Player Profile: Brian Bannister

I have three cards of Brian Bannister. This one is from 2007 Topps.

Playing career: A self-described “prototype #4 starter,” Brian Bannister had an excellent rookie season for the Royals in 2007, going 12-9 with a 3.87 ERA. Unfortunately, he followed that up with three seasons of sub-.500 records and high ERAs, and retired before the 2011 season.

Where he is now: He is an avid interest in photography, and owns Loft 19 Studios in Phoenix.

My memories: I remember him with the Mets; was surprised to see he only pitched six games for them. I thought he was there for a couple of seasons. I also remember how he was considered to be one of the smarter players in the game, one who paid attention to his own statistics.

Interesting facts: Son of former major league pitcher Floyd Bannister.

Google Autocomplete results: He is first when you type Brian Ban, ahead of Brian Banks NFL, referring to the football player. Another prominent Brian Bannister is an anesthesiologist in Syracuse, NY.

Coming up next: The next profile will be Floyd Bannister.