Bryan LaHair

Bryan LaHair
LaHair with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Free agent
First baseman / Right fielder
Born: (1982-11-05) November 5, 1982 Worcester, Massachusetts
Bats: Left Throws: Right
Professional debut
July 18, 2008, for the Seattle Mariners
NPB: March 29, 2013, for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
MLB statistics (through 2012)
Batting average	.260
Hits	139
Home runs	21
Runs batted in	56
NPB statistics (through 2013)
Batting average	.230
Hits	80
Home runs	16
Runs batted in	57
Teams
Seattle Mariners (2008) Chicago Cubs (2011–2012) Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2013)
Career highlights and awards
All-Star (2012)

Bryan Allan LaHair (born November 5, 1982) is an American professional baseball first baseman who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

Professional career

Seattle Mariners

LaHair playing for the Seattle Mariners in 2008

LaHair was selected by the Mariners in the 39th round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Saint Petersburg College.

LaHair spent the 2005 season with the Inland Empire 66ers, the Mariners' Single-A affiliate at the time, where he hit .310 with 22 home runs and 113 RBI, earning a spot in the California/Carolina League All-Star Game.

For 2006, LaHair was promoted to the Double-A San Antonio Missions and later to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers. In November 2006, he was placed on the Mariners' 40-man roster.

After playing the entire 2007 season in Triple-A, batting .275 with 12 home runs, LaHair started the 2008 season with the Rainiers. In July 2008, he was called up to the Mariners shortly after the release of first baseman Richie Sexson. The Mariners had called up infielder Tug Hulett directly following Sexson's departure, but sent him back down to make room for LaHair a week later. He made his Major League debut on July 18, 2008, as a pinch hitter, grounding into a double play. His first Major League Baseball hit was a line drive single to right field against the Boston Red Sox.

Chicago Cubs

On January 9, 2010, LaHair signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs with an invite to spring training.

With the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, LaHair won the Pacific Coast League Most Valuable Player Award and Joe Bauman Home Run Award in 2011. He was named the designated hitter on Baseball America's 2011 Minor League All Star team.

He earned a promotion to the Cubs major-league roster in September 2011, and in his debut for the team on September 4, recorded his first Cubs hit, a single off the Pittsburgh Pirates' Charlie Morton.

Prior to the 2012 season, Cubs manager Dale Sveum released a statement saying that Anthony Rizzo will start the season in Triple-A Iowa, making LaHair the everyday first baseman. Following Rizzo's callup to the majors, LaHair was moved to right field. On July 1, 2012, Lahair was named to the NL All Star team as a reserve at first base.

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (Japan's Pacific League)

On November 22, 2012, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks said that they signed LaHair to a two-year, $4.5 million contract. LaHair can opt out of the deal after 2013, and the deal is worth $5.2 million when the signing bonus and buyout are added. The deal has $2 million in incentives each year, and the Cubs received $950,000 in the deal.

Cleveland Indians

He signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians on February 5, 2014.

Boston Red Sox

In 2015, LaHair signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox. He was released on April 4.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)