Kansas City Athletics
Brunet was born in Houghton, Michigan, and attended Calumet High School in Calumet, Michigan. He was originally signed by Detroit Tigers scout and former pitcher Schoolboy Rowe in 1952. He pitched three seasons in the Sooner State League before being released. He soon caught on with the Kansas City Athletics in 1955. He received his first call up to the majors in 1956, giving up seven earned runs in nine innings pitched. His second major league appearance came against the Boston Red Sox with the bases loaded, and Ted Williams standing in the batter's box. He got Williams to bounce into a double play.
He spent the next three seasons in the minors, making brief call ups in 1957 and 1959. He was 14-15 with a 3.42 ERA and a league leading 235 strikeouts for the Little Rock Travelers in 1957. At one point, his record stood at 10-3, but over a stretch of over fifty innings in which his team failed to give him a single run of support, his record fell to 10-11.
One of the two games he appeared in in 1959 was against the Chicago White Sox on April 22. He entered in the seventh inning with the bases loaded, and five runs already scored thanks to poor pitching and even worse fielding (five walks and three errors). He walked the first two batters he faced, hit the next batter, then walked three more before Jim Landis grounded back to the mound. The Chisox scored eleven runs that inning on just one hit.
He finally made it onto an Athletics opening day roster in 1960, but was traded to the Milwaukee Braves a month into the season for Bob Giggie.
Read more about this topic: George Brunet
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