Brian Barton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brian Barton |
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Barton with the St. Louis Cardinals
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: April 25, 1982 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 1, 2008, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 3, 2009, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .268 | ||
| Home runs | 2 | ||
| Runs batted in | 13 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Brian Deon Barton was born on April 25, 1982. He is an American former professional outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves.
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Brian Barton's Early Life and High School Baseball
Brian grew up in Los Angeles, California. He went to Westchester High School. Brian was a great baseball player from his first year. In 1997, he hit the ball really well, with a .407 average. He was named his team's Most Valuable Player (MVP).
In 1998 and 1999, Brian helped his team win the conference championship. He continued to hit well, with averages of .320 and .408. By his senior year, Brian had his best season. He hit .500, which means he got a hit half the times he batted! He also hit 9 home runs and stole 14 bases. His team won the conference championship again.
After high school, Brian was chosen by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft. However, he decided to go to college instead of playing professionally right away.
College Baseball Career
Brian first attended Loyola Marymount University. He played in 33 games as a freshman in 2001. After that year, he moved to the University of Miami.
At the University of Miami, Brian played a big role in 2003. He hit .330 with 7 home runs and helped his team reach the final 8 of the College World Series. In 2004, he was one of the best hitters on his team, tying for first with a .371 batting average.
Brian Barton's Professional Baseball Journey
Starting with the Cleveland Indians
After college, Brian signed with the Cleveland Indians in 2004. He started playing in the minor leagues in 2005. He played for two teams that year: the Single-A Lake County Captains and the High Single-A Kinston Indians. He hit very well, especially with Lake County, where he had a .414 batting average.
In 2006, Brian continued to play well. He hit .308 with 13 home runs for Kinston. He also played some games for the Double-A Akron Aeros, hitting .351. Because of his strong performance, Baseball America named him a High Class-A All-Star.
By 2007, Brian was considered one of the top young players in baseball. He played most of the season for the Akron Aeros, hitting .314. He also spent some time with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.
Playing in Major League Baseball
After the 2007 season, the St. Louis Cardinals chose Brian in the Rule 5 draft. This meant he had a chance to play in the major leagues.
Brian made the Cardinals' main team in 2008. He played his first MLB game on April 1, 2008. He got a hit in his very first time at bat! On May 27, he hit his first Major League home run. He played in 82 games for the Cardinals that year and had a .268 batting average.
In 2009, Brian was traded to the Atlanta Braves. He played in one game for the Braves. He spent most of that season playing for their Triple-A team, the Gwinnett Braves.
Later Career Teams
After his time in MLB, Brian signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2009. He later played in the Atlantic League in 2010 for the Newark Bears and Bridgeport Bluefish. He continued to play in the Atlantic League in 2011 and 2014.
See also
- Rule 5 draft results
