Brian Gordon (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Brian Ernest Gordon is an American
professional baseball
pitcher
for SK Wyverns
of the Korean Baseball Organization
. He has previously played for the Texas Rangers
and New York Yankees
of Major League Baseball
.
, and Wendy Abrahamsen. They have since divorced. His father was an Army engineer stationed at West Point when he was born, but the family moved to Round Rock, Texas, before he was 2. His mother works as a secretary for the Round Rock Express
.
At Round Rock High School
, his career record was 43-3, and his team, the Dragons, won the Texas class 5A state championship in 1997.
Gordon and his wife, Amanda, have two sons, Finley and Riggs.
in the 7th round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft
as an outfielder
. With the Diamondbacks organization, he made it as high as Triple-A Tucson
in and became a free agent
after the season. Gordon signed with the Anaheim Angels
where he played in the next two years with their Triple-A affiliate, Salt Lake Stingers. After the season, Gordon signed with the Houston Astros
organization. Playing the entire year in Triple-A, he batted
only .241, and after the season decided to convert to pitcher with the help of Hall-of-Famer Nolan Ryan
, who was a special assistant to the Astros.
Gordon began with the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks
. In 30 relief appearances
, he had an ERA
of 2.88 and received a promotion to Triple-A Round Rock
. In , Gordon started the season with Double-A Corpus Christi, but after just one appearance, he was released. He signed with the Texas Rangers and did not allow a run
in 22 innings pitched for Double-A Frisco
. He was promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma
where he started
and pitched in relief. Gordon was a September call up for the Rangers in and made his major league debut on September 17.
Gordon attended Venezuelan Winter League for the 2008-2009 season with Tiburones de la Guaira
, posting a 4-2 record with a 1.79 ERA in 45.1 innings. In his last home game before returning to the US, Gordon faced hard rivals Leones del Caracas in front of a crowd of 20000, posting 8 innings with 1 allowed run and 9 strikeouts. After the game ended, all la Guaira fans shouted Brian's last name, with Gordon walking out of the dugout and kissing the team's shirt in one of La Guaira's most emotive moments of the season.
Gordon was granted free agency after the 2009 season and he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies
for the 2010 season. He remained with the Phillies for the start of the 2011 season.
On June 14, 2011, Gordon opted out of his minor league contract with the Phillies and signed with the New York Yankees, who promoted him to the major leagues. In his first MLB start, Gordon pitched innings for the Yankees, allowing two earned runs in a Yankees 3-2 victory in 12 innings at Yankee Stadium. He made history by wearing a non-leather glove, most likely the first major leaguer to do so. When Bartolo Colon
was activated from the disabled list on July 2, he was optioned to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.
He was purchased by SK Wyverns
in Korea on July 8, 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for SK Wyverns
SK Wyverns
SK Wyverns Baseball Club is a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 2000. Based in Incheon, they play their home games at Munhak Baseball Stadium.Their current manager is Man Soo Lee .-History:...
of the Korean Baseball Organization
Korean Baseball Organization
Korea Professional Baseball is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The Korean romanization is Hanguk Peuro Yagu , a league title which mirrors Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. Korea Professional Baseball was originally founded with six teams in 1982 and currently has eight...
. He has previously played for the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
and 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...
of Major League Baseball
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...
.
Personal life
His parents are Ernie Gordon, who grew up a Yankees fan in Hyde Park, New YorkHyde Park, New York
Hyde Park is a town located in the northwest part of Dutchess County, New York, United States, just north of the city of Poughkeepsie. The town is most famous for being the hometown of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt....
, and Wendy Abrahamsen. They have since divorced. His father was an Army engineer stationed at West Point when he was born, but the family moved to Round Rock, Texas, before he was 2. His mother works as a secretary for the Round Rock Express
Round Rock Express
The Round Rock Express is a class Triple-A Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team in Round Rock, Texas, owned by RSR Sports and founded by Reid Ryan, son of Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. The team is affiliated with the Texas Rangers, for whom Nolan Ryan serves as the president and...
