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Torii Hunter

Torii Kedar Hunter was born on July 18, 1975 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, about 45 minutes southeast of the state capital, Little Rock.

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Torii Hunter Biography

One of four boys produced by Theotis and Shirley Hunter, Torii was a gifted athlete who idolized his older brother, Taru. He credits his sibling with helping him develop into the player he is today.

Shirley worked as an elementary school teacher in Little Rock, and Theotis was an electrical engineer who found steady employment in a cotton mill and with the railways. Despite their long hours on the job, providing the bare necessities was sometimes a struggle. Electric bills didn’t always get paid, and roaches and rats were often unwelcome housemates. Torii slept on a towel when the old mattress in his bedroom became too disgusting.

Shirley and Theotis relied on their boys to look after themselves. This made Torii and his brothers mature beyond their years. He learned to cook by age 10. Baking cakes was his specialty.

Pine Bluff was not the type of place you'd find pictured in a Norman Rockwell painting. The Hunters lived on the east side of town, where crime and drugs offered tempting shortcuts to the bored and desperate. The Hunter boys were crazy about sports, however, which provided a perfect alternative to life on the corner. Torii, who possessed amazing speed, had a sixth sense for tracking down footballs and baseballs. Taru challenged his little brother to run down long bombs and deep flies, and marveled as the ball settled into his soft hands no matter how far he had to run for it.

Torii's first love was football. On offense he lined up at quarterback—he had the best arm in town—and on defense he patrolled the secondary as a hard-hitting free safety. Of course, come the spring the youngster turned to baseball. Torii started in tee-ball at age eight, and played in organized leagues every summer, including Little League and Babe Ruth, right into his teens. As a talented two-sport star, he naturally discovered a hero in Auburn’s Bo Jackson. Torii marveled at Jackson's sprinter's speed, raw power and impeccable instincts—and thrilled with the rest of the country as he became a star for the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Royals in the 1980s.

Torii entered Pine Bluff High School as a sophomore in 1990, and immediately became a football star. He also made headlines in basketball and track for the Zebras. Success in baseball was slower to come, but by his junior season, Torii was distinguishing himself on the diamond. No matter how good he was, however, he could not hope to be the best in the school at any sport. That distinction belonged to his friend Basil Shabazz.

 

Considered by many to be the greatest prep athlete in Arkansas history, Shabazz could do it all. Though he played just one season of baseball, he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and received a $150,000 signing bonus. The notoriety helped Torii’s cause; when the scouts came to see Shabazz, they noticed him, too. Voted an All-State performer his last two seasons, Torii had already begun his thieving ways, both on the basepaths and in centerfield, where he regularly robbed opponents of homers and extra-base hits. He was no slouch at the plate, either. He generated excellent bat speed, and once hit a 550-foot homer, according to Zebra coach Billy Bock.

In 1992, Torii was named to the U.S. Junior Olympic baseball squad. When the teenager couldn't come up with the money to cover team expenses, he wrote Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, and received a check for $500.

In the spring of 1993, Torii was wooed by several college recruiters, including Bill Springman of Pepperdine, which had a superb baseball program. He was intrigued by the idea of a college scholarship until he began hearing rumors that he might be taken in the first round of the draft. Torii was surprised that he was regarded so highly, but by draft day the rumors had been confirmed.

Some 50 relatives gathered at the Hunter home on June 3rd to await news of where Torii was headed. He secretly hoped to be selected by the Atlanta Braves. Georgia wasn't too far Arkansas, the team was building a dynasty, and almost all of the club's games were shown on cable. But when the phone rang, it was the Twins, who had tabbed him with the 20th pick overall. Mike Ruth, the team's Midwest Scouting Director, had first spotted him in the spring of 1991 and monitored his progress from there. Torii wasn't sure what to think. All he knew of Minnesota was Kirby Puckett. After the draft, a local television station wanted wanted to do an interview with Torii wearing a Twins hat. A friend was dispatched to the mall, but no one could find one.

A few days later, Ruth arrived at the Hunter home and sweated out a brief negotiation in their un-air conditioned living room. Torii accepted the team’s signing bonus of $450,000 and packed his bags for Fort Myers, Florida.

FAQs
  • How do I book Torii Hunter to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Torii Hunter for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Torii Hunter, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Torii Hunter or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Torii Hunter

    Speaking fees for Torii Hunter, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Torii Hunter are available upon request for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Torii Hunter, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Torii Hunter speak about?

    Torii Hunter is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Baseball.
  • Where does Torii Hunter travel from?

    Torii Hunter generally travels from an undisclosed location, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Torii Hunter’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Torii Hunter for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Torii Hunter for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Torii Hunter or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

Torii Kedar Hunter was born on July 18, 1975 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, about 45 minutes southeast of the state capital, Little Rock.

