Arizona.Diamondbacks.MLB.com

Catching prospect is Triple-A All-Star

• fan comments
• print this page
• e-mail this page
• post on facebook

Related Links

• Hester's bio/stats
• Topps Triple-A All-Star Team announced
• D-backs Minor League affiliates

By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com

11/12/09 9:09 PM EST

PHOENIX -- John Hester made a big first impression last year, hitting a home run in his first Major League at-bat.

But it was the work the D-backs catcher did for Triple-A Reno that earned him a spot on the Topps' Triple-A All-Star Team.

Hester, 26, hit .328 with nine homers and 66 RBIs for Reno while throwing out 30 percent of would-be basestealers before being promoted to the big leagues Aug. 28.

That night against Houston's Wilton Lopez, Hester smacked a home run to center and was rewarded with a curtain call from the Chase Field crowd. Following the game, Hester got a whipped cream pie to the face during a television interview.

"It was a start I could only wish for," Hester said after the game. "And it came true."

A 13th-round selection of the D-backs in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft out of Stanford University, Hester saw limited action the rest of the way and hit .250 with four RBIs.

"It's great recognition for him because he's worked hard to become a better player," said D-backs manager A.J. Hinch, who served as the organization's farm director during Hester's first three years in the Minors. "He had an unconventional swing when he turned pro, but he has worked that out and made himself into an offensive prospect."

Hester might wind up in Reno again next season, depending on what happens with the Arizona catching situation. He doesn't figure to crack the Miguel Montero/Chris Snyder duo, but if Snyder is dealt before the season it would give Hester a chance to compete for the backup spot.

"Knowing where he came from to where he is now, it's a tribute to our player development staff, our scouts and John himself," Hinch said.

Steve Gilbert is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.