Eric Kevin Bruntlett (born March 29, 1978) is a former American professional baseball player. He was a utility player who played seven seasons from 2003 to 2009 in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies.
Born in Lafayette, Indiana, Bruntlett was a shortstop and second baseman for William Henry Harrison High School, where he won a state baseball championship in 1995. He played four seasons of college baseball with the Stanford Cardinal, becoming the team's starting shortstop in 1999. After two College World Series appearances, Bruntlett signed with the Astros, who had selected him in the ninth round of the 2000 MLB draft.
Bruntlett spent three seasons in the Astros farm system behind fellow infield prospect Adam Everett. He made his major league debut in 2003, filling in for an injured José Vizcaíno. A natural middle infielder, Bruntlett spent the next year practicing his outfield defense, allowing him to receive more playing time as a utility bench player. After the 2007 season, the Astros traded Bruntlett to the Phillies, with whom he was a 2008 World Series champion. He left the Phillies after the 2009 season and spent one year in Triple-A before retiring from professional baseball.
Early life Eric Kevin Bruntlett was born March 29, 1978, in Lafayette, Indiana to Craig and Angela Bruntlett. He was a two-sport athlete at William Henry Harrison High School in Tippecanoe County: in addition to playing second base and shortstop for the Harrison Raiders baseball team, he was a cornerback for their American football team. As a junior in 1995, Bruntlett was on the Raiders team that won the Indiana High School Athletic Association state baseball championship. That season, he batted .463 with 31 runs batted in (RBIs) for Harrison. Outside of his high school baseball team, Bruntlett played on a traveling summer team, where he caught the attention of college recruiters.
College career The Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) selected Bruntlett in the 72nd round of the 1996 MLB draft, but he did not sign with the team, instead honoring his college baseball commitment to the Stanford Cardinal. He received limited playing time during his first two seasons. As a freshman in 1997, Bruntlett made nine appearances as a bench player, where he batted 5-for-8 with two RBIs. The following season, he missed playing time when sustaining a pulled hamstring during practice, and he only went 0-for-2 in five games. Bruntlett also played collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League and the Mat-Su Miners of the Alaska Baseball League.
The 1999 season was a breakout year for Bruntlett, who was named the Cardinal's starting shortstop in mid-February. Previously a power hitter, he reworked his batting approach, reducing his strikeout rate and becoming a contact hitter. He finished the season hitting .316 with one home run and 28 RBIs, earning Stanford's Most Improved Player award. Bruntlett also made his first College World Series appearance in 1999. Bruntlett and the Cardinal advanced to the semifinal round of the 1999 NCAA Division I baseball tournament, where they lost 14–11 to the Florida State Seminoles. In his final season of college baseball, Bruntlett started all 62 games for Stanford, batting .352 with 24 doubles and 69 runs scored. Bruntlett and his team reached the 2000 NCAA Division I baseball tournament finals, where they lost 6–5 to the Louisiana State University Tigers.
Professional career Draft and minor leagues (2000–2003) The Houston Astros selected Bruntlett with the 277th overall pick in the ninth round of the 2000 MLB draft, a process which he described as "very different from the last time [he] got drafted". On June 20, shortly after the conclusion of the College World Series, Bruntlett signed with the Astros, who assigned him to the rookie-level Martinsville Astros of the Appalachian League. He struggled with his adjustment to professional baseball, batting only .191 and committing multiple errors that August. In 50 Appalachian League games, Bruntlett finished his first professional season batting .273 with one home run and 21 RBIs.
Bruntlett began the 2001 season with the Double-A Round Rock Express of the Texas League, where he replaced Dave Matranga as the team's starting shortstop. After an offensive slump in May, Bruntlett made a mechanical adjustment to his swing, altering his bat path to improve his vision at the plate. After hitting .266 with three home runs, 40 RBIs, and a team-leading 23 stolen bases in Round Rock, Bruntlett was promoted to the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs at the end of August. In five regular-season games with the Zephyrs, Bruntlett went 2-for-16 with one RBI, and he added another five hits and three RBIs in the Pacific Coast League playoffs.
In 2002, having impressed the Astros front office with his performance, Bruntlett returned to the Zephyrs. However, when Adam Everett was sent down to Triple-A at the end of April, Bruntlett was demoted to Round Rock in a roster crunch. In June, Bruntlett stole his 43rd base in Double-A, setting an Express franchise record. The Zephyrs recalled Bruntlett to Triple-A for the final game of the season, after second baseman Keith Ginter was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers as the player to be named later in exchange for Mark Loretta. In 116 games for Round Rock, Bruntlett batted .265 with two home runs and 48 RBIs, while he hit .206 with one RBI in 18 Triple-A games.
