Miami Marlins pitcher Brian Moran’s journey to the MLB was long and grueling. After making his debut on Thursday, Moran made history when he struck out his younger brother.
September baseball produces excitement, as teams battle it out for playoff spots in the final month of the season. This year, the Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates are not two of those teams.
However, September baseball also means the rosters expand to 40 players. This gives young players a chance to prove themselves on the major league level, especially for teams experiencing rebuilds, like the Miami Marlins and Pirates.
But the September call-up was a little more special for Brian Moran. The 30-year-old has spent his 10-year career playing through all levels of the minors, and even independent leagues. In 2014, he underwent Tommy John surgery.
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It was a long and difficult road for Moran. But when he was set for his debut, there was a familiar face in the opposing dugout.
It was his younger brother, Colin Moran, the starting third baseman for the Pirates. Colin’s path to the majors was a bit smoother than Brian’s. He was taken sixth overall in the 2013 MLB draft by the Marlins. After being traded to the Astros, Colin made his MLB debut in 2016 at 23 years old. Since then, he has been traded to Pirates, where he has become a formidable starting infielder.
Millions of brothers have envisioned themselves facing off on the major league stage while playing in their backyard. It’s a dream that not many in history have achieved. However, it happened on Thursday.
Brian and Colin faced off in the 4th inning. This was the first time a player faced his brother in a pitcher-vs.-batter situation since 1900, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Not only was this special for the brothers, but it was historic.
What was the outcome of the at-bat? Of course, Brian struck out his younger brother on a 3-2 slider.
For Brain Moran, the grueling path to the major leagues was rewarded with a storybook ending. Not only did he strike out his brother, but he also tossed a scoreless inning and earned the victory.
Colin will probably end up with the better MLB career, but Brian will always have bragging rights.
The older brothers always win.