Brian Buchanan
Encyclopedia
Brian James Buchanan is a former Major League Baseball
outfielder. He played for Fairfax High School in Fairfax, Virginia, where he excelled not only at hitting but at pitching as well and was named First Team All-Region for all of Northern Virginia. He once played for the St. Paul Saints
of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. He played in Major League Baseball from through .
, Brian was drafted by the New York Yankees
in the first round (24th overall) of the amateur draft. In February , he was traded to the Minnesota Twins
in the trade that sent Chuck Knoblauch
to the Yankees. "Buck" enjoyed his time in Minnesota and had career years as a Twin. In July , he was traded to the San Diego Padres
for Jason Bartlett. During his time with the Padres, he was considered one of the most feared right handed pinch hitters in the game. He was one of the few hitters in the league who would wear 1 batting glove. The batting glove company, Franklin, decided to come out with a signature "Buck" batting glove. Those who bought the glove were said to have an improved swing and would get caught looking more often. In parts of five seasons in the majors, he hit .258 in 767 at bats, hitting 32 home runs in the process. Brian "Buck" Buchanan is the son-in-law of the Boston Celtics
great John Havlicek
.
After the season, he joined the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
in Japan after 2 years playing in the minors for the Rochester Red Wings
, Colorado Springs Sky Sox
, and Louisville Bats
. Buchanan played 99 games for the Hawks, mostly as a DH
, batting .285 with 11 home runs and 48 RBI.
During the 07-08 offseason, Buchanan signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals and became a free agent after the season. In January , he re-signed with the Royals and is played for their Triple A affiliate, the Omaha Royals
, and even made relief appearances on several occasions.
On November 18, 2009, he retired. He was is now coaching in Kanasas City Royals Minor League system. He was named the manager for the Idaho Falls Chukars
of the Pioneer Baseball League. In November of 2011, he was named manager of the Kane County Cougars
of the Class A, Midwest League
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder. He played for Fairfax High School in Fairfax, Virginia, where he excelled not only at hitting but at pitching as well and was named First Team All-Region for all of Northern Virginia. He once played for the St. Paul Saints
St. Paul Saints
The St. Paul Saints are a professional baseball team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the United States. The Saints are a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. He played in Major League Baseball from through .
Biography
A standout player at the University of VirginiaUniversity of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, Brian was drafted by the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in the first round (24th overall) of the amateur draft. In February , he was traded to the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
in the trade that sent Chuck Knoblauch
Chuck Knoblauch
Edward Charles "Chuck" Knoblauch is a retired Major League Baseball player. He played all or part of twelve seasons in the majors, from until , for the Minnesota Twins , New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals...
to the Yankees. "Buck" enjoyed his time in Minnesota and had career years as a Twin. In July , he was traded to the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
for Jason Bartlett. During his time with the Padres, he was considered one of the most feared right handed pinch hitters in the game. He was one of the few hitters in the league who would wear 1 batting glove. The batting glove company, Franklin, decided to come out with a signature "Buck" batting glove. Those who bought the glove were said to have an improved swing and would get caught looking more often. In parts of five seasons in the majors, he hit .258 in 767 at bats, hitting 32 home runs in the process. Brian "Buck" Buchanan is the son-in-law of the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
great John Havlicek
John Havlicek
John J. "Hondo" Havlicek is a retired American professional basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA titles, half of them coming in his first four seasons....
.
After the season, he joined the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
The are a Japanese baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. The team was bought on January 28, 2005 by the SoftBank Corporation.The team was formerly known as the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. In 1988, Daiei bought the team from Osaka's Nankai Electric Railway Co., and its headquarters were...
in Japan after 2 years playing in the minors for the Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
, Colorado Springs Sky Sox
Colorado Springs Sky Sox
The Colorado Springs Sky Sox are a minor league baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team's colors are red and blue. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the major league Colorado Rockies...
, and Louisville Bats
Louisville Bats
The Louisville Bats, which play in Louisville, Kentucky, are the AAA minor league baseball affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The team, formerly known as the Louisville RiverBats, plays in the International League...
. Buchanan played 99 games for the Hawks, mostly as a DH
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
, batting .285 with 11 home runs and 48 RBI.
During the 07-08 offseason, Buchanan signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals and became a free agent after the season. In January , he re-signed with the Royals and is played for their Triple A affiliate, the Omaha Royals
Omaha Royals
The Omaha Storm Chasers are a United States minor league baseball team currently based in the Omaha suburb of Papillion, Nebraska. The team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals major league club and has been a member of the expanded Pacific Coast League since 1998. From 1969 to 1997,...
, and even made relief appearances on several occasions.
On November 18, 2009, he retired. He was is now coaching in Kanasas City Royals Minor League system. He was named the manager for the Idaho Falls Chukars
Idaho Falls Chukars
The Idaho Falls Chukars are a minor league baseball affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They play in Idaho Falls, Idaho, at Melaleuca Field which holds 3,400 fans. The dimensions of the ball park are 340'left, 400'center, 350'right. The playing surface is Natural Grass...
of the Pioneer Baseball League. In November of 2011, he was named manager of the Kane County Cougars
Kane County Cougars
The Kane County Cougars are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Kansas City Royals, that plays in the Midwest League. Their home games are played in Geneva, Illinois, about 35 miles west of Chicago....
of the Class A, Midwest League
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
.