Brian McCann
Encyclopedia
Brian Michael McCann, is a Major League Baseball
catcher
for the Atlanta Braves
.
at league 6 in Huntington, West Virginia
. He committed to play baseball for the University of Alabama
(Rivals.com). He was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 2nd round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft
out of Duluth High School
and advanced steadily through the Braves' minor league
system, playing for the Rome Braves
(Low A) in , the Myrtle Beach Pelicans
(High A) in , and the Mississippi Braves
(Double-A) in .
He was a member of the Rome Braves
which won the 2003 South Atlantic League
Championship and led the team in RBIs (71), and doubles (31).
for most of the 2005 season, McCann hit his first home run
in just his second regular-season game and became the first Braves player in franchise history to hit a home run in his first playoff at-bat on October 6, 2005. He accomplished the feat in the second inning of a 7–1 victory over Roger Clemens
and the Houston Astros
in Game 2 of the 2005 National League Division Series
. McCann was named the everyday starter when the Braves traded Johnny Estrada
to the Diamondbacks.
During the 2006 season, McCann hit .333 with 24 homers and 94 RBI. He led all Major League catchers in homers, and his RBI total was matched only by Jorge Posada
and Victor Martinez. The Braves rewarded McCann by buying out his arbitration years with a 6-year, $27.8 million contract during spring training in 2007.
McCann was selected to play in the 2006 MLB All-Star Game, in his first full major league season, and then again in both and , making him the first Braves player ever to be selected to the National League All-Star team in each of his first three seasons. In 2008, he allowed more stolen bases than any other NL catcher, with 93.
Beginning in April 2009, McCann was bothered by blurry vision in his left eye, due to a slight vision change following 2007 LASIK
surgery. He decided to opt for glasses when contact lenses proved uncomfortable. In May 2009, Oakley, Inc.
made special glasses for McCann to correct the vision problem and allow for comfort under the catcher's mask. McCann remarked, "I need my Oakleys. I have to have the wraparounds for my peripheral vision."
In 2009, he had more errors at catcher than any other major leaguer, with 12, and had the lowest fielding percentage among them (.988).
He was again selected for the All-Star Game in 2009 and 2010. In the latter, he was named the MVP after driving in all three of the National League's runs with a bases-clearing double in the seventh inning (driving in Scott Rolen
, Matt Holliday
, and Marlon Byrd
), off of Chicago White Sox
reliever Matt Thornton
, giving the NL a 3–1 victory, its first in the midsummer classic since 1996. On August 23, McCann hit the first walk-off home run reviewed by instant replay
. McCann hit a line drive to right field. The ball struck the top of the right field wall. The umpires called it a double
, but McCann and Braves bench coach Chino Cadahia
argued the call. The umpires went to go review instant replay. Replays showed that the ball struck the top of the right field wall, bounced into the stands, and then got onto the field. Thus, the umpires overturned the call and called it a walk-off home run
. In 2010, he allowed more stolen bases than any other NL catcher, with 84.
During spring training, on March 9, 2011, McCann hit a line drive foul ball which struck minor league manager Luis Salazar
, blinding him in the left eye.
On May 17, 2011, McCann hit a ninth-inning, game-tying, pinch-hit home run and an 11th-inning game-winning two-run home run to defeat the Houston Astros 3–1.
In 2011 he allowed more stolen bases than any other major league catcher, with 104.
and Kansas City Royals
organizations before retiring after the 2007 season.
for Childhood Cancer Research, an organization dedicated to raising funds to support pediatric cancer research and treatments. McCann also has baseball clinics for kids 5–18.
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...
catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
for the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta 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....
.
Early career
As a youth, McCann played Little LeagueLittle League
Little League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S...
at league 6 in Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
. He committed to play baseball for the University of Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide baseball
The Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team represents the University of Alabama in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Alabama athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. The team plays its home games on campus at...
(Rivals.com). He was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 2nd round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft
2002 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 4 and 5.This year's draft is featured in Michael Lewis' 2003 book Moneyball.-First Round Selections:-Supplemental First Round Compensation Selections:...
out of Duluth High School
Duluth High School
Duluth High School is a public secondary school in Duluth, a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, USA. It provides education for grades 9-12 and is operated by Gwinnett County Public Schools, and holds a Blue Ribbon School award....
and advanced steadily through the Braves' minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
system, playing for the Rome Braves
Rome Braves
The Rome Braves are a Class-A minor league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. In 2003, the team, previously known as the Macon Braves, moved from Macon, Georgia, to Rome, Georgia, 60 miles northwest of Atlanta....
(Low A) in , the Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a minor league baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. They are a Class A Advanced team in the Carolina League and the franchise is currently the farm team of the Texas Rangers. From their inaugural season until 2010, the Pelicans were an affiliate of the...
(High A) in , and the Mississippi Braves
Mississippi Braves
The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a minor league baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Class AA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, and plays in the Southern League. The team is owned and operated by Liberty Media, which...
(Double-A) in .
He was a member of the Rome Braves
Rome Braves
The Rome Braves are a Class-A minor league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. In 2003, the team, previously known as the Macon Braves, moved from Macon, Georgia, to Rome, Georgia, 60 miles northwest of Atlanta....
which won the 2003 South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
Championship and led the team in RBIs (71), and doubles (31).
