Tom Brunansky

Infobox MLB retired
name=Tom Brunansky
position=Outfielder
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1960|8|20
Covina, California
debutdate=April 9
debutyear=by|1981
debutteam=California Angels
finaldate=August 10
finalyear=by|1994
finalteam=Boston Red Sox
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.245
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=271
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=919
teams=
* California Angels (by|1981)
* Minnesota Twins (by|1982-by|1988)
* St. Louis Cardinals (by|1988-by|1990)
* Boston Red Sox (by|1990-by|1992, by|1994)
* Milwaukee Brewers (by|1993-by|1994)
highlights=
* All-Star selection (1985)
* World Series champion (1987)

Thomas Andrew Brunansky (born August 20, 1960 in Covina, California), nicknamed "Bruno", is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1981 to 1994 for the California Angels, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, and Milwaukee Brewers.

In a 14-season career, he batted .245 with 271 home runs and 919 RBIs in 1800 games. Brunansky averaged 24 home runs per 162 games. He had 69 life-time stolen bases and 306 doubles. He ended with 1543 career hits in 6289 at bats.

On May 11, 1982, he was traded from the California Angels organization with pitcher Mike Walters for pitcher Doug Corbett and infielder Rob Wilfong to the Minnesota Twins. Brunansky is the only Twin in franchise history to hit a grand slam, inside-the-park home run. He accomplished this on July 19th, 1982 in the 3rd inning off the Brewers' Jerry Augustine at the Metrodome. It was his 12th home run of the season. Ironically, all four runs were considered unearned because of two Brewers' fielding errors earlier in the inning. Only 40 major league players have hit a grand slam, inside-the-park home run since 1950.

He was an All-Star in 1985 and was a starter for the World Champion 1987 Minnesota Twins. Just months after playing each other in the World Series, Tom Brunansky was traded in 1988 from the Minnesota Twins to the St. Louis Cardinals for second baseman Tom Herr.

In by|1990, he was traded by the Cardinals to the Red Sox for closer Lee Smith. Brunansky played three seasons for the Red Sox, and is best remembered by Boston fans for his diving catch of an Ozzie Guillén line drive in the ninth inning of the season ending game that preserved the Red Sox victory sending them to the playoffs in 1990.

At the end of the by|1992 season, he became a free agent and signed with the Milwaukee Brewers in January of by|1993. Brunansky struggled with the Brewers, batting just .183 with six home runs over 80 games that season. He played only 16 games the following season before being traded back to the Red Sox on June 16, by|1994 for Dave Valle. He put up decent power numbers in Boston, hitting 10 doubles and 10 home runs in 48 games, but otherwise continued to struggle, ultimately retiring in August.

Currently, Brunansky coaches high school baseball in Poway, California. [http://www.grandforksherald.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D8R2BTDO1]

ee also

* Top 500 home run hitters of all time
* Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game

External links

*
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/brunato01.shtml MLB.com] historical statistics
* [http://www.sonsofsamhorn.net/wiki/index.php/Tom_Brunansky Sons Of Sam Horn: Tom Brunansky]