George Brunet—All-Time Minor-League Strikeout King, an enigma and more (Part III)

George Brunet was in great shape when he joined the 1965 California Angels for spring training in Palm Springs. California per his SABR bio by Andrew Sharp—about 30 pounds lighter than at the end of the 1964 AL season. https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/george-brunet/  Part II covered Brunet’s pitching for the 1964-65 Santurce Crabbers, October 1964 through January 1965. His SABR bio did not mention his 118 regular season innings for 1964-65 Santurce; his Puerto Rico post-season; or Puerto Rico Winter League (PRWL) All-Star Game start, North American squad.

Brunet, in the author’s opinion, was a “changed pitcher” after helping Santurce (41-28) win the 1964-65 pennant, and pitching quality starts against teams with many MLB-caliber hitters. Table I includes his 1965-to-1969 California Angels stats, prior to his July 31, 1969 trade to the Seattle Pilots. Brunet is one of 15 Angels with 1,000 innings pitched (IP) as a member of the Halos.

Table I: Brunet’s 1965-69 Pitching Summary for the California Angels

Season	G-GS-CG-SHO	W-L	IP	H	ER	K	BB	ERA	WHIP
1965	41-26-8-3	9-11	197	149	56	141	69	2.56	1.107
1966	41-32-8-2	13-13	212	183	78	148	106	3.31	1.363
1967	40-37-7-2	11-19	250	203	92	165	90	3.31	1.172
1968	39-36-8-5	13-17	245.1	191	78	132	68	2.86	1.056
1969	23-19-2-2	6-7	100.2	98	43	56	39	3.84	1.361
Totals	184-150-33-14	52-67	1,005	824	347	642	372	3.11	1.190

Source: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brunege01.shtml

The hard-luck Brunet led the AL in losses, 1967 and 1968, but helped Boston clinch the 1967 AL pennant when he pitched superbly, in relief, versus Detroit, last weekend, 1967 season. The one-run losses added up with the Angels—Bill Rigney, their manager, told Brunet: “I owe you a game,” every time he removed him, per Steve Wulf’s vivid August 18, 1980 Sports Illustrated article. https://vault.si.com/vault/1980/08/18/bisbol-is-in-his-blood Brunet had words for Rigney in the dugout…and Rigney fined him $700. Then, Brunet tore the clubhouse apart. Per Brunet: “The next day I came in and wrote out a check for $700 to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Fund.”

Earlier in his career, Brunet pitched for the 1960 Milwaukee Braves, after pitching for the 1959-60 Caguas Criollos, in Puerto Rico. Hank Aaron and Bob Buhl were 1960 Braves teammates who had played for the 1953-54 champion Criollos in Puerto Rico’s Winter League (PRWL). Juan “Terín” Pizarro, Brunet’s Caguas 1960 Caribbean Series teammate, in Panamá, was another 1960 Braves teammate. In Milwaukee, Brunet looked up to Buhl. According to Wulf, Milwaukee manager Charlie Dressen once got up in front of the team bus and said: “Anybody not in their room by midnight will be fined $500.” Brunet recalled that Buhl marched “right up to Dressen; peeled $500 off his bankroll; handed it to Dressen; and walked off the bus.”  Brunet noted:” Now that’s class.”

1969 Seattle Pilots as Jim Bouton’s Teammate

Ball Four, written by Jim Bouton, was one of the all-time funniest and most realistic baseball books. In https://www.mlb.com/news/george-brunet-is-the-most-interesting-pitcher-you-never-knew,  Mike Petriello chronicled Brunet’s interesting career and life, in his December 31, 2020, blog. Petriello quoted Brunet—who pitched without undershorts and a jock strap—from Ball Four: “No, I never wear undershorts,” noted Brunet. “Hell, the only time you need them is if you get in a car wreck. Besides, this way I don’t have to worry about them.” He later [1980] told Wulf: “ I just always felt more comfortable that way. Of course, getting out of the way of ground balls up the middle has cost me a few singles over the years.”

Facing Ted Williams in 1956; pitching for him with 1970 Washington Senators

Ted Williams liked  Brunet’s demeanor and honesty. On September 18, 1956, Williams—a 38-year old hitting machine with the Boston Red Sox—was 3-for-3 with a HR and an RBI, when he faced 22-year old Brunet, top of the 8^th, at Kansas City’s Municipal Stadium. A’s manager Lou Boudreau replaced RHP Art Ditmar, with Brunet, who got ahead of “The Splendid Splinter,” 0-2, before inducing him to hit into a 4-6 force play, scoring a run. Kansas City won, 6-5, on a walk-off HR by Lou Skizas. https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1956/B09180KC11956.html Coincidentally, Puerto Rico native Vic Power (Víctor Pellot) and Panamanian Héctor López were  Brunet’s A’s teammates. (Brunet joined López’s 1956-57 Cerveza Balboa Brewers, per Part I; and, pitched for Power, Caguas player-manager, 1959-60 and 1960-61, per Part II.)

