway through his senior season, his own draft stock suddenly went up after a power-hitting display during batting practice.

On April 9, 2002, more than 50 scouts showed up to watch Wheeler play against Parkview High School, featuring multisport star and fellow Clemson signee Jeff Francoeur. Hermida and Francoeur both put on a dazzling show in the batting cage. As Mike Berardino of Baseball America wrote in 2003:

Some scouts called Hermida the best high school hitter since Eric Chavez. Others saw a young Andy Van Slyke or Paul O’Neill. Hermida himself identified more with Shawn Green. Whichever comparison you prefer, there’s no denying his polished hitting approach and advanced maturity. He has a smooth, quick stroke, top-notch plate discipline, a strong work ethic and first-rate makeup.8

Hermida finished his senior season with a .485 batting average and 7 home runs, and he was named to the All-Cobb County team by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Even Francoeur, who went on to spend 12 seasons in the big leagues, raved about Hermida’s abilities: “He has such a sweet swing. It’s one of the prettiest lefty swings you’ll ever see.”9

The 2002 draft class of Georgia high-school seniors was one of the strongest in the state’s history. Hermida and Francoeur were at the top of the rankings, but the list also included catcher Brian McCann from Duluth, pitcher-third baseman Micah Owings from Gainesville, and pitcher Jonathan Broxton from Burke County. The eight future major leaguers from that senior class would go on to combine for more than 60 Wins Above Replacement in their careers.10

It was Hermida, not the highly touted Francoeur, who was ultimately selected first. The Florida Marlins snagged him with the number 11 overall pick and signed him for a bonus of just over $2 million. Francoeur went to the hometown Braves with the number 23 selection. Both players turned down their scholarship offers from Clemson in order to turn pro. “It’s very fairy tale-ish,” Hermida said.11

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a first-person essay with Hermida’s byline in which he described the draft day experience at his house: “With my family and friends huddled around me, I anxiously leaned toward the computer screen and listened to the draft picks live. … It went fast … and then at pick 11, I heard my name. It was without a doubt the best moment of my life. … It’s an honor to be where I am.”12

Hermida joined the Marlins’ instructional-league team in Florida to make his professional debut, and then was soon called up to Low-A Jamestown (New York), where he hit .319 over the final two weeks of the season. He spent most of 2003 in Class A with the Greensboro Bats, hitting 6 home runs and stealing 28 bases in 133 games.

Before the 2004 season, Hermida was ranked among the top 30 prospects in the game by Baseball America. He moved up to the top 20 after a strong season with High-A Jupiter in the Florida State League.

He had a breakout year in 2005, hitting 18 home runs and posting a .457 on-base average for the Double-A Carolina Mudcats. He was named MVP of the Southern League All-Star Game and participated on the US team (along with old friend Jeff Francoeur) in MLB’s Futures Game at Comerica Park in Detroit.

In August Hermida injured his left wrist and suffered a bone bruise that kept him out of the Mudcats’ lineup for more than a week. The Marlins flew him to Florida, where he was examined by a specialist and he began hitting off a tee and working out with the big-league team. Team officials did not tell Hermida when or if he would return to the minor leagues.13

About three hours before the Marlins’ game on Wednesday, August 31, Hermida was told he would be in uniform. “It happened so quickly that no one from his family was on hand for his historic debut at Dolphins Stadium,” the Miami Herald reported.14

In the seventh inning, manager Jack McKeon sent Hermida up as a pinch-hitter for pitcher Brian Moehler with the Marlins trailing 10-0. He stepped to the plate against 35-year-old right-hander Alberto Reyes with the bases loaded. Hermida swung at a strike, took a ball low, and then smashed a Reyes changeup over the right-field wall, a blast estimated at 373 feet.

