The Moran Brothers
Unless you are a member or a fan of one of a select few teams in the hunt for a playoff run, September baseball can seem quite irrelevant. But not for the Moran brothers.
While that may be true to some degree, the Miami Marlins still made relevant history this week. They did so by purchasing the contract of longtime minor-league journeyman Brian Moran. That came just before the Marlins were set to take on a three-game stint with Pittsburgh Pirates. While on the surface that may not seem noteworthy, it actually was given the fact that it was a brotherly affair.
When Brian stepped onto the field September 4th in Pittsburgh, he joined his younger brother Colin Moran who plays for the Pirates.
The Historical Impact
It may not be a postseason berth that either the Marlins or Pirates are chasing, but it does have a nice ring to it. Colin and Brian officially become the 409th brother pair to grace the major league ranks. The Moran brothers officially join the likes of notable brother pairs. That includes Ramon and Pedro Martinez, Marcus and Brian Giles, Sandy and Roberto Alomar among others.
Going even further, it also marks just the seventh time in MLB history that a ballplayer made his major league debut against his brothers’ club. The last time that occurred was back in June of 1988. That’s when Alex Cora made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ironically the Marlins organization was involved and Alex’s brother Joey Cora played for the fish.
The Moran brothers made even more history which took place in the series finale. After 344 minor league games played, Brian Moran graced a major league mound for the first time in regular-season play. Ironically enough, it would be against his younger brother Colin. The historical moment came in the series finale and it happened in the fourth inning of a 5-2 ball game. After Colin brought the count full, it was a fierce slider that brought brother Brian his first major league strikeout.
It marked the first time since 1900 that a brother faced off against his sibling in a pitcher-batter major league debut. That comes according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
History in the Making
The event may not have been a trending topic on Twitter, but it will forever be a moment etched in history. It will also be forever remembered by Brian Moran. His tearful first interaction with the media was a sign of that. It was also a resonating moment shared with baseball fans.
The journey for Brian began with his introduction to the professional ranks in 2009 with the draft via the Seattle Mariners. Then, over the course of over 466 innings pitched, Brian played for over 12 minor league clubs. From the Atlantic League to the Puerto Rican Winter League and more, Moran’s minor league travels were extensive.
Brian’s name couldn’t quite stick with one team for long and was often seen on the Rule 5 Draft lists. In 2013 that led to a connection with the Toronto Blue Jays before being traded to the Los Angeles Angels. From there he had another short stint with the Mariners before being selected by the Cleveland Indians in 2015 and subsequently released in March of 2016. He then ended up in the Baltimore Orioles organization before finding his way into the Marlins organization.
Brian Moran’s Recent Career
In his most recent minor league season, he was saddled up with the New Orleans Babycakes. For most of his professional career, Moran suited up in the bullpen. But he did garner a starting gig in one game back in July of this year.
Throughout his minor league career, Brian has produced 549 strikeouts and a strikeout mark of 10.6 per nine innings. His ERA before gracing the big league stage was 3.15.
While the moment may not have meant a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, it will forever be etched in MLB history and will be a hallmark of the potential budding major league career of Brian Moran.
