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PERSONAL:
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- Boehringer started playing baseball when he was four years old, with his Dad. "I was 10 when I first played in organized baseball," Brian says.
- His favorite team as a kid: the St. Louis Cardinals. George Brett was his favorite player.
- Brian's first job: "I was a cook in an ice cream parlor. I know that doesn't make much sense. It was a restaurant/ice cream parlor. Burgers, sandwiches, Italian. The minimum wage back then was $3.35 an hour."
Boehringer says he liked all of the jobs he ever had. His childhood ambition was to be a mailman. "I actually took the test to be a mailman -- it was a civil service test. But I ended up getting a baseball scholarship."
- It took pro baseball awhile to discover Brian. While the fireballer was mowing opposing batters down for Northwest High School in House Springs, a small town near Fenton, Missouri, he was never looked at by any scouts -- collegiate or pro. So, Boehringer headed for Meramec Community College in St. Louis.
"My high school was kind of away from everything, so no one came to scout me," he said. "Meramec was the only place to offer me a scholarship."
After his two-year stint at Meramec, Brian left his hometown of Fenton (pop. 2,500) for the bright lights of Las Vegas. "I was lucky that two other guys from my community college (Ed Bierman and Bill Dieckman) went out there with me," Brian said. The three of them went ot a lot of UNLV Runnin' Rebel basketball games. "It was back when they had won the national championship. I went to every home game I could. Me, Ed, and Bill had season tickets, but we couldn't always go because of baseball season."
- Boehringer pitched two solid seasons for UNLV while he worked on his undergraduate degree in finance.
- Brian is a big pro wrestling fan. "Ric Flair is my idol," Boehringer says.
In 1993, when the Sarasota White Sox went on bus trips across the state of Florida, players took turns bringing movies. Brian brought videos of the WWF's Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania 8 on one of the trips. "I forced the guys to watch the matches," Brian said. "It's good entertainment."
With the Yankees, Brian kept a T-shirt in his locker depicting "The Four Horsemen," a legendary quartet of the ring. Even more prominently displayed is a banner featuring Ric Flair. "I love Flair," Boehringer said. "He always says, 'You don't like it, learn to love it.' Those are words to live by. Plus, the figure-four leglock was the perfect move."
- Brian also likes to play golf and collect baseball cards in his spare time.
THE QUIET MAN
- Brian is a quiet guy who keeps to himself. He's not very vocal, but lets his actions on the field speak for himself. He can be found most days reading nonfiction or the news section of the paper, in the clubhouse or on the team charter. "If I don't have anything to say, I just keep my mouth shut," he says.
Pirates bullpen coach Bruce Tanner said Boehringer will never be chatty enough to get a sunburned tongue. "I've heard him say two words down here -- yes and no," Tanner said. "I ask him how his arm feels, and he nods it's OK. I ask him if he needs a towel or some water, and he shakes his head no. All he does is pitch."
- Boehringer abhors publicity. "He portrays himself as a bit of a throwback," former teammate Trevor Hoffman said. "In a sense he's a bit of a purist. He just cares about playing the game. Heck, we even have trouble getting him to talk about the game."
- Brian says if he couldn't be a ballplayer he'd be a carpenter.
- His favorite movie: Caddyshack; favorite musical group: Van Halen; album: Beastie Boys "Licensed to Ill."
- Boehringer llikes Outback Steakhouse, but for fast-food, prefers White Castle.
- His first car was a 1970 forest green Ford Custom.
- He has had several cats and liked all of them.
- Boehringer says Terry Francona was the best minor league manager he ever played for.
- The biggest inluence on his career so far has been either Jon Matlack or Oscar Acosta, pitching coaches.
- Brian says his best friend in baseball is Steve Olson, a one-time pitcher in the Royals' organization.
- Boehringer says the funniest players he's played with are Mike Aldrete and Jeff Nelson.
- Brian swings a Jackie Robinson model bat (but not very well). He first saw the thick-handled bat at a garage sale several years ago and purchased the three available. No bat manufacturer would make him a copy until the Padres reached the playoffs in 1998, when 18 more were produced.
But Boehringer was 0-for-21 lifetime until getting his first Major League hit August 8, 1999, a single.
