Jun 1968; Unknown location, USA; FILE PHOTO; Washington Senators outfielder Brant Alyea at bat during the 1968 season. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Brant Alyea, a former outfielder in the major leagues, passed away on February 4, according to an obituary from a funeral home in Philadelphia.
He was 83 years old at the time of his passing. Born and raised in New Jersey, Alyea’s baseball journey began at Hofstra University.
His professional career kicked off when he signed with the Reds in 1962.
Journey to the Major Leagues
The Washington Senators drafted Alyea after he spent a year in the Cincinnati farm system.
This was during the initial years of the draft when teams could pick a player who had spent a year in another MLB organization’s farm system.
Alyea spent the 1964 season in the minors before making his debut with Washington on September 12, 1965.
Major League Debut and Early Career
In his first career at-bat, Alyea hit a three-run homer off Rudy May while pinch-hitting for Don Blasingame with two runners on base.
He hit two homers in eight games as a rookie and then spent the next two years in the minors.
Alyea made his return to the major leagues in 1968, where he demonstrated above-average power numbers in limited playing time over the next few seasons.
Trade to the Twins and Career Peak
Alyea played for the Senators until 1969. He was then traded to the Twins for reliever Joe Grzenda during the 1969-70 offseason.
Standing at 6’3″, Alyea had a career-best season in 1970 with the Twins, hitting 16 homers and posting an impressive .291/.366/.531 line over 290 plate appearances.
However, his performance dipped the following season.
Later Career and Retirement
The A’s picked Alyea in the Rule 5 draft ahead of the 1972 season.
He was traded to the Cardinals in May, but was reacquired by Oakland two months later.
This proved to be a fortunate turn of events for Alyea, as the A’s went on to win the World Series.
Alyea didn’t play in the majors after that, retiring after a 1973 season in Triple-A with the Red Sox.
He concluded his MLB career with a .247/.326/.421 slash line over six seasons, hitting 38 homers and driving in 148 runs in just under 1000 plate appearances.
Condolences from TheForkball
The passing away of Brant Alyea has left a void in the hearts of many baseball fans who admired his power and passion for the game.
Theforkball sends our condolences to Alyea’s family, friends and loved ones. He was a great player and a great person who inspired many with his passion and talent.
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