Brian Barton
Encyclopedia
Brian Deon Barton is a Major League Baseball
outfielder
, who is currently with the Cincinnati Reds
.
in his hometown of Los Angeles. At Westchester, he played baseball in all his four years there. During his freshman year in 1997, Barton hit .407 and was the team's MVP and batting champion. In 1998 during his sophomore year, he batted .320 and led his team to the conference title. Barton led his team to the conference title again during his junior year in 1999, while batting .408 with 4 home runs and was an All-Conference Second-Team pick. In his last season at Westchester in 2000, Barton had his best season. He was once again named the team's MVP and batting champion while hitting .500 with 9 home runs, 47 RBIs
, and 14 stolen base
s. He was also an All-City First-Team pick and was selected as the All-Star Conference MVP. Above all of that, Barton's team won the conference championship.
Following his senior season, Barton entered the Major League Baseball Draft. He wasn't selected until the 38th round, when the Los Angeles Dodgers
took him as the 1137th overall pick. Barton did not sign with them; instead he opted for college
, attending Loyola Marymount University
.
.
Barton sat out the season but returned to action in . In 2003, he batted .330 with 7 home runs and 54 RBIs, leading his team to the College World Series
Final-8 but they ended up only being 8th in the nation. In , Barton played in 57 games and tied for first with a .371 batting average
.
on August 13, 2004. Because he signed with less than one month of the season left in the minor leagues, he did not play in 2004
In , Barton split the season between the Single-A Lake County Captains
and the High Single-A Kinston Indians
. Barton batted .414 with 4 home runs in limited action with Lake County (35 games) and .274 with 3 home runs in 64 games with Kinston. Barton earned the player of the week award twice, one while he was with Lake County and another one with Kinston.
Barton played for Kinston again in but also spent some time with in Double-A with the Akron Aeros
. Barton hit .308 with 13 home runs, 57 RBIs, and 26 RBIs with Kinston and in 42 games with Akron, Barton hit .351 with 6 home runs and 26 RBIs. Barton was awarded with the player of the week award once when he was with Kinston and was also named to the Carolina League
midseason and postseason All-Star games. After the 2006 season, Barton was named by Baseball America
as a High Class-A All-Star.
Barton was #86 on Baseball America's top 100 prospects list for the season and was the fourth highest prospect in the Indians organization. Barton began the season for the Akron Aeros and in 106 games, he batted .314 with 9 home runs and 59 RBIs. He was also named to the Eastern League midseason All-Star game while with the Aeros. Barton also spent some time in Triple-A with the Buffalo Bisons
. His production dropped as in 25 games, he batted just .264 with a home run. Barton underwent knee surgery in September.
. Rumors arose that Barton was going to be selected first by the Tampa Bay Rays
and then subsequently traded to the San Diego Padres
. This did not happen however as the Rays took pitcher
Tim Lahey
from the Minnesota Twins
. Barton was then selected by the St. Louis Cardinals
with the 10th pick.
Barton made the Cardinals' opening day roster and made his debut on April 1, 2008, singling in his first at-bat. His first Major League home run came on May 27 against Houston Astros
pitcher Shawn Chacon
. In 82 games with the Cardinals, he hit .268.
for relief pitcher Blaine Boyer
. He appeared in only one game for the Braves during the 2009 season, spending most of his time in AAA with the Gwinnett Braves
. He appeared as a pinch runner and was caught stealing second in his only attempt.
on December 18, 2009. The deal included an invitation to spring training. He was released by the Dodgers on March 31, 2010.
in 2010 with the Newark Bears
and Bridgeport Bluefish
. He appeared in 102 combined games with the clubs and hit .348. And the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in 2011.
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...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
, who is currently 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....
.
Early life
Barton attended Westchester High SchoolWestchester High School (Los Angeles)
Westchester High School is a public high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, Local District 3.It is located in Westchester , USA, a suburban neighborhood adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport and bordered by Playa Vista to the north, Inglewood to the east, El Segundo to the...
in his hometown of Los Angeles. At Westchester, he played baseball in all his four years there. During his freshman year in 1997, Barton hit .407 and was the team's MVP and batting champion. In 1998 during his sophomore year, he batted .320 and led his team to the conference title. Barton led his team to the conference title again during his junior year in 1999, while batting .408 with 4 home runs and was an All-Conference Second-Team pick. In his last season at Westchester in 2000, Barton had his best season. He was once again named the team's MVP and batting champion while hitting .500 with 9 home runs, 47 RBIs
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
, and 14 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s. He was also an All-City First-Team pick and was selected as the All-Star Conference MVP. Above all of that, Barton's team won the conference championship.
