Brett Lawrie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brett Lawrie |
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Lawrie with the White Sox in 2016
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| Third baseman / Second baseman | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: January 18, 1990 Langley, British Columbia, Canada |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||||||||
| August 5, 2011, for the Toronto Blue Jays | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||||||||
| July 21, 2016, for the Chicago White Sox | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .261 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 71 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 253 | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Brett Russell Lawrie (born January 18, 1990) is a Canadian former professional baseball player. He played as a third baseman and second baseman. Brett played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics, and Chicago White Sox.
Early Baseball Days
High School and Draft
Brett Lawrie played high school baseball for the Langley Blaze. In the 2008 Major League Baseball draft, the Milwaukee Brewers picked him 16th overall. This was one of the highest picks for a Canadian player ever. It was the highest pick for a Canadian position player.
Playing in the Big Leagues
Starting with the Brewers
Lawrie mostly played as a catcher in his youth. But the Brewers moved him to second base. He started playing for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in 2009. He was chosen for the MLB All-Star Futures Game twice. This game features top young players. He moved up to the Double-A Huntsville Stars later.
In 2010, Lawrie had a good season with Huntsville. He hit .285, with eight home runs and 63 RBIs. He also stole 30 bases. He was named to the Southern League Post-Season All-Star team.
Joining the Toronto Blue Jays
On December 6, 2010, Lawrie was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. He was traded for pitcher Shaun Marcum. The Blue Jays then moved Lawrie to play third base.
In May 2011, Lawrie got hit by a pitch. He had a small fracture in his hand and missed a few weeks. After playing some games in the minor leagues, he was called up to the Toronto Blue Jays.
MLB Debut and First Home Runs
Lawrie made his MLB debut on August 5, 2011. He got his first hit and RBI in his very first at-bat. A few games later, he hit his first career home run. On August 10, he hit his first grand slam. This was also his first hit at the Rogers Centre. He then got his first triple and stolen base. On September 5, Lawrie hit his first walk-off home run. This means he hit a home run to win the game in the final inning.
His first season ended early because of a finger injury. He finished with a .293 batting average and nine home runs. He also had 25 RBIs in limited games.
2012 Season Highlights
On May 1, 2012, Lawrie hit another game-winning, walk-off home run. This helped the Blue Jays beat the Texas Rangers.
In a game on May 15, Lawrie was ejected after disagreeing with calls by the umpire. He threw his helmet, which bounced and touched the umpire. He was suspended for four games. On November 4, Lawrie won the Wilson fielding award for his great defense at third base.
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Injuries and Position Changes
Lawrie started the 2013 season on the disabled list. He returned on April 16. He later sprained his ankle sliding into second base. He spent time rehabbing in the minor leagues. When he returned, he played second base for a short time. However, his manager decided he would play third base for the rest of the season. He had an 11-game hitting streak in August. He finished 2013 with 11 home runs and 46 RBIs.
In 2014, Lawrie was featured on the cover of the Canadian version of the video game MLB 14: The Show. He hit his second career grand slam on April 15. He tied his career high in home runs on June 6. He then set a new career high with 12 home runs on June 20. Two days later, he broke his right index finger after being hit by a pitch. He was later placed on the disabled list again with a back injury. He ended his 2014 season early. He played in only 70 games.
Moving to the Oakland Athletics
On November 28, 2014, Lawrie was traded to the Oakland Athletics. He was traded along with three other players for Josh Donaldson. Lawrie hit his first home run as an Athletic on April 13, 2015.
In a game on June 5, a fan was injured when Lawrie's bat broke and flew into the stands. Lawrie finished the 2015 season playing in a career-high 149 games. He hit .260 with 16 home runs and 60 RBIs.
Playing for the Chicago White Sox
On December 9, 2015, Lawrie was traded to the Chicago White Sox. He mainly played second base for the White Sox. He also played as a designated hitter.
Lawrie played 94 games for Chicago in 2016. He left a game on July 21 due to a leg injury. He did not play again for the team that season. He was released by the White Sox in March 2017.
Return to the Brewers (Minor League)
After not playing in 2017 and 2018, Lawrie signed a minor league contract with the Brewers. This was on February 9, 2019. However, he was released later that year without playing a game for them.
Playing for Canada
Junior National Team
Lawrie was a member of the Canadian Junior National Team. He played in the 2008 World Junior Baseball Championship. He led the tournament with a .469 batting average. He also hit three home runs and had 16 runs batted in (RBIs). He was also chosen to play for Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
World Baseball Classic
Lawrie played for Canada in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He only played in one game, as a pinch-runner.
He was also named to Canada's 2013 World Baseball Classic team. He played in two warm-up games. However, he strained his ribs and could not play in the actual tournament.
About Brett's Life
Lawrie was engaged to soccer player Sydney Leroux in 2010. They later ended their engagement in 2011.
He became engaged to model Dana Long in 2015. They got married seven months later. In 2018, they announced they were expecting their first child.
Brett's sister is Danielle Lawrie. She is a softball pitcher who played for the University of Washington and the Canadian Olympic team.
Since retiring from baseball, Lawrie has been promoting golf products.
