Brian James Buchanan (born July 21, 1973) is an American former professional baseball

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to c ...

and

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) from 2000 through 2004 for the Minnesota Twins,

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 (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...

, and the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

. And also, he played in

Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''. Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...

(NPB) for the

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. They compete in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as a member of the Pacific League. The team was formerly known as the Nankai Hawks and was based in Osaka. ...

in 2007.

Early years

Buchanan played for Fairfax High School in

Fairfax, Virginia The City of Fairfax ( ), colloquially known as Fairfax City, Downtown Fairfax, Old Town Fairfax, Fairfax Courthouse, FFX, or simply Fairfax, is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth ...

, where he excelled not only at hitting but at first base as well, and was named First Team All-Region for all of Northern Virginia. The team finished the regular season with a 17–4 record. Fairfax teammate Bill Pulsipher also made it to the Major Leagues after being drafted in the second round of the

1991 MLB draft First round selections The following are the first round picks in the 1991 Major League Baseball draft. Supplemental first round selections Compensation picks Other notable players *Kevin Stocker, 2nd round, 54th overall by the Philade ...

by the New York Mets. A standout player at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

(UVA), in 1993 Buchanan played collegiate summer baseball with the

Brewster Whitecaps The Brewster Whitecaps are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Brewster, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Whitecaps play their home games at Stony Bro ...

of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and in 1994 returned to the Cape League to play for the

Hyannis Mets The Hyannis Harbor Hawks, formerly the Hyannis Mets, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Hyannis, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's West Division. The Harbor Hawks play ...

. He was drafted by the

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

in the first round (24th overall) of the

1994 MLB draft First round selections The following are the first round picks in the 1994 Major League Baseball draft. Compensation picks Compensation Picks Other notable players *Troy Glaus, 2nd round, 37th overall by the San Diego Padres, but did not ...

. Buchanan still holds Virginia baseball season records fo
home runs
slugging percentage, and total bases. He was the first UVA player to be chosen in the first round of the MLB draft and was inducted into the Virginia Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.

Playing career

From 1994 through 1997, Buchanan played in the Yankees' minor league system, advancing to the Triple-A level. While playing at Class A Greensboro, a horrific ankle injury in the spring of 1995 nearly ended Buchanan's career after his left foot hit first base at an awkward angle. Doctors were uncertain that Buchanan would recover, let alone play baseball again.

Minnesota Twins

In February 1998, Buchanan was traded to the Minnesota Twins, in the trade that sent

Chuck Knoblauch Edward Charles Knoblauch (; born July 7, 1968) is an American former professional baseball player. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1991 through 2002, for the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, and Kansas City Royals. He play ...

to the Yankees. With the Twins, Buchanan made his MLB debut in the 2000 season, appearing in 30 games. He went on to play 69 games with the Twins in 2001, and 44 games in 2002. In his 143 games with the Twins, he batted .258 with 16 home runs and 55 RBIs.

San Diego Padres

In July 2002, Buchanan was traded to the

for Jason Bartlett. He appeared in 48 games with the Padres in 2002, batting .293; 115 games in 2003, batting .263; and 38 games in 2004, batting .200. He had a total of 16 home runs and 48 RBIs with the Padres. During his time with the Padres, Buchanan was considered one of the most feared right-handed pinch hitters in the game. He was one of the few hitters in the league who would wear only one batting glove, and batting glove company, Franklin, decided to come out with a signature "Buck" batting glove.

New York Mets

In 2004, Buchanan appeared in two games with the

; he was hitless in three at bats. Overall in his MLB career, Buchanan appeared in 346 games, batting .258 with 32 home runs and 103 RBIs.

Late career

During 2006, Buchanan played for the St. Paul Saints of the

American Association of Independent Professional Baseball The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor lea ...

. After the 2006 season, he joined the

in Japan, after two years playing in the minors for the Rochester Red Wings, Colorado Springs Sky Sox, and Louisville Bats. Buchanan played 99 games for the Hawks, mostly as a DH, batting .285 with 11 home runs and 48 RBI. During the 2007–08 offseason, Buchanan signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals and became a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

after the season. In January 2009, he re-signed with the Royals and played for their Triple-A affiliate, the

Omaha Royals Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest c ...

, and even made

relief pitching In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weather d ...

appearances on several occasions. Buchanan retired on November 18, 2009.

Post-playing career

Buchanan was

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

for the

Idaho Falls Chukars The Idaho Falls Chukars are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and play their home games at Melaleuca ...

of the

Pioneer Baseball League The Pioneer League is an independent baseball league that operates in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States. Its teams are not directly affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB). It is designated as an MLB Partner League. From 1939 t ...

in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, he was manager of the

Kane County Cougars The Kane County Cougars are an independent professional baseball team located in Geneva, Illinois and are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball (MLB). They play thei ...

of the Class A

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

. In 2013, he became manager of the

Lexington Legends The Lexington Legends are an American professional baseball team based in Lexington, Kentucky. They are a member of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league" of Major League Baseball. The Legends ha ...

in the Class A

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...

. Buchanan was promoted to assistant hitting instructor for the Kansas City Royals for the 2017 season. He was named as the hitting coach for the

Omaha Storm Chasers The Omaha Storm Chasers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They are located in Papillion, Nebraska, a suburb southwest of Omaha, and play their home games at We ...

of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate for the Kansas City Royals on January 10, 2018. He remains the hitting coach for the Storm Chasers as of February 2021.

Personal life

Buchanan is married to Jill Havlicek; his father-in-law was the late Basketball Hall of Fame inductee

John Havlicek John Joseph Havlicek ( ; April 8, 1940 – April 25, 2019) was an American professional basketball player who spent his entire career with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA championships, four of them coming in his first four seasons with ...

References

External links

St. Paul Saints player page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buchanan, Brian 1973 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada American expatriate baseball players in Japan Baseball coaches from Florida Baseball players from Miami Brewster Whitecaps players Colorado Springs Sky Sox players Columbus Clippers players Edmonton Trappers players Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks players Greensboro Bats players Hyannis Harbor Hawks players Kansas City Royals coaches Lake Elsinore Storm players Louisville Bats players Major League Baseball right fielders Major League Baseball hitting coaches Minnesota Twins players Minor league baseball managers New York Mets players Nippon Professional Baseball designated hitters Nippon Professional Baseball first basemen Norwich Navigators players Omaha Royals players Oneonta Yankees players Portland Beavers players Rochester Red Wings players Salt Lake Buzz players San Diego Padres players Sports coaches from Miami St. Paul Saints players Tampa Yankees players Virginia Cavaliers baseball players