“I pretty much already made up my mind I was going to swing at the first pitch up there, just to get the jitters out,” Hermida said. “After that I was like, ‘All right, sit back and trust yourself.’ And he just happened to leave one over the middle a little bit.”15

Hermida quickly circled the bases with his head down and ran back into the dugout. He missed the crowd of 20,656 – plus 687 dogs for Dog Day in the Park – clamoring for a curtain call. “Honestly, I didn’t even see it. I was just running,” he said afterward. The Marlins’ bullpen traded two signed baseballs in a deal with the fan who caught the home run.16

After their loss in Hermida’s historic debut, the Marlins fell out of first place in the NL wild-card race and they stumbled to an 83-79 finish. Hermida was mostly used as a pinch-hitter down the stretch, but he hit home runs in three of the team’s final four games. His memorable start earned him a ranking as Baseball America’s number 4 prospect entering his first full rookie season.

In spring training, Hermida said he tried “not to pay too much attention about what is written or said about me. When you’re standing in the batter’s box, it sure doesn’t matter what kind of a prospect you were rated. The pitcher is going to try to make it tougher on you, not easier.”17

The Marlins were full of unproven prospects in 2006, having traded away veterans Carlos Delgado, Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell, Juan Pierre, and Luis Castillo in a fire sale during the offseason. Miguel Cabrera (age 23) and pitcher Dontrelle Willis (24) were the only returning starters as the Marlins fielded the youngest team in the majors.

Hermida was touted as a potential Rookie of the Year candidate, but a hip flexor strain in mid-April put him on the injured list and caused him to miss more than 30 games. He got hot in June, hitting .345 with 11 doubles, but he couldn’t sustain that performance in the second half. An ankle injury down the stretch limited him to just seven plate appearances as a pinch-hitter in September.

After a slow start in 2007, Hermida finally broke out in a way the Marlins front office had always thought he was capable of. He hit .340 with 10 home runs over the second half and played a key role in the final weekend as the last-place Marlins spoiled the New York Mets’ bid for a National League East Division title.

Hermida, who was still the Marlins’ youngest starting position player at the age of 24, took a step back in 2008 but he did enjoy some of his finest individual days in a big-league uniform that year. He recorded his first two-home-run game on April 11 as the Marlins set a club record with six homers in a win over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. He also hit two home runs on July 26 against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The inexperienced Marlins were a surprise contender for a postseason berth before falling out of the wild-card race in September. Hermida batted .249 with 17 homers and played in a career-high 142 games.

His third and final game with two home runs came on April 18, 2009, when his three-run blast tied a game at Nationals Park with two outs in the ninth inning against Washington closer Joel Hanrahan. In the 11th inning, he put Florida in the lead for good with a three-run homer off Wil Ledezma. Hermida’s five RBIs that afternoon were a career best.

But that was his only major highlight in his final season as a Marlin. He hit .259 with 13 home runs but missed almost all of September with a rib injury. After the season, Florida traded its once-prized prospect to the Boston Red Sox for two pitchers, José Álvarez and Hunter Jones. The Red Sox intended to use Hermida as a backup for starting outfielders J.D. Drew, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Mike Cameron.

“You have to come out here with a purpose every day,” Hermida said about accepting a reserve role for the first time. “Take pride, look at yourself in the mirror and make sure you’re doing it on a daily basis. That’s all you can ask of yourself.”18

On May 18, 2010, Hermida endeared himself to Red Sox fans by hitting a go-ahead two-run double off future Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera at Yankee Stadium. But a few weeks later, he was placed on the injured list with fractured ribs following a collision with third baseman Adrian Beltré. That meant he was not in uniform when Boston’s Daniel Nava hit a grand slam in his first at-bat on June 12, drawing comparisons to Hermida’s magical debut.19 After playing in just 52 games, Hermida was released by the Red Sox at the end of August and signed with the Oakland Athletics. He hit one home run in the season’s final 25 games.

Hermida signed as a free agent with the Cincinnati Reds in 2011 and spent most of the year at Triple-A Louisville, where he had a strong season (.319/.400/.524, 17 home runs in 105 games). But at age 27, his days as an up-and-coming prospect were now past him.

