Brian Curtis Tallet (born September 21, 1977) is an American former professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
. Tallet played the majority of his career for the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
. He also played for the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...
and the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
. He is 6' 6" in height.
He pitched for the
LSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers are the athletic teams representing Louisiana State University (LSU), a state university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a ...
and won a national championship in 2000.
Career
Tallet was drafted in the
1996
File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...
,
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
, and
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
drafts by the
Marlins
The marlin is a large billfish sometimes also known as the ''spearfish.''
Marlin may also refer to:
Places
*Marlín, Castile-Leon, a village in Spain
*Marlin, Texas, city in Falls County, Texas, United States
Sports
*Cincinnati Marlins, a swim t ...
,
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 ...
, and
Pirates
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
, respectively, but did not sign with them. Instead, he attended
Hill College
Hill College is a public community college in Hillsboro, Texas. It opened its doors in 1923, one year before North Central Texas College, which is the oldest continuously-operating community college in Texas because Hill College was closed d ...
and
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...
. In 1997 and 1998, he played
collegiate summer baseball
Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...
with the
Wareham Gatemen
The Wareham Gatemen are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Wareham, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's West Division. The Gatemen play their home games at Clem Spillane Fi ...
of the
Cape Cod Baseball League
The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...
.
Tallet did sign when drafted in the second round (55th overall) of the
2000 MLB draft by the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
.
He made his major league debut on September 16, 2002 against the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
. He posted six shutout innings while allowing only four hits in Cleveland's 7–1 win. Tallet missed the 2004 season after having
Tommy John surgery
Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...
in August 2003.
Cleveland Indians
In his first two major league starts in 2002, Tallet had one win in 12
innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one innin ...
with a 1.50 ERA.
He also
struck out
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is denot ...
five and walked four. For the
2003 season
3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
, Tallet posted an 0–2 record in five games (three starts) starts while allowing 20 earned runs with a 4.74 ERA in 19 innings pitched.
Things did not get much better in 2005, as he compiled a 7.71 ERA in two games.
During his career in Cleveland, he compiled a 1–2 record with a 4.09
ERA
An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.
Comp ...
, while also striking out 16 and walking 15. On January 16, 2006, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Bubbie Buzachero.
Toronto Blue Jays
In Tallet's first season with Toronto, he went 3–0 with a 3.81 ERA in 44 games (one start).
Tallet made his first start of the season and in over three years on August 7, 2006 against the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
. In the game, despite walking four batters in two innings, Tallet held the Orioles scoreless. He earned a
no-decision
A no decision (sometimes written no-decision) is one of either of two sports statistics scenarios; one in baseball and softball, and the other in boxing and related combat sports.
Baseball and softball
A starting pitcher who leaves a game withou ...
in Toronto's 8–1 win.
In 2007, he had a 2–4 record with a 3.47 ERA in 48 games.
In 2008, Tallet had a 1–2 record with a 2.88 ERA in 51 games.
In February 2009, the Jays avoided salary arbitration with Tallet, signing him to a one-year contract worth $1.015 million.
During the month of April, Tallet compiled a 1–1 record with a 6.45 ERA after taking over in the starting rotation for
Jesse Litsch
Jesse Allen Litsch (born March 9, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. After working as a batboy for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, he was drafted in the 24th round by the Toronto Blue Jays in , and played from 2007 to 2011, when ...
.
After two close losses in which he was supported by only one run in each game, Tallet defeated the Boston Red Sox on May 30, who had kicked off a nine-game skid for the Jays starting from May 19 to May 27. In the game, he went seven strong innings while giving up three runs and striking out six.
During the month of May, Tallet went 2–2 with a 4.26 ERA and in only one of those starts did he give up more than three runs.
On September 27, 2009, Tallet gave up
Matt Tuiasosopo
Matthew Petelu Tuiasosopo (born May 10, 1986) is an American former professional baseball utility player and the current manager of the Gwinnett Stripers, the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. He played in Major Leagu ...
