Torii Hunter and the Detroit Tigers are set to begin an American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday but the outfielder revealed to MLB.com that he intends to play beyond 2014.
Signed to a two-year deal worth $26 million this past offseason, Hunter hit .204/.334/.465 with 17 home runs and 84 RBI in 144 games for the Tigers.
There is still one year left on his deal but Hunter is already making it clear that 2014 will not be his final season.
“No, it won’t be. It won’t be,” Hunter said when asked if 2014 would be his last season. “I want to play past that contract.”
“I try to keep myself in shape,” Hunter said. “I work out, I get myself prepared, I’m a lot smarter at the plate, I’m a lot smarter playing in the field. When you’re younger, you just go out and you play, you go wild. But now I study, I look at percentages, I look at different things like that and prepare myself for the test so I won’t fail. I eat right, I sprint, I still keep my fast-twitch muscles. I do everything I can to prepare myself for the game that day.”