The San Diego Padres claimed Hermida on waivers and he appeared in 33 games with the big-league club over two seasons. But in early 2012, he sustained a sports hernia injury that required surgery and a lengthy rehab stint at Triple-A Tucson. He never made it back to the majors.20

Hermida signed minor-league deals in 2013 with the Cleveland Indians and in 2014 with the Milwaukee Brewers. In 2015, he inked a deal with the Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan’s Pacific League, where he hit .211 with one home run in 50 games.

Hermida may not have lived up to the promise of his spectacular major-league debut, but he invested his money wisely. He now helps other athletes do the same as a business development officer for BIP Wealth, a wealth management firm founded by two former Georgia Tech baseball players.21

As of 2024, Hermida lived in suburban Atlanta raising his three children with wife Lindsey (Sherman), a New Jersey native and former Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader whom he married in 2011. He spends his time golfing, traveling, and coaching his son’s baseball team. He also occasionally works as a television analyst for Georgia Tech baseball games.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Reference.com, Retrosheet.org, and Newspapers.com.

Photo credit: Jeremy Hermida, Trading Card Database.

Notes

1 Tim Reynolds (Associated Press), “Rookie Makes Grand Debut,” The Columbian (Vancouver, Washington), September 1, 2005: B5.

2 In addition to Duggleby and Hermida, the other major-league players to hit a grand slam in their first at-bat entering the 2024 season were Kevin Kouzmanoff (2006) and Daniel Nava (2010).

3 Tim Reynolds (Associated Press), “Hermida’s Historic Homer Has Family ‘Still Shaking,’” Stuart (Florida) News, September 2, 2005: C5.

4 Juan C. Rodriguez, “Kid’s Got Pop,” South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale), February 24, 2006: 18.

5 Jeff D’Alessio, “Gimme 5,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 1, 2007: B2.

6 Mike Berardino, “Top Ten Prospects: Florida Marlins,” Baseball America, November 19, 2003. Accessed online August 29, 2024, via Archive.org.

7 Rodriguez, “Kid’s Got Pop.”

8 Berardino, “Top Ten Prospects: Florida Marlins.”

9 Guy Curtright, “Splashy Rookie Thrills Marlins,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 3, 2006: F1.

10 Three other Georgia high-school seniors from the 2002 draft also made the major leagues: Barret Browning, Matt Capps, and Brandon Moss. The record for any single draft (as of the 2024 season) is 10 Georgia seniors taken in 2010, led by Delino DeShields Jr. All information from the Baseball-Reference.com Draft Index, accessed August 29, 2024.

11 Carlos Frías, “Bonus Should Outlast Career,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 4, 2002: C2.

12 Jeremy Hermida, “As a Clemson Tiger or Florida Marlin, at 18 I Can’t Lose,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 13, 2002: JG13.

13 Juan C. Rodriguez, “Prospect Needs Wrist Examined,” South Florida Sun-Sentinel, August 31, 2005: 3C.

14 Clark Spencer, “History, Heartache,” Miami Herald, September 1, 2005: D1.

15 Reynolds, “Rookie Makes Grand Debut.”

16 Reynolds, “Rookie Makes Grand Debut.” Joe Capozzi, “Miss, and a Swing,” Palm Beach (Florida) Post, September 1, 2005: 5C.

17 Curtright, “Splashy Rookie Thrills Marlins.”

18 Kevin Thomas, “Sox Hope Hermida Comes to the Fore as a Backup,” Portland (Maine) Press Herald, March 28, 2010, accessed online August 29, 2024, at https://www.pressherald.com/2010/03/28/sox-hope-hermida-comes-to-the-fore-as-a-backup_2010-03-28/.

19 Nate Taylor and Nick Cafardo, “It Doesn’t Get Grander Than Nava’s Debut,” Hartford Courant, June 13, 2010: E6.

20 Alex Williams, “Hermida’s Rehab Gives Outfielders a Break,” Arizona Daily Star (Tucson), June 30, 2012: B5.

21 “Jeremy Hermida,” BIP Wealth, accessed August 27, 2024, at https://bipwealth.com/team/jeremy-hermida.