Brad Baker
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Boston Red Sox — No. 31 | |
| Relief pitcher | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Former teams | |
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Bradley Donald Baker (born November 6, 1980 in Brattleboro, Vermont) is a Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher who currently plays for the Boston Red Sox. Baker throws a fastball which consistently hits 90 mph, an above-average curve, and and average change.
After being drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 1st Round of the 1999 Draft, Baker played for the Rookie League Gulf Coast Red Sox, where he recorded a 1-0 record, a 0.79 earned run average, and 10 strikeouts in 4 games.
Brad had a career year in 2000 with the Augusta GreenJackets. His statistics included a 12-7 win-loss record, a 3.07 ERA, 126 strikeouts, and 55 walks in 27 games. The following year, Baker played for the Sarasota Red Sox and went 7-9 with a 4.7 ERA and 103 strikeouts. He also played for Sarasota in 2002, going 7-1, with a 2.79 ERA and 65 strikeouts, before being traded to the San Diego Padres on June 26, 2002 for Alan Embree. Baker finished the season with San Diego's AA affiliate, the Mobile BayBears.
Brad began the 2003 season with the Class A Lake Elsinore Storm, compiling a 3-1 record, a 2.01 ERA, and 69 K before being called up back to AA Mobile. With the BayBears, he went a dismal 1-6 with a 5.68 ERA. He also recorded 53 strikeouts.
The next year, still playing with the BayBears, Brad fared much better, with a 2-1 record, a 1.57 ERA, and 68 strikeouts. Near the end of the season, he was recalled to the AAA Portland Beavers, where he played 4 games, recording a stellar 0.93 ERA in 9.2 innings pitched. He led San Diego's minor league organization in saves with 34 in 2004.
Brad went 4-5 with a 4.75 ERA, 75 strikeouts, and 27 saves as the team's closer in 2005. He had a good Spring Training, but he didn't make the major leagues.
The Braves signed Brad as a free agent on November 17, 2005 to a one year contract. On May 15, 2006 he was traded back to the Boston Red Sox to complete a trade for reliever Franklin Nunez. Baker was 1-0 with a 2.40 ERA with the R-Braves. [1]
