Brad Halsey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Oakland Athletics — No. 51 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Bats: Left | Throws: Left |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
| June 19, 2004 for the New York Yankees | |
| Selected MLB statistics (through 2006) |
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| Record | 12-19 |
| ERA | 4.84 |
| Strikeouts | 154 |
| Former teams | |
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Bradford Alexander Halsey (born February 14, 1981 in Houston, Texas) is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher who plays for the Oakland Athletics.
Halsey was an eighth-round pick out of University of Texas at Austin in 2002, when he was the No. 1 starter on the Longhorns' College World Series championship team--a team which also featured current teammate Huston Street.
Signed by the New York Yankees, Halsey spent most of 2004 at AAA Columbus, going 11-4 with a 2.63 ERA in 144 innings. He posted a 2.95 strikeout-to-walk ratio (109-to-37), while opponents batted him .237 with eight home runs. The Yankees gave him a spot in their pitching rotation on June 19, 2004. In seven starts and a relief appearance, Halsey finished with a 1-3 record, 25 strikeouts, and a 6.47 ERA in 32 innings.
Before the 2005 season, the Arizona Diamondbacks traded pitcher Randy Johnson to the Yankees in a three-team deal that includes Los Angeles Dodgers. Arizona received Halsey, pitcher Javier Vázquez and catcher Dioner Navarro from New York, then sent Navarro and three minor leagues prospects to the Dodgers for outfielder Shawn Green.
On March 26, 2006 the Arizona Diamondbacks traded Halsey to the Oakland Athletics for Juan Cruz. Halsey made the Athletics' opening-day roster as a middle reliever, then was pressed into starting duty in May with injuries to starters Esteban Loaiza and Rich Harden. Halsey pitched capably if not impressively in six starts, with a record of 1-2, ERA of 5.63, and opponents batting .305 against him.
When Loaiza returned, Halsey returned to middle relief duty in mid-June. His statistics through mid-August were 3-3, 4.50 ERA. On August 10, Halsey was optioned to Oakland's AAA affiliate in Sacramento when the Athletics activated reliever Jay Witasick from the disabled list only to be recalled on August 22 with the A's needing a fifth starter in a string of consecutive games. He finished the year in middle relief, usually as the first reliever. His statistics for the year were 5-4, 4.67 ERA.
Halsey did not make the playoff roster for Oakland's division series against the Minnesota Twins. Oakland already had a left-hander in Joe Kennedy, and teams tend to carry one less pitcher in the playoffs given the added rest days and usual movement of the fifth starter to the bullpen.
Halsey throws a fastball in the 87-90 MPH range, but his best pitches are a fine slider and a deceptive changeup.
He was the person who threw the pitch on May 20, 2006 that Barry Bonds hit out of the park for his 714th home run, tying Babe Ruth for second place all-time.