's first career home run, which was correctly predicted by
Mike Blowers
Michael Roy Blowers (; born April 24, 1965) is a German-born American former Major League Baseball player, a third baseman and first baseman for the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Oakland Athletics. Since 2007 he h ...
in detail. In 2009, Tallet pitched the most innings of his career due to his time in the starting rotation (160.2). In 37 games (25 starts), he went 7–9 with a 5.32 ERA while striking out 120 batters and walking 72.
On November 11, 2010, he refused an assignment to the minors and became a free agent.
St. Louis Cardinals
On November 30, 2010, Tallet signed a one-year, $750,000 contract with the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...
.
In early July 2011, Tallet strained an
intercostal muscle
Intercostal muscles are many different groups of muscles that run between the ribs, and help form and move the chest wall. The intercostal muscles are mainly involved in the mechanical aspect of breathing by helping expand and shrink the size ...
from a heavy sneeze. After doctors examined the
CT scan
A computed tomography scan (CT scan; formerly called computed axial tomography scan or CAT scan) is a medical imaging technique used to obtain detailed internal images of the body. The personnel that perform CT scans are called radiographers ...
on the muscle strain, they saw past the rib cage and discovered that he also had cysts clinging to his kidneys. He was subsequently diagnosed with
polycystic kidney disease
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD or PCKD, also known as polycystic kidney syndrome) is a genetic disorder in which the renal tubules become structurally abnormal, resulting in the development and growth of multiple cysts within the kidney. These cy ...
.
Return to Toronto
On July 27, 2011, he was traded back to the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
along with
P. J. Walters
Phillip DeWayne "P. J." Walters (born March 12, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins.
Career
High School and coll ...
,
Colby Rasmus
Colby Ryan Rasmus (born August 11, 1986) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles. He h ...
and
Trever Miller
Trever Douglas Miller (born May 29, 1973) is an American former professional baseball pitcher.
High school
Miller graduated from Trinity High School, where he was a pitcher and outfielder, in 1991 and was named Kentucky's Mr. Baseball and the G ...
for
Edwin Jackson,
Octavio Dotel
Octavio Eduardo Dotel Diaz (born November 25, 1973) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. Dotel played for 13 major league teams, the second most teams played for by any player in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), setti ...
,
Marc Rzepczynski
Marc Walter Rzepczynski ( ; born August 29, 1985), nicknamed Scrabble, is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for th ...
and
Corey Patterson
Donald Corey Patterson (born August 13, 1979) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. Currently, he is the manager of the Brookhaven Bucks in the Sunbelt Baseball League. He is the older brother of infielder Eric Patterson, a ...
.
Tallet made four rehab appearances for the Class-A
Dunedin Blue Jays
The Dunedin Blue Jays are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and are the Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball club. They are located in Dunedin, Florida, and play their home games at TD Ballpark, ...
after his acquisition, allowing one run in four innings.
Following a 12–0 loss to the
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...
on August 28, Tallet was called up to the Blue Jays.
Wil Ledezma
Wilfredo Jose Ledezma Acosta (born January 21, 1981) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He previously played for the Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Washington N ...
was designated for assignment to make room for Tallet on the 40-man roster.
Tallet made his return to the Blue Jays on August 30 coming in for the 10th inning in a save situation. He blew the save and took the loss, giving up two runs on two walks and two singles while recording only one out. The following day, Tallet was designated for assignment to free space for the return of
Carlos Villanueva, who had been on the 15-day disabled list since August 4.
Pittsburgh & San Diego
On February 3, 2012, Tallet signed a minor league contract with the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
and was traded on April 7, 2012, to the
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 penna ...
. Tallet began the year with Triple-A
Tucson
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
. The Padres released Tallet on May 17, 2012.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tallet, Brian
1977 births
Living people
People from Midwest City, Oklahoma
Major League Baseball pitchers
Baseball players from Oklahoma
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
Hill College Rebels baseball players
Cleveland Indians players
Toronto Blue Jays players
St. Louis Cardinals players
Mahoning Valley Scrappers players
Kinston Indians players
Akron Aeros players
Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
Syracuse SkyChiefs players
Lake County Captains players
Syracuse Chiefs players
Lancaster Barnstormers players
Quad Cities River Bandits players
Dunedin Blue Jays players
Tucson Padres players
LSU Tigers baseball players
Wareham Gatemen players
Las Vegas 51s players