Former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Tyson Brummett has died in a plane crash early Friday morning. Brummett who is 35 years old was the pilot and three other passengers were killed on impact. The plane crashed in the Utah mountains south of Salt Lake City.
The other passengers were Brummett’s friend Alex Ruenger also 35 years old and Ruenger’s aunt Elaine Blackhurst who was 60 and his uncle Douglas Blackhurst who was 62. Witnesses have told police they saw the plane spiral out of their view and heard the crash a few minutes later. They hiked to the scene and called 911 and said the occupants died on impact. The NTSB and FAA are investigating the cause of the crash.
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 4, 2020
Amateur Career
Tyson Brummett was drafted three times in his career. In 2003 the San Francisco Giants drafted him out of Spanish Fork High School in Spanish Fork, Utah in the 35th round. The Giants would draft Brummett again in 2004 in the 38th round when he was playing at Central Arizona College in Coolidge, Arizona. The Phillies drafted him in the 7th round in 2007 out of UCLA.
UCLA Head Coach John Savage remembers Tyson Brummett fondly. “Tyson was about team and being a Bruin. He loved competing in a Bruin uniform and was always about the right things. Our players and coaches will miss him very much. He was the definition of a winning pitcher. We love you, Tyson.”
Former teammate Cody Decker added. “I just want you guys to know. Tyson was an incredible baseball player. An unbelievable teammate. And an even better person. I am proud to have even known him, let alone call him a friend. He was special.”
Phillies Career
Tyson Brummett appeared in only one game in his career and that was with the Phillies in 2012. He pitched in two-thirds of an inning allowing two hits with two strikeouts. His minor league career lasted eight seasons across three organizations. Brummett went 31-60 in the minor leagues with the Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He appeared in 242 games with 106 coming as a starter. In 799 innings pitched his ERA was 4.50 with a WHIP of 1.372 and 607 strikeouts. He also had nine saves. Brummett’s last season of professional baseball was in 2014.
Tyson Brummett
Tyson Brummett is the third former Phillies player to die in a plane crash since 2006. Cory Lidle crashed into an apartment complex in the Upper East Side of New York City in October 2006. Lidle was then a member of the New York Yankees. His crash happened as the Yankees were playing in the American League Divisional Series vs the Detroit Tigers. In November of 2017 Hall of Fame pitcher, Roy Halladay crashed into the Gulf of Mexico.
This past January Brummett became a Certified Flight Instructor. Brummett got involved in the nonprofit organization “Goggles for Docs” because his sister who is a nurse in Utah had expressed the need for the protective equipment.
He volunteered to fly 270 donated ski and snowboard goggles from Utah to California to be delivered to nearby hospitals. Since March, Goggles for Docs has donated more than 38,000 goggles for healthcare workers across the country.
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