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Torii Hunter Biography

One of four boys produced by Theotis and Shirley Hunter, Torii was a gifted athlete who idolized his older brother, Taru. He credits his sibling with helping him develop into the player he is today.

Shirley worked as an elementary school teacher in Little Rock, and Theotis was an electrical engineer who found steady employment in a cotton mill and with the railways. Despite their long hours on the job, providing the bare necessities was sometimes a struggle. Electric bills didn’t always get paid, and roaches and rats were often unwelcome housemates. Torii slept on a towel when the old mattress in his bedroom became too disgusting.

Shirley and Theotis relied on their boys to look after themselves. This made Torii and his brothers mature beyond their years. He learned to cook by age 10. Baking cakes was his specialty.

Pine Bluff was not the type of place you'd find pictured in a Norman Rockwell painting. The Hunters lived on the east side of town, where crime and drugs offered tempting shortcuts to the bored and desperate. The Hunter boys were crazy about sports, however, which provided a perfect alternative to life on the corner. Torii, who possessed amazing speed, had a sixth sense for tracking down footballs and baseballs. Taru challenged his little brother to run down long bombs and deep flies, and marveled as the ball settled into his soft hands no matter how far he had to run for it.

Torii's first love was football. On offense he lined up at quarterback—he had the best arm in town—and on defense he patrolled the secondary as a hard-hitting free safety. Of course, come the spring the youngster turned to baseball. Torii started in tee-ball at age eight, and played in organized leagues every summer, including Little League and Babe Ruth, right into his teens. As a talented two-sport star, he naturally discovered a hero in Auburn’s Bo Jackson. Torii marveled at Jackson's sprinter's speed, raw power and impeccable instincts—and thrilled with the rest of the country as he became a star for the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Royals in the 1980s.

Torii entered Pine Bluff High School as a sophomore in 1990, and immediately became a football star. He also made headlines in basketball and track for the Zebras. Success in baseball was slower to come, but by his junior season, Torii was distinguishing himself on the diamond. No matter how good he was, however, he could not hope to be the best in the school at any sport. That distinction belonged to his friend Basil Shabazz.

 

Considered by many to be the greatest prep athlete in Arkansas history, Shabazz could do it all. Though he played just one season of baseball, he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and received a $150,000 signing bonus. The notoriety helped Torii’s cause; when the scouts came to see Shabazz, they noticed him, too. Voted an All-State performer his last two seasons, Torii had already begun his thieving ways, both on the basepaths and in centerfield, where he regularly robbed opponents of homers and extra-base hits. He was no slouch at the plate, either. He generated excellent bat speed, and once hit a 550-foot homer, according to Zebra coach Billy Bock.

In 1992, Torii was named to the U.S. Junior Olympic baseball squad. When the teenager couldn't come up with the money to cover team expenses, he wrote Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, and received a check for $500.

In the spring of 1993, Torii was wooed by several college recruiters, including Bill Springman of Pepperdine, which had a superb baseball program. He was intrigued by the idea of a college scholarship until he began hearing rumors that he might be taken in the first round of the draft. Torii was surprised that he was regarded so highly, but by draft day the rumors had been confirmed.

Some 50 relatives gathered at the Hunter home on June 3rd to await news of where Torii was headed. He secretly hoped to be selected by the Atlanta Braves. Georgia wasn't too far Arkansas, the team was building a dynasty, and almost all of the club's games were shown on cable. But when the phone rang, it was the Twins, who had tabbed him with the 20th pick overall. Mike Ruth, the team's Midwest Scouting Director, had first spotted him in the spring of 1991 and monitored his progress from there. Torii wasn't sure what to think. All he knew of Minnesota was Kirby Puckett. After the draft, a local television station wanted wanted to do an interview with Torii wearing a Twins hat. A friend was dispatched to the mall, but no one could find one.

A few days later, Ruth arrived at the Hunter home and sweated out a brief negotiation in their un-air conditioned living room. Torii accepted the team’s signing bonus of $450,000 and packed his bags for Fort Myers, Florida.

FAQs on booking Torii Hunter

  • How do I book Torii Hunter to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Torii Hunter for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Torii Hunter, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Torii Hunter or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Torii Hunter

    Speaking fees for Torii Hunter, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Torii Hunter are available upon request for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Torii Hunter, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Torii Hunter speak about?

    Torii Hunter is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Baseball.
  • Where does Torii Hunter travel from?

    Torii Hunter generally travels from an undisclosed location, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Torii Hunter’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Torii Hunter for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Torii Hunter for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Torii Hunter or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Torii Hunter is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Torii Hunter for your event is available upon request. Torii Hunter generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Ron Gardenhire, Justin Morneau, Paul Molitor, Joe Mauer and Paul Konerko. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Torii Hunter for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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Speakers Similar to Torii Hunter

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

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