CHICO – Kevin Brahney’s professional baseball career officially began Tuesday, but not by being glued to the Internet, hanging on to each selection of the major league amateur draft. One of Chico State’s top starting pitchers from the just-concluded 2011 season, Brahney was out making a delivery for the telecommunications company he works for in the Bay Area community of Newark when he received an excitable phone call from his mom. That’s when he got the news that every amateur ballplayer dreams of – the Boston Red Sox had chosen Brahney in the 11th round of the draft, making the lefthander the seventh Wildcat player in the last seven seasons to be selected by a major league organization.
“It’s exhilarating,” Brahney said shortly after Tuesday’s announcement. “The Red Sox have followed me for awhile; I liked them and they obviously liked me. Boston is such a great baseball town; it’s great to be part of such a big-time organization.”
Brahney pitched in 11 games for Chico State in 2011, posting a 2-5 record with a 3.58 earned run average – the best ERA of any Wildcat starter – while leading the staff in strikeouts, fanning 74 batters in just 65-and-a-third innings of work. Opponents hit just .236 against Brahney, who allowed just one home run all season. Brahney also averaged an impressive 9.73 strikeouts per nine innings pitched during his two-year Chico State career.
By being chosen in the 11th round, Brahney is the highest Wildcat draft pick by a major league club since Chico State entered the California Collegiate Athletic Association in 1999.
Chico State Head Coach Dave Taylor feels Brahney earned the lofty selection. “We’re really excited for Kevin,” Taylor said immediately following Tuesday’s announcement. “He put in the time last summer to smooth out some mechanical issues, and he was focused and committed throughout the season to not only succeed as an individual player, but to help the team as well. The Red Sox are getting a quality guy; we’re looking forward to watching him climb up the minor league ladder in the coming years.”
Brahney himself wasn’t anticipating going in the 11th round, but figured he had a good shot of landing somewhere before the 30th round concluded the second of the amateur draft’s three days of selections. “I was pretty confident that I would hear something today,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting to be drafted so high, but I had a good feeling that my name would be called before the end of the day.”
Brahney is the second Wildcat in as many years to be drafted by the Red Sox. Pitcher Michael Gleason, Boston’s 34th round pick in 2010, is currently a reliever for the Salem Red Sox of the High-A Carolina League.
Brahney has yet to be assigned by his new employer, but he’s pretty sure of his immediate plans: “I’ll be going out tonight with family and friends to celebrate, and talk about the future.”
Brahney is the sixth Wildcat pitcher drafted in the last seven seasons, joining Gleason, Kyle Woodruff (chosen by the Giants in the 27th round of the 2008 draft), Billy Spottiswood (Diamondbacks, 25th round in 2007), Garrett Rieck (Indians, 29th round, ’07) and Kris Krise (Dodgers, 12th round, 2005). The lone Chico State position player to be drafted during that time was center fielder Greg Gonzalez, who was the Mets’ 28th round pick in 2005.
