Brian Holton
| Brian Holton | |
|---|---|
 Holton with the Los Angeles Dodgers c. 1987 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: November 29, 1959 McKeesport, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 9, 1985, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 30, 1990, for the Baltimore Orioles | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 20–19 |
| Earned run average | 3.62 |
| Strikeouts | 210 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Brian John Holton (born November 29, 1959) is an American former professional baseball player who pitched in Major League Baseball, primarily in relief, from 1985 to 1990.[1]
Biography
[edit]Holton was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers team that won the 1988 World Series. He earned a save in game 5 of the 1988 National League Championship Series against the New York Mets. He had a 7–3 record with a 1.70 earned run average (ERA) in 45 games during the 1988 regular season.
Holton, Ken Howell and Juan Bell were traded to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Eddie Murray on December 4, 1988.[2]
Holton's performance declined in his two years in Baltimore, after which he returned to the Dodgers farm system for two years. After baseball, he descended into substance abuse and poverty. He became addicted to alcohol and painkillers, got divorced, worked a series of odd jobs, pawned his World Series ring, defaulted on child support payments, was jailed as a result and spent some time in homeless shelters.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ Meyer, Paul (April 30, 1987). "Buena Vista's Holton Finally Reaches Big Time". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
- ^ "Murray deal finally completed," Reading (PA) Eagle, Monday, December 5, 1988.
- ^ Plaschke, Bill (August 13, 2017). "Column: Brian Holton, the forgotten Dodger of '88, struggles to live in the present". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Baseball Almanac, or Retrosheet, or Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Winter League)
- 1959 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from McKeesport, Pennsylvania
- Baseball players from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
- Albuquerque Dukes players
- Baltimore Orioles players
- Clinton Dodgers players
- Lodi Dodgers players
- Los Angeles Dodgers players
- Louisburg Hurricanes baseball players
- Major League Baseball pitchers
- Navegantes del Magallanes players
- American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
- Rochester Red Wings players
- San Antonio Dodgers players
- Jewish American baseball players