Brandon Puffer
Encyclopedia
Brandon Duane Puffer is an American
professional baseball
player who is currently incarcerated
. A relief pitcher
, Puffer has played in Major League Baseball
with the Houston Astros
(-), San Diego Padres
, and San Francisco Giants
.
in the 27th round of the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft
and played two seasons for their Gulf Coast League
affiliate before being released. On May 28, , Puffer signed with the California Angels
, playing two seasons for them before his release on December 15, . He signed with the Cincinnati Reds
on January 14, , and played as high as Double-A before becoming a free agent
after the season; he had an ERA
of 1.99 in 63.1 innings with Clinton
in 1999. On November 18, 1999, he signed with the Colorado Rockies
, but was released on May 18, .
He played with the Somerset Patriots
of the Atlantic League
before his contract was purchased by the Astros on July 17, 2000. He made his major league debut on April 17, 2002, for the Astros, pitching 69 innings with an ERA of 4.43 for the season. He was released by the Astros on November 19, 2003. On January 14, 2004, Puffer signed with the Padres, but the Boston Red Sox
purchased his contract on July 2.
Puffer was promoted to Boston on September 2, 2004, and was in the Red Sox bullpen that night but did not pitch. He was designated for assignment the next day by the Red Sox in order to clear a roster spot for outfielder Adam Hyzdu. Boston ultimately won the World Series championship that fall, and team owner John W. Henry decided championship rings would be given to any player that was on the Red Sox roster that year. Despite never having thrown a single pitch for the team, Puffer received a World Series ring.
He became a free agent after the 2004 season and signed with the Giants. A free agent again at the end of the 2005 season, Puffer signed back with the Astros, but was released on July 25, 2006, without appearing in a major league game. Three days later, he signed with the Oakland Athletics
and spent the rest of the season playing for their Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats
.
Before the season, Puffer signed with the Texas Rangers, playing for their Double-A affiliate, the Frisco RoughRiders
. He started with the RoughRiders before being promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma
. He became a free agent at the end of the season.
for burglary of a habitation with the intent to commit a felony (sexual assault). The offense carried penalties of up to 99 years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine.
On Thursday July 2, 2009, Brandon Duane Puffer was found guilty of the aforementioned charge in a Collin county courtroom and sentenced to 5 years in prison. He became eligible for parole on January 26, 2010, and his sentence runs through June 30, 2014.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player who is currently incarcerated
Incarceration
Incarceration is the detention of a person in prison, typically as punishment for a crime .People are most commonly incarcerated upon suspicion or conviction of committing a crime, and different jurisdictions have differing laws governing the function of incarceration within a larger system of...
. A relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
, Puffer has played in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
with the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
(-), San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, and San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
.
Career
Puffer was drafted by the Minnesota TwinsMinnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
in the 27th round of the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft
1994 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1994 Major League Baseball draft.-Compensation picks:-Other notable players:*A.J. Pierzynski , Minnesota Twins, 3rd round*Bobby Howry , San Francisco Giants, 5th round...
and played two seasons for their Gulf Coast League
Gulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
affiliate before being released. On May 28, , Puffer signed with the California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
, playing two seasons for them before his release on December 15, . He signed with the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
on January 14, , and played as high as Double-A before becoming a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
after the season; he had an ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
of 1.99 in 63.1 innings with Clinton
Clinton LumberKings
The Clinton LumberKings are a Midwest League Class A minor league baseball team based in Clinton, Iowa, USA, affiliated with the Seattle Mariners.-History:Clinton joined the Midwest League in 1954 and is the oldest franchise in the league...
in 1999. On November 18, 1999, he signed with the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
, but was released on May 18, .
He played with the Somerset Patriots
Somerset Patriots
The Somerset Patriots are an American professional baseball team based in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey. They are a member of the Freedom Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
of the Atlantic League
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is a professional, independent baseball organization located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, especially the greater metropolitan areas of the Northeast megalopolis. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League...
before his contract was purchased by the Astros on July 17, 2000. He made his major league debut on April 17, 2002, for the Astros, pitching 69 innings with an ERA of 4.43 for the season. He was released by the Astros on November 19, 2003. On January 14, 2004, Puffer signed with the Padres, but the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
purchased his contract on July 2.
Puffer was promoted to Boston on September 2, 2004, and was in the Red Sox bullpen that night but did not pitch. He was designated for assignment the next day by the Red Sox in order to clear a roster spot for outfielder Adam Hyzdu. Boston ultimately won the World Series championship that fall, and team owner John W. Henry decided championship rings would be given to any player that was on the Red Sox roster that year. Despite never having thrown a single pitch for the team, Puffer received a World Series ring.
He became a free agent after the 2004 season and signed with the Giants. A free agent again at the end of the 2005 season, Puffer signed back with the Astros, but was released on July 25, 2006, without appearing in a major league game. Three days later, he signed with the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
and spent the rest of the season playing for their Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats
Sacramento River Cats
The Sacramento River Cats is a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and is the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics....
.
Before the season, Puffer signed with the Texas Rangers, playing for their Double-A affiliate, the Frisco RoughRiders
Frisco RoughRiders
The Frisco RoughRiders are currently the Class AA affiliate of the Texas Rangers major league baseball club. The team plays in the Texas League, assigned to the South Division. Prior to 2003, the franchise was based in Shreveport, Louisiana, and were known as the Shreveport Captains...
. He started with the RoughRiders before being promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma
Oklahoma RedHawks
The Oklahoma City RedHawks are a minor league baseball team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros...
. He became a free agent at the end of the season.
Arrest and imprisonment
On September 13, 2008, Puffer was arrested after the RoughRiders playoff game against the TravelersArkansas Travelers
The Arkansas Travelers, also known informally as The Travs, are a Minor League Baseball team based in Little Rock, Arkansas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Major League club....
for burglary of a habitation with the intent to commit a felony (sexual assault). The offense carried penalties of up to 99 years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine.
On Thursday July 2, 2009, Brandon Duane Puffer was found guilty of the aforementioned charge in a Collin county courtroom and sentenced to 5 years in prison. He became eligible for parole on January 26, 2010, and his sentence runs through June 30, 2014.