Brandon Moss facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brandon Moss |
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Moss with the Cleveland Indians
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| Outfielder / First baseman | |||
| Born: September 16, 1983 Monroe, Georgia, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 6, 2007, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 1, 2017, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .237 | ||
| Home runs | 160 | ||
| Runs batted in | 473 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Brandon Douglas Moss (born September 16, 1983) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). Brandon played for several teams, including the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, and Kansas City Royals.
Brandon Moss was a promising young player for the Red Sox. He made his MLB debut in 2007. Later, he was traded to the Pirates in 2008. After some struggles, he joined the Athletics in 2012. There, he became a very important player. He was even chosen to play in the 2014 MLB All-Star Game. After 2014, he played for the Indians, then the St. Louis Cardinals.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting with the Boston Red Sox
Brandon Moss was picked by the Boston Red Sox in the eighth round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft. He was 18 years old and played infielder and pitcher in high school. But the Red Sox helped him become an outfielder.
Moss worked his way up through the minor leagues. He played for teams like the Gulf Coast Red Sox and the Portland Sea Dogs. On August 6, 2007, he was called up to play for the Boston Red Sox. He got his first major league hit against the Los Angeles Angels.
In 2008, during a special MLB game in Tokyo, Japan, Moss hit his first major league home run. Soon after, he had to have emergency surgery for appendicitis.
Playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates
On July 31, 2008, Moss was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. This was part of a big trade that involved other famous players. He immediately became the Pirates' starting left fielder. Later, he moved to right field.
In 2009, he started as the Pirates' right fielder. He ended the season with 20 doubles and seven home runs. He also had 41 runs batted in (RBI). In 2010, after a tough start to the season, the Pirates decided to let him go.
Time with the Philadelphia Phillies
In December 2010, Moss signed a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. He spent most of that year playing in the minor leagues. He was called up to the main team on September 16. He played only a few games for the Phillies.
Becoming a Star with the Oakland Athletics
On December 1, 2011, Moss signed with the Oakland Athletics. He even thought about quitting baseball to become a firefighter back home. But on June 6, 2012, the Athletics brought him up to the major leagues. He struggled at first, but then hit five home runs in just four games!
In 2012, Moss became a key player for the Athletics. He hit 21 home runs. On April 30, 2013, Moss hit a two-run walk-off home run in the 19th inning. This ended the longest game in Athletics history! In 2013, he hit 30 home runs and had 87 RBI.
Moss had a fantastic start to the 2014 season. He hit 23 home runs and had 71 RBI by July. He also hit three grand slams. Because of his great performance, Moss was chosen to play in the 2014 All-Star Game.
In the 2014 American League Wild Card Game, Moss hit two home runs. He had 5 RBI in that game, setting a new record for the Athletics in a single postseason game. However, his team still lost the game.
Moving to the Cleveland Indians
On December 8, 2014, the Athletics traded Moss to the Cleveland Indians. He had surgery on his hip during the off-season. This surgery affected his playing in 2015. He said he lost power in his swing. He played 94 games for Cleveland, hitting 15 home runs.
Playing for the St. Louis Cardinals
On July 30, 2015, the Indians traded Moss to the St. Louis Cardinals. He got his first hit with the Cardinals on August 1. On September 1, Moss hit a three-run, walk-off home run for an 8–5 win. In 2015, he hit a total of 19 home runs for both Cleveland and St. Louis.
In 2016, Moss signed a new contract with the Cardinals. On April 10, he hit a home run against the Atlanta Braves. This meant he had hit a home run against all 30 MLB teams! On June 30, 2016, he hit the longest home run in Busch Stadium history. It traveled 477 feet!
Final Years with the Kansas City Royals
On February 1, 2017, Moss signed a two-year contract with the Kansas City Royals. This contract included an option for him to play in 2019.
Second Time with the Athletics
On January 29, 2018, Moss was traded back to the Athletics. However, he was soon released by the team. After this, Moss said he would retire if he didn't find another major league team. He was released two days later.
Personal Life
Brandon Moss married his wife, Allison, when he was 20 years old. They have two children together: Jayden, born in 2009, and Brody, born in 2013.
Brandon Moss is also a distant cousin of the famous country music singer Alan Jackson.
See Also
- Boston Red Sox all-time roster
- Cleveland Indians all-time roster
- Philadelphia Phillies all-time roster
- Pittsburgh Pirates all-time roster
- Oakland Athletics all-time roster
- St. Louis Cardinals all-time roster
