Brad Eldred
| Brad Eldred | |
|---|---|
| Detroit Tigers | |
| First baseman | |
| Born: July 12, 1980 Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
|
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| July 22, 2005 for the Pittsbugh Pirates | |
| Career statistics (through 2010 season) |
|
| Batting average | .204 |
| Home runs | 15 |
| Runs batted in | 33 |
| Teams | |
Bradley Ross Eldred (born July 12, 1980 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Detroit Tigers organization. He is nicknamed "Big Country" by minor league teammates because of his size (6'5", 270 pounds) and his home run power.
Eldred was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates out of Florida International University in the 6th round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft. In 2004, the Pirates named him their minor-league player of the year after he hit .301 with 38 home runs and 137 RBI for the Single-A Lynchburg Hillcats and the Double-A Altoona Curve.
He was promoted to the Pirates' major league roster on July 21, 2005, after he hit .297 with 28 home runs and 75 RBI for the Curve and the Indianapolis Indians. With the Pirates, he hit .221 with 12 home runs and 77 strikeouts in 55 games. After the season was over, the Pirates sent him to play in the Arizona Fall League so he could work on his plate discipline.
Eldred got injured in the first week of the 2006 season, and was unable to play for the rest of the year. After a strong Spring Training in 2007, in which he began playing the outfield to increase his versatility, he was added to the Pirates' Opening Day Roster. However, he played poorly in Pittsburgh, hitting only .119 through May 19, and was demoted to Indianapolis on May 20. He was briefly recalled in mid-June, but spent only one day on the roster before returning to the minor leagues.
On January 5, 2008, he signed a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox. For the AAA Charlotte Knights, he hit 38 home runs and 100 RBIs, leading the International League in both categories. He became a free agent at the end of the season.
In November 2008, he signed with the Washington Nationals. Playing for the AAA Syracuse Chiefs, he hit .269, .344 on base percentage, 17 home runs and 59 RBIs.
On March 2, 2010, he signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies. He was called up on July 7, 2010 when Todd Helton went on the DL.
On January 14, 2011, Eldred signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants with an invite to spring training.
The Detroit Tigers signed him to a minor league contract on January 21, 2012.
[edit] External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