Brunet was 8-6 for Washington, until they traded him to Pittsburgh, late in the season. The 1970 Senators finished 70-92 and just had three hurlers with winning records: Brunet, Dick Bosman (16-12) and Horacio Pina (5-3). Pittsburgh, however, won the NL East, but Brunet was ineligible to pitch versus Cincinnati, 1970 NLCS. Brunet never pitched in an MLB post-season game, unlike his prior winter ball experience in Panamá and Puerto Rico; and later Mexico experience.. With 1970 Pittsburgh, Brunet was 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA, fanning 17 and walking nine, in 16.2 IP. He was traded to St. Louis, with Matty Alou, for Nelson Briles and Vic Davalillo, on January 29, 1971. Brunet had faced Matty Alou and Davalillo, when his (Brunet’s) LaGuaira Sharks played the 1962-63 Caracas Lions. Brunet would not pitch in the 1971 World Series. Instead, St. Louis released him, May 10, 1971, after he was 0-1, with a 5.79 ERA.

Record 15 MLB Uniform Numbers in 15 Seasons

In 15 big-league seasons, Brunet pitched for nine teams and wore 15 unique uniform numbers, the most in major-league history—tied with reliever Bob Miller, per Table II.

Table II: Most Unique Numbers worn by One Player in MLB History

Player (All Pitchers)	MLB Seasons	Unique MLB Numbers
George Brunet	1956-1971 (15)	15
Bob Miller	1957-1974 (17)	15
Ken Brett	1967-1981 (14)	13
Bobo Newsom	1929-1953 (20)	13
Juan “Terín” Pizarro	1957-1974 (18)	13

Source: https://www.mlb.com/news/george-brunet-is-the-most-interesting-pitcher-you-never-knew

Source: https://www.mlb.com/news/george-brunet-is-the-most-interesting-pitcher-you-never-knew

Brunet and Bob Miller each won 69 MLB career games, with Brunet at 69-93, 3.62  ERA; and, Miller, 69-81, 3.37 ERA. As noted in Parts I and II, Brunet and Pizarro were a formidable lefty starting duo for the 1964-65 Santurce Crabbers, in Puerto Rico. Bob Miller also pitched for three World Series Champions: 1963 and 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers, plus 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates. Ken Brett pitched for the 1970-71 San Juan Senators, in Puerto Rico, managed by Roberto Clemente; and was a DH for the 1976-77 Bayamón Cowboys, managed by José A. Pagán.

Hawaii, 1971-72, 1973 Eugene (Oregon) and 1973 Poza Rica Petroleros

Per Petriello, Brunet found time to pitch batting practice for the California Angels, early 1970s, in addition to pitching for the 1971 and 1972 Hawaii Islanders, Pacific Coast League. Bill Adair—who managed the 1960-61 San Juan Senators in Puerto Rico, when Brunet (with Caguas) won Game One of that league’s Final Series—was Hawaii’s 1971 skipper. Then, Rocky Bridges managed him with the 1972 Islanders, when the lefty posted a 14-9 mark. (Bridges also managed the 1968-69 Ponce Lions to a PRWL crown.) The Philadelphia Phillies signed Brunet to a Triple-A contract with the 1973 Eugene Emeralds, where he started his final (U.S.) minor-league games in August 1973. One Eugene teammate was RHP Ed Bauta, five months older than Brunet. Jim Bunning was their manager. Bauta-Brunet became drinking partners, pitching for the 1973 Poza Rica Petroleros, in Brunet’s first Mexican League incursion.

Bauta went 23-5 in 30 starts for the 1973 Petroleros, completing 23, with seven SHO, for the 79-53 club, managed by Moisés Camacho. They were one-half game behind the 79-52 Jalisco Charros, in the South West Standings. (Mexican League, then, had 16 teams in four Divisions.) Brunet, 1-2, with a 1.38 ERA, pitched effectively. Eventual champion Mexico City Diablos

Rojos, behind skipper Wilfredo Calviño, bested Poza Rica, three games-to-one, in the first round, with Bauta’s 1-0 gem (Game One) Poza Rica’s only win. https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/ed-bauta/ “I loved it in Mexico,” said Bauta. “Started out earning $500/month; increased to $1,500 a month in 1973 when I kept winning. Flames from oil fields would bet very hot…kept cool by drinking beer.”

