POQUOSON, Va. (WTKR) — As Chad Pinder left the field after the Gwinnett Stripers lost against Durham on Saturday night, he took a few extra moments to exchange hugs with teammates and soak in the moment.
That contest represented his last as a pro baseball player. The Poquoson native called it a career after playing seven seasons in Major League Baseball.
The Bull Islander alum and former Virginia Tech standout was drafted in 2013 by Oakland and made his MLB debut in 2016 for the A's. He played all seven seasons of his MLB career with Oakland, taking the field in 553 games.
After the 2022 season, he became a free agent and signed a deal with Cincinnati for Spring Training. He was released by the Reds before signing a minor league contract with Washington, playing for the team's AAA affiliate Rochester. Pinder was released by the team on May 5, but quickly signed another minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves a few days later.
He was sent to Gwinnett where he'd ultimately finish up his career.
In seven MLB campaigns, Pinder posted 388 hits with 62 home runs, 197 runs batted in, and a .242 batting average.
He put his name on the map with Poquoson High School, helping the Bull Islanders win VHSL state championships in 2009 and 2010. That team also included former University of Virginia standout and MLB pitcher Kyle Crockett.
"He hasn't changed a lot, he's always been a team first guy," said Poquoson head baseball coach Kenny Bennett. "If you look at all the different comments from all the different organizations he was in, they're all going to tell you about the selfless player he was and that hasn't changed since he was right here at Poquoson High School."
In April, Pinder returned to Hampton Roads with the Red Wings to play the Norfolk Tides, the first games he'd ever played at Harbor Park.
"As an educator, it's fun to watch him go through those phases in life and mature," Bennett said. "In the text I sent him today, it was 'Proud' with a lot of exclamation points."
