Brandon Moss
From BR Bullpen
Brandon Douglas Moss
- Bats Left, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 195 lb.
- High School Loganville High School
- Debut August 6, 2007
- Born September 16, 1983 in Monroe, GA USA
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[edit] Biographical Information
Outfielder Brandon Moss was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 8th round of the 2002 amateur draft. Assigned to the 2002 GCL Red Sox, he hit .204/.295/.292 only, with 40 strikeouts in 113 AB and no homers. In 2003, Brandon batted .237/.290/.430 for the Lowell Spinners.
Playing for the Augusta Green Jackets in 2004, he improved dramatically and was named South Atlantic League MVP. That year, he hit .339/.402/.515, stole 19 bases in 27 tries, drove in 101 runs, won the SAL batting title, made the league's All-Star team and was named the #20 prospect in the league by Baseball America.
He was promoted to the AA Portland Sea Dogs in 2005 and had a .268/.337/.441 season with 16 homers, tying for the Eastern League lead with eight sacrifice flies at age 21. He returned to the Sea Dogs to begin 2006 and is at .280/.349/.443 after his first 96 games (through July 25). He made his major league debut with the Red Sox one year later.
Brandon played in a youth league all star traveling team with Matt Capps and Brian McCann in Georgia.
[edit] MLB career
Moss got a surprise start on Opening Day, 2008, played at the Tokyo Dome in Japan, because J.D. Drew had lower back tightness right before game time. He was the star of the show, driving in Boston's first two runs in the 6th against Joe Blanton of the Athletics. In the 9th, he came up with a 4-3 deficit and one out and homered off Huston Street to tie the score. Moss was the fifth Major Leaguer to hit his first home run outside of the USA or Canada (three had done so in Puerto Rico, one in Mexico). He was the first Red Sox player since Ben Steiner in 1945 to hit his first career homer on Opening Day.
On July 31, 2008, Moss was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates along with Craig Hansen in a 3-team trade that sent Jason Bay to the Red Sox, Moss, Hansen, Andy LaRoche and Bryan Morris to the Pirates, and Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After playing the balance of the 2008 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he started most of the year in 2009 but continued to play poorly, pressing mightily. He was removed from the 40 man roster in spring training of 2010 and spent the season in AAA, where he struggled again until reverting to his minor league batting stance. His power and average returned, earning him a September call up and restoration to the 40 man roster. While with the Pirates though, he again struggled hitting just .154 in limited playing time, primarily as a pinch hitter. Granted free agency after the season, he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies organization and began the 2011 season in AAA with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
