Mickey Brantley

Michael Charles Brantley (born June 17, 1961) is a former Major League Baseball player. He was the hitting coach for the Toronto Blue Jays from early 2005 to September 2007.

Brantley grew up in Catskill, New York, and attended Catskill High School. He went on to attend Columbia-Greene Community College, starred in soccer, basketball, and baseball, and still holds several school records. After one year at CGCC, he starred at Coastal Carolina University, and after his senior season, in 1983, was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the second round (#30 overall). After 3+ successful years in the minors, he made his big league debut with the Seattle Mariners in 1986.

Brantley played outfield and designated hitter during parts of four seasons, 1986–1989, all for the Seattle Mariners. As a rookie in 1987, he led the Mariner regulars in hitting with a .302 average, and also had 14 home runs and 54 RBI in 106 games. His only full season as a regular came in 1988 when he hit .263 with 15 HR and 56 RBI in 149 games.

He spent the 1990-1993 seasons with several teams in the minor leagues, finally finishing his playing career with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan.

Between 1994 and 2004, Brantley was a coach and manager in the minor leagues for the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets organizations.

Prior to the 2005 season Brantley was named as the first base coach for the Toronto Blue Jays. After Mike Barnett was dismissed three weeks into the season, Brantley replaced him as the hitting coach. Brantley was fired near the end of the 2007 season, as the Jays' offense that year was less productive than expected.

Brantley's son, Michael Brantley, plays for the Cleveland Indians as an outfielder. His nephew Justin is currently a pitcher in the Indians organization.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Retrosheet
• Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
• Toronto Blue Jays Hitting Coach