James Robert Brower (born December 29, 1972) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

. He played for eight

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(MLB) teams: the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

(-),

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

(-),

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos () were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in the National League (baseball), National League ...

(2002),

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

(-),

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

(),

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(),

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

(2006), and

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

().

Playing career

Brower was originally drafted by the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

out of Minnetonka High School in the 56th round of the amateur draft, but did not sign, choosing instead to attend the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

, where he was named a

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and Dave Winfield Award recipient in 1994. He was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 6th round of the 1994 draft, and signed on June 5. He spent nearly four years in the Rangers system before being released early in 1998. He quickly signed with the Cleveland Indians, spending the 1998 season in AA, then splitting the next two seasons between the Indians and their AAA club. Brower was traded to the Cincinnati Reds following the 2000 season. In June 2002, the Reds traded him to the Montreal Expos for pitcher Bruce Chen. In March 2003, he was traded to San Francisco in the trade that sent Liván Hernández to the Expos. In 2004, he tied the Giants' team record and led MLB in appearances with 89. Following a slow start to the 2005 season, Brower was released by the Giants on June 12, and signed by the Atlanta Braves. He signed a

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/markets. This term is used in Nort ...

contract with the Baltimore Orioles in February 2006 and made the Opening Day roster, but was later released. On May 11, Brower signed with the San Diego Padres, who traded him to the Florida Marlins on August 1. He did not pitch for the Marlins at the Major League level, but appeared in 16 games for their AAA club. Brower signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates prior to the 2007 season, but was given his release to sign a minor league contract by the New York Yankees, and served as the closer for their AAA club, posting a 1.65

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

and earning 20 saves. On August 6, 2007, he was promoted by the Yankees, replacing

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on the 40-man roster. In December, Brower agreed to a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds. On May 30, 2008, Brower was traded by the Reds to the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

for cash considerations. Brower was released in July and signed with the

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. After making only two appearances with Triple-A

Round Rock Round Rock is a city in Williamson County, Texas, Williamson and Travis County, Texas, United States, part of the Greater Austin metropolitan area. Its population is 119,468 according to the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The city stra ...

, Brower had his rights sold to the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

. He split the 2009 season between three teams: the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League, the American Association's St. Paul Saints, and the Venezuelan team Caribes de Anzoátegui. Brower pitched one final season in 2010, with Telemarket Rimini of the Italian Baseball League before ending his playing career.

Coaching career

In 2010, Brower was hired by the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

to be a minor league pitching coach. In 2016, Brower became the Minor League Pitching Coordinator for the Chicago Cubs. The

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

hired him to be their bullpen coach on the major league staff before the 2018 season and he was fired after the 2019 season.

Personal life

Brower and his wife had their first child in August 2007. Currently he resides in Deephaven, MN.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brower, Jim 1972 births Living people Akron Aeros players Albuquerque Isotopes players 21st-century American sportsmen American expatriate baseball players in Canada American expatriate baseball players in Japan Atlanta Braves players Baltimore Orioles players Baseball coaches from Minnesota Baseball players from Hennepin County, Minnesota Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Charleston RiverDogs players Charlotte Rangers players Cincinnati Reds players Cleveland Indians players Hiroshima Toyo Carp players Hudson Valley Renegades players Indianapolis Indians players Iowa Cubs players Long Island Ducks players Louisville Bats players Louisville RiverBats players Major League Baseball bullpen coaches Major League Baseball pitchers Minor league baseball coaches Montreal Expos players New York Yankees players Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers Oklahoma City 89ers players Sportspeople from Edina, Minnesota Portland Beavers players Richmond Braves players Rimini Baseball Club players American expatriate baseball players in Italy Round Rock Express players San Francisco Giants players San Diego Padres players Seattle Mariners coaches Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees players St. Paul Saints players Tulsa Drillers players Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball players