Brandon Allen Claussen...lives in Tampa with wife, Kelli...graduated in 1999 from Howard (Texas) Junior College...is a '97 graduate of Goddard High in Roswell, N.M.
2006
Struggled with injuries and won only 3 games in final season with CIN...didn't pitch after June 16 due to a left shoulder
injury...went 3-8 with a 6.19 in 14 starts before being placed on the 15-Day DL on June 17 with rotator cuff tendinitis
in his left shoulder...from June 9-August 5, went 0-2 with a 8.34 in 5 rehabilitation starts with Triple-A Louisville...was transferred to the 60-day DL on August 9, when CIN acquired OF Todd Hollandsworth...on August 14 had
season-ending arthroscopic surgery to debride the left shoulder to repair a small tear in the rotator cuff (Dr. Timothy
Kremchek)...in 14 starts, CIN went 5-9...in 5 of his 14 starts, CIN plated one run or less...posted 4 quality starts...made
final start with CIN on June 16 vs. CWS, took the loss, allowing 9 earned runs in 2.0-plus innings...was designated
for assignment on December 12 and was non-tendered the next day...on April 28 vs. HOU, produced 2nd career RBI
and first RBI as CIN batter, a run-scoring groundout off Oswalt...in the fourth inning of an 11-0 loss at MIL on April
22, allowed 4 home runs, tying a MLB single-inning record shared by many pitchers...Chris Hammond also allowed a
homer that inning, and the 5 homers allowed tied a Major League single-inning team record.
2005
Established career highs in every statistical category...with 10 victories and 14 quality starts ranked second on the staff in both categories to Aaron Harang (11w, 19qs)...in his 12 starts prior to the season finale - in which he allowed 11 hits and 6er in 5ip in a 7-5 loss at StL - he went 6-2, 2.92 with 8 quality starts...his 5-game winning streak from 7/28-8/25 (6gs, 5-0, 2.77) was the first of his career and the longest by a Reds pitcher in 2005...in addition to his 14 quality starts, on 3 other occasions came within an out of a quality start and once fell short in his bid for a QS when he was charged with runs allowed by a reliever...in 21 of his 29 starts allowed 3 earned runs or fewer...in his 29 starts the Reds went 15-14 and scored 151 runs (5.2 r/g)...was the only Reds pitcher for whom the team had a winning record in his starts...was the last player in the Major Leagues, of those who began the season on an Opening Day roster, to appear in a game...the Reds had 3 off days the first 11 days of the season...made his season debut in a 7-1 loss vs the Cubs on 4/19...on 5/10 vs SD was hit on the left triceps muscle by a Carlos Hernandez line drive but suffered an injury to his left ankle when he fell off the mound...suffered no injury to his arm but because of the ankle injury missed starts on 5/15 at Phi and 5/21 vs Cle...in his 9-4 loss on 7/18 vs the Cubs tied the club single game record by allowing 5 homers (Todd Walker 2, Derrek Lee 2, Aramis Ramirez 1)...became the first Reds pitcher to allow 5 homers in a game since RHP Chris Reitsma did it on 8/31/02 vs Mil and the first Reds lefthander to do it since Harry Perkowski on 4/29/54 vs Brooklyn at Crosley Field...in the 10-1 victory vs Bal on 6/11 threw a career-high 8.0 innings...in the season finale on 10/2 at StL started the final regular-season game at Busch Stadium and suffered the 7-5 loss...started the last game of the season for the second year in a row.
2004
Among National League rookie pitchers ranked T2nd in starts (14) and ninth in innings pitched
(66.0)...began the season at Class AAA Louisville, where he went 8-6, 4.66 in 18 starts...was recalled prior to his start
on 7/20 vs Mil...took the roster spot of disabled 3B Brandon Larson...filled the spot in the rotation vacated by LHP Jesus
Sanchez, who was designated for assignment...in Claussen's 14 starts the Reds went 2-12 and scored 49 runs (3.5 r/
g)...made 4 quality starts (6ip, 3er)...lost his last 4 starts and his last 5 decisions...when his promotion was announced
led the International League in strikeouts (111), was tied for the IL lead in walks allowed (47) and ranked T4th in
victories (8) while leading the Bats' pitching staff in wins and walks...despite his July promotion finished the season
as Louisville's leader in strikeouts...in his last 7 starts for the Bats went 5-2, 2.68, including 2-1, 1.45 in his last 3
starts...in his Reds debut on 7/20 vs Mil threw a season-high 7.0 innings to earn the 6-2 victory (5h, 2er, 2bb, 4k, Hall
2-run HR)...as a batter had a pair of hits, a single off Sean Burnett on 7/25 at Pit and a single off Oliver Perez on 10/
3 vs Pit...in the 10-5 Bats victory on 6/14 vs Scranton/Wilkes-Barre didn't allow a hit...left that start after 7.0 innings
because of pitch count restrictions...his 12 strikeouts on 7/7 vs Ottawa were the most by a Bats pitcher in a game all
season...his 3-game winning streak from 6/9-6/20 was the longest by a Louisville pitcher all season...during spring
training for the Reds went 0-2, 5.79 in 3 starts and 2 relief apps...in his 3 exhibition starts went 0-2, 5.40...was optioned
to Louisville on 3/28 as one of the last roster moves of camp.
2003
Combined to go 4-1, 2.48 in 15 starts between the Yankees' Class A affiliate in Tampa and their
Class AAA team in Columbus before he was acquired by the Reds on 7/31...made 1 start with the Yankees, on 6/28
at Mets earned the 9-8 victory in his only Major League appearance (6.1ip, 8h, 2r, 1er, 1bb, 5k, 1hr)...was the nightcap
of an unusual day/night, Yankee Stadium/Shea Stadium doubleheader...took a shutout into the sixth inning before
the Mets produced an unearned run...in the seventh allowed a solo HR to Roger Cedeno, his final batter...struck out
his first batter (Cedeno)...as a hitter in that game went 1-for-4 with an RBI-single off Dan Wheeler...made 3 starts for
the Redsb Class AAA affiliate in Louisville before he was shut down for the season as a precautionary measure...when
his season ended was only 14 months removed from Tommy John surgery on his left elbow (June 2002).
Career highlights: Enters the 2004 season as the organization's top pitcher as rated by USA Today Sports
Weekly and the organization's No. 3 prospect overall as rated by Baseball America...in June 2002 had left elbow
surgery...in 2001 was a Baseball America All-Star after leading all minor league pitchers with 220 strikeouts
(187ip)...in 2000 was a mid-season South Atlantic League All-Star.
2002
Was limited to 15 starts with Triple-A Columbus before being placed on the disabled list on 6/18 with a
left elbow strain and undergoing Tommy John ligament transplant surgery...was 2-8 with a 3.28 ERA with the Clippers,
allowing just 4 HR in 93.1 IP...limited left-handed batters to a .176 average...pitched in the Clippers' season-opener,
allowing one unearned run in 6.0 innings but receiving a no-decision...was 1-2 in five April starts despite allowing 6ER
in 30.2 IP (1.76 ERA)...struck out a season-high nine batters on 6/1 vs. Buffalo...was ranked as the #3 prospect in the
Yankee Organization by
Baseball America.
2001
Split time between Class-A Tampa and Double-A Norwich, combining to go 14-4 with a 2.31 ERA in 29 games started...was named to the 2001 Baseball America Minor-League All-Star Team...was also rated the third best prospect in the Yankee organization and the fifth best left-handed minor-league pitching prospect by Baseball America...had the best ERA in the Yankees' system (2.31) and was tied for second with his 14 wins...he led all minor-league pitchers with 220 strikeouts and was tied for fifth with 187.0 IP...began the season with Tampa, going 5-2 with a 2.73 ERA in eight starts...was transferred to Norwich on 5/19 and concluded the season there, going 9-2 with a 2.13 ERA in 21 starts...led Norwich in winning percentage (.818), ERA, and strikeouts (151)...was tied for second in the Eastern League in K's and third in ERA...had contract purchased on 11/19 and was added to the Yankees' 40-man roster.
2000
Began the season with Greensboro, going 8-5 with a 4.05 ERA in 17 starts, striking out 98 in 97.2 IP with the Bats...was named to the South Atlantic League Mid-Season All-Star Team...was transferred to Tampa on 7/16, going 2-5 witha 3.10 ERA in nine starts.
1999
Pitched for three minor-league teams in his first professional season, going 6-6 with a 3.83 ERA in 15 games started...for the year, allowed only 16 BB in 89.1 IP with 110 K...spent majority of the year at Short-A Staten Island, going 6-4 with a 3.38 ERA in 12 starts while recording 89 K in 72.0 IP, averaging 11.34 K per 9.0 IP.
