Brandon League

Last updated
1⁄2 seasons with the Mariners, League had converted a total of 52 saves in 69 chances with a 3.26 ERA.

Los Angeles Dodgers

League pitching for the Dodgers in 2014 20140919 Brandon League pitch.JPG
League pitching for the Dodgers in 2014

On July 30, 2012, League was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor leaguers Leon Landry and Logan Bawcom. [9] He became the Dodgers closer in September after Kenley Jansen was sidelined with an irregular heartbeat. In 28 games with the Dodgers, he was 2–1 with a 2.30 ERA and six saves. [1] On October 30, the Dodgers re-signed League to a three-year, $22.5 million deal with a vesting option worth $7.5 million for 2016. [10] On June 11, League was demoted from the closer role after blowing his fourth save in 17 chances, and he was replaced by Jansen. [11] He was used primarily in low pressure situations the rest of the season. Overall, in 2013, he was 6-4 with a 5.30 ERA in 58 appearances, with 14 early season saves. [1] In 2014, the Dodgers used League primarily in middle relief. He finished the season with a 2–3 record and a 2.57 ERA in 63 games. [1]

League underwent an MRI during spring training in 2015 which revealed serious shoulder damage, causing him to miss the first couple months of the season. [12] After spending a month rehabbing in the minors, League was designated for assignment on July 2, 2015. [13] [14] He was released on July 10. [15]

Kansas City Royals

League did not play professional baseball at any level in 2016. [16] On January 7, 2017, League signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals that included an invitation to spring training. [17] He was released on March 19, 2017. [18]

New Britain Bees

After he was released by the Royals, League signed with the New Britain Bees of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. [19] He became a free agent after the 2017 season.

Pitching style

League's main pitch is a very hard sinker averaging 96 mph. (In 2011, he had the hardest sinker of any relief pitcher, at 97.3 mph.) [20] He also has an upper-80s slider that he uses primarily early in the count to right-handed hitters. He also has a splitter that he uses as a strikeout pitch. The splitter has a whiff rate of 55%. [21]

Personal life

League resides in Honolulu, and is hapa Yonsei. His maternal great-grandparents were born and raised in Fukuoka prefecture on Kyushu Island in Japan. [22]

League's wife, Sasha League, attended Mt. Carmel High School in San Diego, California. She holds a psychology major from the University of Hawaii. They have been married since 2005. Brandon and Sasha League are parents to four girls. [23]

After his playing career, League founded Parallel X League, a Southern California-based clothing line, in 2019. [23]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Brandon League Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com . Archived from the original on 2009-04-21. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  2. ↑ "September 21, 2004 Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees Play by Play and Box Score - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com . September 21, 2004. Archived from the original on 2008-02-04. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  3. ↑ Bastian, Jordan (March 25, 2007). "Notes: League headed to Syracuse". Toronto Blue Jays . MLB.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2008. Retrieved July 11, 2008.
  4. ↑ Bastian, Jordan (December 23, 2009). "Jays get Morrow, send League to M's". Toronto Blue Jays . MLB.com. Archived from the original on December 26, 2009. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
  5. ↑ Baker, Geoff (January 20, 2010). "Felix Hernandez arrives in Seattle: deal done pending physical, press conference scheduled for tomorrow afternoon". The Seattle Times . Archived from the original on January 24, 2010. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Aardsma Set to Pitch Again on Sunday". NBC Sports . April 23, 2011. Archived from the original on April 27, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Oakland Athletics' Coco Crisp Reveals The Toughest Pitchers He's Ever Faced". Bleacher Report . January 20, 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-01-26. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  8. ↑ "6 Mariners pitchers throw no-hitter". CBS News . Associated Press. June 9, 2012. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  9. ↑ Shelburne, Ramona (July 31, 2012). "Los Angeles Dodgers acquire Brandon League from Seattle Mariners". ESPN. Archived from the original on 2012-08-02. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  10. ↑ Gurnick, Ken (October 30, 2012). "Dodgers ink League to three-year deal". Los Angeles Dodgers . MLB.com. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
  11. ↑ Saxon, Mark (June 11, 2013). "Dodgers change closers: League out, Jansen in". ESPN. Archived from the original on 2021-12-17. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  12. ↑ Saxson, Mark (March 28, 2015). "Brandon League out two months". ESPN . Archived from the original on 2015-03-28. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  13. ↑ Lempert, Jason (July 2, 2015). "Dodgers RP Brandon League designated for assignment". CBS Sports . Archived from the original on 2015-07-09. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  14. ↑ Stephen, Eric (July 2, 2015). "Dodgers designate Brandon League for assignment". SB Nation . Archived from the original on 2015-07-03. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Dodgers release reliever Brandon League". Sports Illustrated . July 11, 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-07-12. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Brandon League Register Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  17. ↑ Wilmoth, Charlie (January 7, 2017). "Royals Sign Chris Withrow, Al Alburquerque, Brandon League To Minor League Deals". MLB Trade Rumors. Archived from the original on 2017-01-08. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  18. ↑ Eddy, Matt (March 29, 2017). "Minor League Transactions: March 18–24". Baseball America . Archived from the original on March 30, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  19. ↑ "BEES SIGN LEAGUE, ANNOUNCE 2017 OPENING DAY ROSTER". New Britain Bees . April 20, 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-05-12. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  20. ↑ "PitchFX Leaderboards". Baseball Prospectus . Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Brooks Baseball · Home of the PitchFX Tool - Player Card: Brandon League". Brooks Baseball. Archived from the original on August 22, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  22. ↑ Sogi, Francis Y. (2004). Riding the Kona Wave: Memoirs of A Japanese American. New York, New York: The Cheshire Press. p. xiii, 1, 163. ISBN   0-9762575-0-5.
  23. 1 2 Shimabuku, Christian (July 18, 2020). "Former MLB All-Star and Saint Louis alum Brandon League holds Hawaii close to his heart with clothing line". KHON2 . Archived from the original on 2020-07-19. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
Brandon League
Brandon League on April 19, 2013.jpg
League with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Pitcher
Born: (1983-03-16) March 16, 1983 (age 40)
Sacramento, California, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 21, 2004, for the Toronto Blue Jays
Last MLB appearance
September 27, 2014, for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Preceded by No-hit game
June 8, 2012
(with Millwood, Furbush, Pryor, Luetge, & Wilhelmsen)		Succeeded by
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