Major League career
McCann made his Major League Baseball debut with the Atlanta Braves on June 10, . A personal catcher for John SmoltzJohn Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and active sportscaster. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in 1996...
for most of the 2005 season, McCann hit his first home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
in just his second regular-season game and became the first Braves player in franchise history to hit a home run in his first playoff at-bat on October 6, 2005. He accomplished the feat in the second inning of a 7–1 victory over Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
and 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...
in Game 2 of the 2005 National League Division Series
2005 National League Division Series
-Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros:-Game 1, October 4:Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriIt was a matchup between Jake Peavy and eventual 2005 Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter. In the bottom of the first, Jim Edmonds's one-out solo homer put the Cardinals up 1–0...
. McCann was named the everyday starter when the Braves traded Johnny Estrada
Johnny Estrada
Johnny Pulado Estrada III is a former American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers and the Washington Nationals.Estrada was selected in the 17th round of the 1997 Major...
to the Diamondbacks.
During the 2006 season, McCann hit .333 with 24 homers and 94 RBI. He led all Major League catchers in homers, and his RBI total was matched only by Jorge Posada
Jorge Posada
Jorge Rafael Posada Villeta is a Major League Baseball player who is currently a free agent and has played his entire career for the New York Yankees. He served as the Yankees primary catcher for most of his career, though following off-season knee surgery, he was moved to designated hitter for...
and Victor Martinez. The Braves rewarded McCann by buying out his arbitration years with a 6-year, $27.8 million contract during spring training in 2007.
McCann was selected to play in the 2006 MLB All-Star Game, in his first full major league season, and then again in both and , making him the first Braves player ever to be selected to the National League All-Star team in each of his first three seasons. In 2008, he allowed more stolen bases than any other NL catcher, with 93.
Beginning in April 2009, McCann was bothered by blurry vision in his left eye, due to a slight vision change following 2007 LASIK
LASIK
LASIK or Lasik , commonly referred to simply as laser eye surgery, is a type of refractive surgery for correcting myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism...
surgery. He decided to opt for glasses when contact lenses proved uncomfortable. In May 2009, Oakley, Inc.
Oakley, Inc.
Oakley, Inc., based in Foothill Ranch, California, makes sport equipment including sunglasses, sports visors, and ski goggles, as well as watches, clothing, bags, backpacks, shoes, prescription glasses, football and hockey eyewear, Golf gear and other accessories...
made special glasses for McCann to correct the vision problem and allow for comfort under the catcher's mask. McCann remarked, "I need my Oakleys. I have to have the wraparounds for my peripheral vision."
In 2009, he had more errors at catcher than any other major leaguer, with 12, and had the lowest fielding percentage among them (.988).
He was again selected for the All-Star Game in 2009 and 2010. In the latter, he was named the MVP after driving in all three of the National League's runs with a bases-clearing double in the seventh inning (driving in Scott Rolen
Scott Rolen
Scott Bruce Rolen is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds. He is an eight-time Gold Glove winner and seven-time All-Star.-Philadelphia Phillies:...
, Matt Holliday
Matt Holliday
Matthew Thomas Holliday , nicknamed "Big Daddy", is an American Major League Baseball left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Holliday was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the seventh round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft.Holliday is a five-time All-Star and Silver Slugger...
, and Marlon Byrd
Marlon Byrd
Marlon Jerrard Byrd , popularly known as The Position or The Possish or Sish, is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs...
), off of Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
reliever Matt Thornton
Matt Thornton
Matthew J. Thornton , is a left-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Chicago White Sox. Before the season, Thornton was with the Seattle Mariners.-College and minor league baseball:...
, giving the NL a 3–1 victory, its first in the midsummer classic since 1996. On August 23, McCann hit the first walk-off home run reviewed by instant replay
Instant replay in baseball
In Major League Baseball, a system similar to that in the National Hockey League for the last month of the season and beyond was implemented on August 28, 2008...
. McCann hit a line drive to right field. The ball struck the top of the right field wall. The umpires called it a double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, but McCann and Braves bench coach Chino Cadahia
Chino Cadahia
Aurelio "Chino" Cadahia is the current bench coach for the Kansas City Royals.Cadahia joined the Kansas City Royals in 2011 after spending the last 15 seasons in the Braves' organization, including the last four seasons as the bench coach for the Major League club...
argued the call. The umpires went to go review instant replay. Replays showed that the ball struck the top of the right field wall, bounced into the stands, and then got onto the field. Thus, the umpires overturned the call and called it a walk-off home run
Walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning...
. In 2010, he allowed more stolen bases than any other NL catcher, with 84.
During spring training, on March 9, 2011, McCann hit a line drive foul ball which struck minor league manager Luis Salazar
Luis Salazar
Luis Ernesto Salazar Garcia is a former third baseman and outfielder in Major League Baseball, a right-handed batter who played from 1980 to 1992....
, blinding him in the left eye.
On May 17, 2011, McCann hit a ninth-inning, game-tying, pinch-hit home run and an 11th-inning game-winning two-run home run to defeat the Houston Astros 3–1.
In 2011 he allowed more stolen bases than any other major league catcher, with 104.
Personal life
McCann married the former Ashley Jarusinski in December 2007. His older brother, Brad McCann, played pro baseball in the Florida MarlinsFlorida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
and Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
organizations before retiring after the 2007 season.
Philanthropy
In 2008, McCann released a charity wine (The McCann Merlot) with 100% of his proceeds supporting the Rally FoundationRally Foundation
Rally Foundation is a US 501 non-profit organization with the headquarters in Sandy Springs , Georgia. Through volunteers across the country, the foundation raises awareness and funds specifically for childhood cancer research to find better treatments and to find a cure for childhood cancer...
for Childhood Cancer Research, an organization dedicated to raising funds to support pediatric cancer research and treatments. McCann also has baseball clinics for kids 5–18.