| Chris Britton | |
|---|---|
Britton as a non-roster invitee of the San Diego Padres in 2009 spring training. |
|
| York Revolution — No. 98 | |
| Relief pitcher | |
| Born: December 16, 1982 Hollywood, Florida |
|
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Professional debut | |
| April 12, 2006 for the Baltimore Orioles | |
| statistics (through 2008 season) |
|
| Win-Loss | 0-3 |
| Earned run average | 3.83 |
| Strikeouts | 58 |
| Teams | |
Christopher Daniel Britton (born December 16, 1982 in Hollywood, Florida is a right-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently pitching for the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association.
Contents |
Britton attended Plantation High School in Florida. He was 1st-team All-Broward County and 2nd team All-State.
He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 8th round of the 2001 draft.
As of August 14, 2007, he has averaged 7.6 hits, 2.9 walks, and 9.5 strikeouts per 9 innings in the Minor Leagues.
In 2005 he was a High-A All-Star. He was 6-0 that year with a 1.60 ERA, and in 78.2 innings gave up on only 47 hits and 23 walks, while striking out 110 batters.
On June 10, 2009 he was signed by the York Revolution in the Atlantic League.
As a rookie with the Orioles in 2006, in 52 relief appearances Britton was 0-2 with a 3.35 ERA, with 46 hits, 41 strikeouts, and 17 walks in 53.2 innings.
On November 12, 2006, the Orioles traded Britton to the New York Yankees for right-handed pitcher Jaret Wright and $4 million.[1] He started the season at AAA Scranton but was called up on April 15, 2007 after a string of injuries to starting pitching and a pair of extra inning games. He made his first appearance with the Yankees two days later, on April 17, pitching a scoreless ninth inning. He was recalled on August 29, 2007, with Sean Henn getting sent down to AAA. On June 6, 2008, Britton was placed on the disabled list.
Following the 2008 season, Britton was non-tendered by the Yankees, making him a free agent.[2]
On December 19, 2008, the Padres announced the signing of Britton to a minor league deal. On May 25, 2009 the Padres released Britton due to a poor start at Triple A.
In 15 appearances for the Padres AA and AAA teams, Britton threw 20 2/3 innings, allowed 24 earned runs, 39 hits and 8 walks and struck out 10, with an ERA of 10.45.
Britton signed with the York Revolution of the Independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball for the 2009 season.[3] He signed with the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association for the 2010 season.[4] He was released from the Saltdogs on 6/28/2010.[5]
At 275 pounds, Britton is one of the heaviest players in baseball. The only other major leaguers who are listed as heavy or heavier are CC Sabathia, Jonathan Broxton, Bobby Jenks, Adam Dunn, and Dmitri Young. Like Britton, the former three are pitchers in their 20s.
While Britton has generally put up good minor league numbers and had success with the Orioles during the 2006 season, he has been generally overlooked by the Yankees. Yankees fan blogs, which generally bemoan the team's relief pitchers, quickly grew frustrated with the team's reluctance to place Britton on the major league roster, or use him when available. This unwillingness to use the pitcher has been dubbed "Brittongate."[6] General manager Brian Cashman expressed confidence in Britton: "He has not failed in any capacity at any level. Every chance he’s gotten, he’s had success, period. That’s what defines Chris Britton. I can’t tell you any more than that."[7]