Texas Tech University Athletics
Dallas Braden Gets Opening Day Start For Oakland
April 06, 2009 | Baseball
April 6, 2009
LUBBOCK, Texas - Former Red Raider and current Oakland Athletics pitcher, Dallas Braden, will make his first career Opening Day start Monday night when the A's face defending American League West Champions, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, at 8:05 p.m. CT.
A 24th-round pick in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, Braden made 19 appearances for the A's in 2008, including 10 starts, while going 5-4 with a 4.14 ERA. Already in the starting rotation at the beginning of Spring Training, Braden was named the Opening Day starter after a strong performance in the Cactus League where he went 1-0 with a 5.04 ERA in five appearances.
Braden has been one of the A's top prospects since his arrival as he was the organization's Pitcher of the Year in 2005. After bouncing around the minors for several years, Braden made his Major League debut in 2007 as a reliever.
Despite numerous call-ups over the past two years, Braden seems to have found himself at home in the A's starting rotation, earning the praise of Oakland skipper Bob Geren throughout Spring Training. In his two years with the organization, Braden is 6-12 with a 5.44 ERA, but posted a 3.97 ERA over his final 10 appearances last season, all starts.
In his five appearances against Los Angeles last season, Braden went 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA.
During his one season with the Red Raiders in 2004, Braden was an Honorable Mention All-Big 12 selection after posting a 6-4 record and 4.56 ERA, while leading the team in total innings pitched. Braden's 2004 squad was the final Tech team to earn a bid into the NCAA Tournament, losing in the championship game of the Georgia Tech Regional. Braden previously played two seasons for American River College before transferring to Texas Tech.