.
At Round Rock High School
Round Rock High School
Round Rock High School is a 5A high school within the Round Rock Independent School District in Round Rock, Texas. During the late 1990s, it was the largest high school in Central Texas.Five middle schools feed into this school:*Chisholm Trail Middle School...
, his career record was 43-3, and his team, the Dragons, won the Texas class 5A state championship in 1997.
Gordon and his wife, Amanda, have two sons, Finley and Riggs.
Professional career
Gordon was drafted by the Arizona DiamondbacksArizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
in the 7th round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft
1997 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1997 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1997...
as an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
. With the Diamondbacks organization, he made it as high as Triple-A Tucson
Tucson Sidewinders
The Tucson Sidewinders were a minor league baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona. The team, which played in the Pacific Coast League, was the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks major-league club....
in and became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
after the season. Gordon signed with the Anaheim Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
where he played in the next two years with their Triple-A affiliate, Salt Lake Stingers. After the season, Gordon signed with the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
organization. Playing the entire year in Triple-A, he batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
only .241, and after the season decided to convert to pitcher with the help of Hall-of-Famer Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
, who was a special assistant to the Astros.
Gordon began with the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks
Corpus Christi Hooks
The Corpus Christi Hooks are a minor league baseball team of the Texas League, and are the Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and are named for the city's association with fishing. The team's ownership group is headed by Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan...
. In 30 relief appearances
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
, he had an ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
of 2.88 and received a promotion to Triple-A Round Rock
Round Rock Express
The Round Rock Express is a class Triple-A Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team in Round Rock, Texas, owned by RSR Sports and founded by Reid Ryan, son of Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. The team is affiliated with the Texas Rangers, for whom Nolan Ryan serves as the president and...
. In , Gordon started the season with Double-A Corpus Christi, but after just one appearance, he was released. He signed with the Texas Rangers and did not allow a run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
in 22 innings pitched for Double-A Frisco
Frisco RoughRiders
The Frisco RoughRiders are currently the Class AA affiliate of the Texas Rangers major league baseball club. The team plays in the Texas League, assigned to the South Division. Prior to 2003, the franchise was based in Shreveport, Louisiana, and were known as the Shreveport Captains...
. He was promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma
Oklahoma RedHawks
The Oklahoma City RedHawks are a minor league baseball team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros...
where he started
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
and pitched in relief. Gordon was a September call up for the Rangers in and made his major league debut on September 17.
Gordon attended Venezuelan Winter League for the 2008-2009 season with Tiburones de la Guaira
Tiburones de La Guaira
The Tiburones de La Guaira are a baseball team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Based in the city of La Guaira, the Tiburones have won seven national championships since their founding in 1962.-History:...
, posting a 4-2 record with a 1.79 ERA in 45.1 innings. In his last home game before returning to the US, Gordon faced hard rivals Leones del Caracas in front of a crowd of 20000, posting 8 innings with 1 allowed run and 9 strikeouts. After the game ended, all la Guaira fans shouted Brian's last name, with Gordon walking out of the dugout and kissing the team's shirt in one of La Guaira's most emotive moments of the season.
Gordon was granted free agency after the 2009 season and he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
for the 2010 season. He remained with the Phillies for the start of the 2011 season.
On June 14, 2011, Gordon opted out of his minor league contract with the Phillies and signed with the New York Yankees, who promoted him to the major leagues. In his first MLB start, Gordon pitched innings for the Yankees, allowing two earned runs in a Yankees 3-2 victory in 12 innings at Yankee Stadium. He made history by wearing a non-leather glove, most likely the first major leaguer to do so. When Bartolo Colon
Bartolo Colón
Bartolo Colón is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He played in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2009 and again in 2011...
was activated from the disabled list on July 2, he was optioned to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.
He was purchased by SK Wyverns
SK Wyverns
SK Wyverns Baseball Club is a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 2000. Based in Incheon, they play their home games at Munhak Baseball Stadium.Their current manager is Man Soo Lee .-History:...
in Korea on July 8, 2011.