Curve Billed Thrasher

Brian Edward Bohanon (born August 1, 1968) is an American former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for five teams in a span of seven seasons from 1990 through 2001.

Bohanon played baseball at North Shore High School in Texas. As a senior, he pitched 135.2 innings, won 17 games and had an earned run average of 1.72 en route to the state finals.^[1][2] He pitched three no-hitters in high school and was twice named the Houston Player of the Year.^[2][3] He was selected by the Texas Rangers with the 19th pick of the 1987 MLB Draft and received a $137,000 signing bonus.^[4]

He was assigned to the Gulf Coast League to begin his career.^[5] Prior to the 1990 season, Baseball America ranked him the 45th-best prospect in baseball and the fifth-best in the Rangers' system.^[5][6] Bohanon made his Major League debut with the Rangers on April 10, 1990, pitching a scoreless inning in relief of Charlie Hough at the SkyDome.^[5][7] He recorded his first Major League strikeout on April 25 of that season against Robin Ventura and made his first start five days later in Chicago against the White Sox.^[8][9]

Bohanon spent parts of his first five seasons with the Rangers, often being called up as an injury replacement. His fastball rarely exceeded 85 miles per hour (137 km/h).^[3] Bohanon spent 1995 with the Detroit Tigers and 1996 with the Toronto Blue Jays. In 20 appearances for the Blue Jays, he worked exclusively out of the bullpen.^[10]

Bohanon's best seasons came in 1997 and 1998 with the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers. Bohanon enjoyed what he called a breakthrough season in 1997 with the Mets before being traded to Los Angeles for Greg McMichael during the 1998 campaign, where he also pitched well.^[3][10][11]

Before the 1998 season, Bohanon signed with the Colorado Rockies for three years and $9 million despite having what Tom Verducci described in a Sports Illustrated article as "ordinary credentials."^[12] Bohanon was a regular with the Rockies for over two seasons and accumulated far more starts and innings pitched with the Rockies than with any other club.^[10] Following the 2000 season, he underwent surgery on his elbow.^[13] In August 2001, he underwent surgery on bone spurs in his pitching elbow.^[14] He would go on to appear with the Louisville Bats in 2002 but would not appear in another Major League game.^[5]

Bohanon posted a 54–60 record with 671 strikeouts and a 5.19 ERA. In 231 career at-bats, he hit .229 with three home runs.^[10]

Bohanon and his wife, Tina, had multiple children.^[3] Their son Brandon played college baseball at the University of Houston-Victoria for coach Terry Puhl.^[15]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet, or Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Winter League)^{[permanent dead link]}