TRANSACTION REPORT
- March 1994: The Yankees dealt P Paul Assenmacher to the White Sox to acquire Boehringer. "I was shocked," Brian said of the deal. "But I'm sure everyone's shocked when they're traded."
- November 1997: Boehringer was the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 15th pick in the Expansion Draft. But within an hour of the draft, Tampa Bay sent Brian and SS Andy Sheets to the Padres to acquire C John Flaherty.
- December 2000: He signed with the Yankees organization.
- July 2001: The Giants sent C Bobby Estalella and P Joe Smith to the Yankees to acquire Boehringer.
- December 2001: The Giants didn't offer Brian arbitration, making him a free agent.
- January 2002: Boehringer signed with the Pirates' organization.
- December 12, 2002: Brian signed a two-year, $3.8 million contract with the Pirates.
- November 5, 2004: The Pirates declined to pick up Boehringer's $3 million contract option for 2005, instead paying him a $300,000 buyout.
- Brian is known as "Dahmer" in the Pirate bullpen.
- Boehringer and Jack Wilson got into a little "tiff" during a game on May 24, 2002. Boehringer had shouted something at Wilson after the shortstop didn't catch Miguel Cairo's smash through the middle for a single with one out. Boehringer left the game two batters later and said something to Manager Lloyd McClendon as he walked off the mound.
After the inning ended, Boehringer had to be held back from Wilson in the dugout as he continued to vent his anger. Craig Wilson and coach Trent Jewett stood between Jack Wilson and Boehringer. McClendon escorted Boehringer down the dugout steps when the pitcher departed for the clubhouse.
Boehringer might have been upset that Wilson didn't at least knock down Cairo's smash. Or he might have been miffed that Wilson wasn't playing Cairo in the right position. Boehringer didn't want to discuss the matter. And Wilson tried not to. "It was just something between us that we'd discussed earlier," Wilson said. "It's resolved. That's the good part, and we'll move on. I can't talk about this."
- Boehringer would rather read than talk -- especially about himself.
- February 26, 2006: Boehringer signed a Minor League contract with the Cubs, with an invitation to spring training. Brian is one of Dusty Baker's favorites.
"He's the only player I've ever had who checks books out of my library in my office," Baker said. "This guy can read a book in about 15 minutes, I think. He checks them out. He takes the jacket off, leaves the jacket, then puts it back on when he comes back."
"I think that's greatly exaggerated," Boehringer said of the ability to finish a book in 15 minutes. "Dusty has some great books I've never seen before."
Baker has even assigned books to players, things like "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" and "Tuesdays with Morrie."
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PITCHING:
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- Brian has a 92-95 mph FASTBALL with decent movement, and his hard SLIDER is a second plus pitch. He endeavors to get hitters to chase that slider out of the strike zone. He has a CHANGEUP, but it is mostly for show.
- He is very aggressive and has the makeup to be a closer. But he is ideal as a seventh-inning pitcher. He throws strikes, so the hitter has to earn his way on base.
- To remain a starting pitcher, Boehringer needed to develop a CHANGEUP. Now, he pitches both out of the pen and starts some.
- He sometimes loses the movement on his fastball, perhaps because he tries to overthrow it.
- Striking out opposing hitters is not on the top of Boehringer's mind when he is on the mound. "I go out there and try to make them hit the ball on the ground," Brian says. He challenges hitters.
- Boehringer works too high in the strike zone at times. So he can give up a lot of home runs. But he attacks hitters, keeps the game moving and usually could deliver six or even seven good innings when used as a starting pitcher.
He also is very good, maybe even better, coming out of the bullpen in a righthanded setup role. That is the way the Pirates used him in 2002 -- his best Major League season so far.
- In 2003, Boehringer's numbers took a tumble, but he still held lefthanded batters to a meager .193 average and 3 home runs in 25 innings. Righthanded batters hit .309 with 8 home runs in 38 innings.
- In 2004, Brian only pitched 25 total innings, allowing a .293 average and 2 home runs.
- Entering the 2005 season, Brian had a career record of 26-32 with a 4.36 ERA. He had allowed lefthanded hitters a .250 average with 20 home runs in 208 innings. Righthanded batters had a .262 mark with 44 home runs in 326 innings.
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