Following his senior season, Barton entered the Major League Baseball Draft. He wasn't selected until the 38th round, when the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
took him as the 1137th overall pick. Barton did not sign with them; instead he opted for college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
, attending Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
.
College career
At Loyola Marymount, he played in 33 games as a freshman in . Barton batted just .196 with 2 home runs and 7 RBIs in 46 at bats. Following the season, he transferred to the University of MiamiUniversity of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
.
Barton sat out the season but returned to action in . In 2003, he batted .330 with 7 home runs and 54 RBIs, leading his team to the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
Final-8 but they ended up only being 8th in the nation. In , Barton played in 57 games and tied for first with a .371 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.
Cleveland Indians
Following his final season at the University of Miami, Barton was not drafted and signed with the Cleveland IndiansCleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
on August 13, 2004. Because he signed with less than one month of the season left in the minor leagues, he did not play in 2004
In , Barton split the season between the Single-A Lake County Captains
Lake County Captains
The Lake County Captains are a minor league baseball team in Eastlake, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. The team, a Class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, plays in the Midwest League....
and the High Single-A Kinston Indians
Kinston Indians
The Kinston Indians were a minor league baseball team of the Carolina League , and the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. They were located in Kinston, North Carolina, and were named for their parent club...
. Barton batted .414 with 4 home runs in limited action with Lake County (35 games) and .274 with 3 home runs in 64 games with Kinston. Barton earned the player of the week award twice, one while he was with Lake County and another one with Kinston.
Barton played for Kinston again in but also spent some time with in Double-A with the Akron Aeros
Akron Aeros
The Akron Aeros are a minor league baseball team based in Akron, Ohio, USA. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.The Aeros play in Canal Park, located in downtown Akron, which seats 9,097 fans...
. Barton hit .308 with 13 home runs, 57 RBIs, and 26 RBIs with Kinston and in 42 games with Akron, Barton hit .351 with 6 home runs and 26 RBIs. Barton was awarded with the player of the week award once when he was with Kinston and was also named to the Carolina League
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic Coast of the United States. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
midseason and postseason All-Star games. After the 2006 season, Barton was named by Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
as a High Class-A All-Star.
Barton was #86 on Baseball America's top 100 prospects list for the season and was the fourth highest prospect in the Indians organization. Barton began the season for the Akron Aeros and in 106 games, he batted .314 with 9 home runs and 59 RBIs. He was also named to the Eastern League midseason All-Star game while with the Aeros. Barton also spent some time in Triple-A with the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
. His production dropped as in 25 games, he batted just .264 with a home run. Barton underwent knee surgery in September.
St. Louis Cardinals
After the 2007 season, the Indians did not add him to the 40-man roster, leaving him unprotected for the Rule 5 draftRule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
. Rumors arose that Barton was going to be selected first by the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
and then subsequently traded to the 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...
. This did not happen however as the Rays took pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Tim Lahey
Tim Lahey
Timothy William "Tim" Lahey is a minor league baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. He is officially listed as standing tall and weighing . Lahey is an example of a "phantom ballplayer": one who has spent time on a major league roster but never appeared in any games.-High school...
from the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota 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...
. Barton was then selected by the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
with the 10th pick.
Barton made the Cardinals' opening day roster and made his debut on April 1, 2008, singling in his first at-bat. His first Major League home run came on May 27 against 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...
pitcher Shawn Chacon
Shawn Chacón
Shawn Anthony Chacón is a Major League pitcher, currently a free agent. He last played in the Majors for the Houston Astros...
. In 82 games with the Cardinals, he hit .268.
Atlanta Braves
On April 20, 2009, Barton was traded to the Atlanta BravesAtlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
for relief pitcher Blaine Boyer
Blaine Boyer
Blaine Thomas Boyer is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played for the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, and New York Mets.-Baseball career:...
. He appeared in only one game for the Braves during the 2009 season, spending most of his time in AAA with the Gwinnett Braves
Gwinnett Braves
The Gwinnett Braves are a minor league baseball team in the International League, the Triple-A affiliate of the major league Atlanta Braves. The team was previously the Richmond Braves for 43 seasons . On January 14, 2008, it was announced that the Richmond Braves would move from Richmond,...
. He appeared as a pinch runner and was caught stealing second in his only attempt.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Barton signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
on December 18, 2009. The deal included an invitation to spring training. He was released by the Dodgers on March 31, 2010.
Atlantic League
Barton played in the Atlantic LeagueAtlantic 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...
in 2010 with the Newark Bears
Newark Bears
The Newark Bears are an American professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are a member of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 1999 season, the Bears have played their home games at Bears &...
and Bridgeport Bluefish
Bridgeport Bluefish
The Bridgeport Bluefish is an American professional baseball team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. They are a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
. He appeared in 102 combined games with the clubs and hit .348. And the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in 2011.