Nicholas Raymond Bierbrodt (born May 16, 1978) is an American former
professional
A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...
baseball 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 ...
. He spent four seasons from 2001 to 2004 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) with the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...
,
Tampa Bay Devil 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) East division. Since its inception, the team's home venu ...
,
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 ...
and
Texas Rangers.
Career
He was a first round pick for the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...
in the
1996 MLB draft, becoming the first player ever drafted by the franchise. He had compiled a minor league record of 28-28 from 1996 to 2001, when in 2001 he was promoted to the Major League team and added to the Diamondbacks rotation. He made 5 starts for the Diamondbacks before being traded to the
Tampa Bay Devil 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) East division. Since its inception, the team's home venu ...
for
Albie Lopez
Albert Anthony "Albie" Lopez (born August 18, 1971) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He graduated from Mesa Community College. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 20th round of the 1991 Major League Baseball draft. Lopez spen ...
and
Mike DiFelice. Between Arizona and Tampa Bay, Bierbrodt finished with a record of 5–6 with a 5.55 ERA in 16 starts.
Bierbrodt was shot three times in the arm and chest in a taxi cab in
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...
in June 2002. He missed the entire 2002 season while recovering.
In 2003, Bierbrodt made the
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years ...
roster. His return to the Majors was short lived, as in 13 games for the Devil Rays, he had a 9.14 ERA and was later claimed off waivers 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 ...
In 2004, he signed as a free agent with the
Texas Rangers, appearing in 4 starts for them that year.
In 2005, Bierbrodt signed with the
Somerset Patriots
The Somerset Patriots are an American Minor League Baseball team based in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey, that is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They compete in the Eastern League, known as the Double-A Northeast in 2021, and ...
, an independent league team. He would remain with the Patriots for two years before signing with the
Bridgeport Bluefish
The Bridgeport Bluefish were an American minor league baseball team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The team was a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which was not affiliated with Major League Baseba ...
. After playing for the
Brother Elephants
A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
of the
Chinese Professional Baseball League
The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL; ) is the top-tier professional baseball league in Taiwan. The league was established in 1989 and played the first season in 1990. CPBL eventually absorbed the competing Taiwan Major League in 20 ...
in , he returned to the United States the
next year
"Next Year" is a song released as the last single from the third Foo Fighters' album ''There Is Nothing Left to Lose''.
History
A shorter version (running at just 3:21 compared to the original's 4:36) was released as a single in 2000 and wa ...
, joining the
Long Beach Armada
The Long Beach Armada were an independent professional baseball team based in Long Beach, California, in the United States. The Armada was a member of the North Division of the now-defunct Golden Baseball League (GBL), which was not affiliated wi ...
of the independent
Golden Baseball League
The Golden Baseball League was an independent baseball league based in San Ramon, California, with teams located in the western United States, western Canada and northwest Mexico.
The GBL was not affiliated with Major League Baseball or the orga ...
.
In 2010, Bierbrodt signed a minor league deal with the
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
.
In 2011, 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 ...
signed Bierbrodt to a minor league deal.
He spent 2011 in the Orioles farm system before retiring.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bierbrodt, Nick
1978 births
Living people
American expatriate baseball players in Taiwan
Arizona Diamondbacks players
Arizona League Diamondbacks players
Baseball players from California
Bowie Baysox players
Brother Elephants players
Bridgeport Bluefish players
Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
Charleston RiverDogs players
Cleveland Indians players
Colorado Springs Sky Sox players
El Paso Diablos players
Frisco RoughRiders players
High Desert Mavericks players
Lethbridge Black Diamonds players
Long Beach Armada players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Norfolk Tides players
Oklahoma RedHawks players
People from Tarzana, Los Angeles
Baseball players from Atlanta
Somerset Patriots players
South Bend Silver Hawks players
Tampa Bay Devil Rays players
Texas Rangers players
Tucson Sidewinders players
Tulsa Drillers players
American shooting survivors
Algodoneros de Guasave players
American expatriate baseball players in Mexico
Millikan High School alumni