Grant Balfour

Infobox MLB player


width = 150
name=Grant Balfour
position=Relief pitcher
team=Tampa Bay Rays
number=50
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1977|12|30
debutdate=July 22
debutyear=2001
debutteam=Minnesota Twins
statyear=July 14, 2008
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=8-4
stat2label=Strikeouts
stat2value=137
stat3label=Earned run average
stat3value=4.71
teams=
*Minnesota Twins (by|2001, by|2003-by|2004)
*Milwaukee Brewers (by|2007)
*Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays (by|2007-present)

Grant Robert Balfour (born December 30 1977 in Sydney, Australia) is a middle reliever for the Tampa Bay Rays. He has previously played for the Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins, and Milwaukee Brewers. Balfour is well known in some baseball circles for his seemingly ironic name (Ball-Four), considering he is a pitcher.

Balfour spent his high school years at William Clarke College in Kellyville, Sydney, Australia.

In by|2003 and by|2004 his WHIP was 1.42.

Balfour made his return to the major leagues on July 18, by|2007 in the 8th inning with the Milwaukee Brewers. He relieved Chris Capuano in a 2-2 tie with the Arizona Diamondbacks, striking out Chris Young, the first hitter he faced. With two outs in the 8th, he hit a batter and walked another before giving up a three-run home run to Mark Reynolds, giving the Diamondbacks a 5-2 lead. Balfour would finish the 8th and 9th inning and take the loss in relief, having given up three earned runs in the 5-2 defeat.

Balfour missed all of by|2005 recovering from surgery and spent by|2006 and the first part of 2007 in the minors until being summoned from Triple-A Nashville on July 17.

On the same day that he was designated for assignment, Balfour was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays on July 27 2007, for Seth McClung. Balfour finished the season in the Rays bullpen and was resigned to a 1 year deal.

Balfour came into by|2008 spring training as a long-shot to make the Rays bullpen. Despite a solid spring training, eventually he lost out on the final spot and was designated for assignment. He cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Durham on April 3, 2008.

Balfour was recalled from Triple A Durham on May 29th, 2008. He recorded the save on May 31st vs. the White Sox retiring Brian Anderson to end the game in a Rays 2-0 win. In the series sweep against the Chicago Cubs at Tropicana Field, Balfour was credited with two of the three wins - the first on June 16th, relieving Scott Kazmir with the score 1-1 and bases loaded, pitching one and one-third perfect innings in a 3-2 win; the second on June 18th, entering the game trailing 1-2, and pitching one and two-thirds innings, recording three strikeouts, in a game the Rays won 8-3.

Balfour's season has been considered a pleasant surprise. He finished the year with a 1.54 ERA, a 6-2 record, 4 saves out of 5 opportunities, 14 holds, and 82 strikeouts over 58 1/3 IP in 51 appearances.

ee also

* List of players from Australia in Major League Baseball

External links

* [http://www.fantasyplayers.com/HotOffTheWireStory.asp?NOTE_ID=461852 Balfour accepts assignment to Durham]