Table III: George Brunet’s Minor-League (U.S.) Record

Season	Team	W-L	G-GS	CG-SHO	IP	H	ER	HR	K	BB	ERA	WHIP
1953	Shelby	1-0	7-2	NA	19	22	17	NA	NA	15	8.05	1.947
1954	Seminole	6-12	33-25	NA	171	198	121	12	NA	132	6.37	1.930
1955	Seminole	8-9	25-20	NA	157	182	80	3	NA	99	4.59	1.790
1955	Hot Springs	3-2	9-	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
1956	Crowley	7-2	11-11	7/3	87	53	21	2	114	44	2.17	1.115
1956	Abilene	2-3	10-	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
1956	Columbia	0-6	10-10	2/0	56	44	24	2	59	53	3.86	1.732
1957	Little Rock	14-15	33-31	13/5	213	162	81	12	235	127	3.42	1.357
1958	Little Rock	6-5	13-13	7/0	97	73	38	6	80	63	3.53	1.402
1958	Buffalo	3-8	22-12	3/0	94	92	54	9	76	48	5.17	1.489
1959	Portland	5-13	28-20	7/2	138	139	58	12	116	41	3.78	1.304
1960	Louisville	4-1	7-5	4/0	46	31	4	1	53	13	0.78	0.957
1961	Vancouver	5-4	20-16	5/1	104	108	44	7	86	67	3.81	1.683
1962	OKC	7-6	20-13	6/1	109	91	39	10	98	59	3.22	1.376
1962	Hawaii	2-3	7-4	1/0	34	23	12	5	35	22	3.18	1;324
1963	OKC	8-3	13-10	7/3	87	69	20	2	96	25	2.07	1.080
1964	OKC	10-6	21-18	7/2	123	112	41	5	121	48	3.00	1.320
1964	Rochester	0-1	3-0	0/0	2	3	2	1	0	2	9.00	2.500
1971	Hawaii	4-4	14/9	4/0	66	67	30	9	54	21	4.50	1.333
1972	Hawaii	14-9	28/28	4/1	169	160	75	19	119	75	3.99	1.391
1973	Eugene	2-1	5/5	1/0	36	37	20	4	21	16	5.00	1.472
Totals	15 seasons	111-113	339/252	78/18	1808	1666	781	121	1692	970	3.89	1.458

Note: Strikeouts/other stats were not available (NA), 1953-56. The 1,692 minor-league strikeouts include 1953-56 composite totals. These, plus 1,483 in Mexican (Summer) League, equal 3,175.

Source: https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=brunet001geo

Table IV: George Brunet’s Mexican League Record (Class Triple-A)

Season	Team	W-L	G-GS	CG/SHO, SAVES	IP	H	ER	HR	K	BB	ERA	WHIP
1973	Poza Rica	1-2	4-4	2/1	26	19	4	1	16	8	1.38	1.038
1974	Poza Rica	13-13	41-23	10/4/7 sv	218.1	199	60	5	166	60	2.47	1.186
1975	Poza Rica	17-9	34-30	15/8	230	190	67	6	147	71	2.62	1.135
1976	Poza Rica	10-12	30-25	13/1	172	193	63	7	132	74	3.30	1.552
1977	Poza Rica	6-5	15-14	8/4	100	77	14	1	62	25	1.26	1.020
1978	Poza Rica	15-14	35-34	17/7	246	228	73	7	208	79	2.67	1.248
1979#	Coatzacolcos-Mexico City	14-17	36-33	15/4	227	221	79	4	165	82	3.13	1.335
1980	Coatzacolcos-	3-3	7-7	5/1	60	37	9	3	39	12	1.35	0.817
1980	Aguila	11-10	24-24	15/8	179	166	52	11	125	56	2.61	1.240
1981	Aguila	13-12	29/29	14/7	216	206	62	4	126	77	2.58	1.310
1982	Aguila	14-9	25/25	6/2	168.2	163	50	5	108	67	2.67	1.364
1983	Aguila	9-12	24/24	14/6	186.1	160	40	5	124	61	1.93	1.186
1984	Saltillo-Monterrey	6-9	21/19	5/2/1 sv	121.2	147	63	11	65	50	4.66	1.619
1985	Mexico City	0-0	2/0		.1	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	0.000
Totals	13 seasons	132-127	327/291	139/55/8	2151.2	2006	636	70	1483	722	2.66	1.268

Note: Summer seasons do not include Brunet’s Mexican Pacific League (MXPL) winter ball stats. Source: Enciclopedia del Béisbol Mexicano. Editor Pedro Treto Cisneros. Undécima Edición, Año 2011.

Brunet fanned 3,175 minor-leaguers in 3,959.2 innings, 1953-1964 and 1971-1985. His minor-league career W-L record was 243-240, a .503 PCT. He is the all-time strikeout king of minor-league baseball, with 3,175, just as Nolan Ryan is MLB’s top career K artist, with 5,714. Part IV will focus on Brunet in the MXPL; his three Caribbean Series, 1976-78; and stellar efforts in the Mexican League, 1974-1985.

Table V: All-Time Leaders, Minor-League Strikeouts

Source: Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball; Third Edition. Edited by Lloyd Johnson and Miles Wolff. Published by Baseball America, Durham, N.C., 2007.

Special thanks and appreciation to Ed Bauta, for insights on Brunet, and, to Jorge Colón Delgado, Official Historian, Puerto Rico Professional Baseball League.