George Brunet

George Stuart Brunet (June 8, 1935 – October 25, 1991) was an American professional baseball pitcher who also went on to a Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame career in Mexico. Brunet pitched for nine different Major League clubs during his career in the U.S.

Brunet was born in Houghton, Michigan, and attended Calumet High School in Calumet, Michigan. He was originally signed by Detroit Tigers scout and former pitcher Schoolboy Rowe in 1952. Brunet pitched three seasons in the Sooner State League before being released. He caught on with the Kansas City Athletics in 1955, and received his first call up to the majors in 1956. Brunet made his major league debut on September 14, 1956, against the Washington Senators, tossing a scoreless inning in a 4–1 loss. His second Major League appearance came against the Boston Red Sox with the bases loaded, and Ted Williams standing in the batter's box. Brunet got Williams to bounce into a double play. Brunet made six appearances (one start) in 1956, recording a 7.00 ERA.

Brunet spent the next three seasons in the minors, making brief call ups in 1957 and 1959. Brunet was 14–15 with a 3.42 ERA and a league-leading 235 strikeouts in 33 games (31 starts) for the Double-A Little Rock Travelers in 1957. At one point, his record stood at 10–3, but over a stretch of over fifty innings in which his team failed to give him a single run of support, his record fell to 10–11.

One of the two games Brunet appeared in during 1959 was against the Chicago White Sox on April 22. He entered in the seventh inning with the bases loaded, and five runs already scored due to poor pitching and even worse fielding (five walks and three errors). Brunet walked the first two batters he faced, hit the next batter, then walked three more before Jim Landis grounded back to the mound. The ChiSox scored eleven runs that inning on just one hit.

Brunet finally made it onto Kansas City's opening day roster in 1960, but was traded to the Milwaukee Braves a month into the season for Bob Giggie.

The Braves originally assigned Brunet to the Louisville Colonels upon acquiring him, but he was quickly called up after going 4–1 with a 0.78 ERA in seven games (five starts). Brunet went 2–0 with a 5.07 ERA in 17 games (six starts) in his first season with the Braves. He again started 1961 in the majors, but was sidelined by an appendectomy after just one appearance. Brunet made four appearances when he returned that June, but was reassigned to the Triple-A Vancouver Mounties by the end of the month, and remained there for the rest of the season. On May 16, 1962, he was traded to the Houston Colt .45's for minor league pitcher Ben Johnson.

Brunet was terrible in his first two starts with Houston. He lasted a total of one inning, and was charged with six earned runs. He settled in for his next start, pitching a complete game against the Chicago Cubs in which he gave up just one unearned run. Brunet ended the season with a record of 2–4 and a 4.50 ERA in 17 games (11 starts).

The 1963 Baltimore Orioles were in the American League pennant race, but following Dean Stone's retirement, they had only one left hander in their bullpen, Pete Burnside. The team purchased Brunet's contract from Houston on July 14, 1963, and in his third appearance with the Orioles on July 18, he earned his first career save.