Bruntlett opened the 2003 season with the Zephyrs, but his path to becoming a major league player was complicated when the Astros signed veteran infielder Jeff Kent. Bruntlett already faced pressure within the Astros farm system, as he was drafted between infield prospects Everett and Tommy Whiteman. Splitting his time between second base and shortstop, Bruntlett began the year batting .265 with two home runs and 27 RBIs in Triple-A.
Houston Astros (2003–2007) When José Vizcaíno fractured his wrist on June 24, 2003, Bruntlett was promoted to the Astros to take his place. Bruntlett made his major league debut on June 27 as a pinch hitter, flying out to center field against the Texas Rangers. After starting his MLB career 0-for-9, Bruntlett recorded his first hit on July 2, with a single against Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Wayne Franklin. His first home run came on July 7, when Bruntlett scored two against Ryan Dempster of the Cincinnati Reds. When Vizcaíno returned from the disabled list on August 21, Bruntlett was optioned back to the Zephyrs. In 26 games with Houston, he played second base, shortstop, and outfield, while batting .255 with one home run and four RBIs. He was promoted to the major league club again on August 31, one day before September call-ups, so that Bruntlett would be eligible for the postseason roster if needed. This move was ultimately unnecessary, as the Astros were eliminated from playoff contention before the end of the regular season. Bruntlett finished his rookie season batting .259 with one home run and four RBIs in 31 games.
During 2004 spring training, Bruntlett's roster position was dependent on whether manager Jimy Williams wanted to carry a pitcher or a position player. Ultimately, he decided that defensive versatility was more valuable than a left-handed relief pitcher, and Bruntlett was named to the Opening Day roster over Mike Gallo., On April 10, however, he was optioned to New Orleans, with his roster spot going to pitcher Chad Harville. After hitting .232 with three home runs and 19 RBIs in New Orleans, Bruntlett returned to the Astros on June 14 while Everett nursed a hamstring strain. During this two-week stint, he went 2-for-10 with one home run and two RBIs, and Williams praised Bruntlett's defensive ability at shortstop, second base, and center field. Bruntlett continued to play the outfield upon his return to the Zephyrs, believing that positional flexibility would afford more opportunities in the majors. When Everett fractured his wrist on August 6 after being hit by a pitch, Bruntlett was called back up to the Astros as a replacement. Because the end of the Zephyrs season coincided with Everett's expected return, Houston carried Bruntlett on the major league roster through the remainder of the year. In 45 regular season games for the Astros, Bruntlett batted .250 with four home runs and eight RBIs. He additionally hit .250 with six home runs and 37 RBIs in 86 Triple-A games. The Astros qualified for the 2004 National League Division Series (NLDS), and Bruntlett was named to the postseason roster as a bench player. The Astros defeated the Atlanta Braves in five games. Bruntlett made two appearances in the series, during which he went 0-for-1 with a walk. The Astros advanced to the 2004 National League Championship Series (NLCS), where they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. Bruntlett played in four of those, going 0-for-2 in the process.
New Astros manager Phil Garner decided to carry 11 pitchers and 14 position players into the 2005 season, allowing the team both Bruntlett and Chris Burke as utility players. Bruntlett began the season 0-for-14, the longest hit-less streak in the majors to start the year. The streak ended on May 20, when he doubled against the Texas Rangers. The defining moment of Bruntlett's season came on July 24: as an extra innings defensive replacement, Bruntlett's three-run home run in the 14th inning allowed the Astros to defeat the Washington Nationals 4–1. Playing in 91 regular season games that year, Bruntlett batted .220 with four home runs and 14 RBIs, and he played every position except for pitcher and catcher. Bruntlett was used only sparingly in the postseason: he was 1-for-7 in the 2005 NLDS and 2005 NLCS combined, with five of those seven at-bats coming in an 18-inning NLDS game against the Braves. Defensively, he secured an Astros victory in Game 4 of the NLCS with a game-ending double play against the Cardinals. The Chicago White Sox swept the Astros in the 2005 World Series, with Bruntlett appearing in two games as a defensive replacement.
Vizcaíno's offseason departure from the Astros gave Bruntlett the opportunity for more playing time in 2006, but even as Garner described him as "an exceptional defensive player", he retained his role as a utility player in reserve. In early August, Bruntlett was sent down to the Triple-A Express – the Astros needed to open a roster spot for Orlando Palmeiro's return from bereavement leave, and because Bruntlett still had minor league options, he could be moved without having to clear waivers. At the time of the demotion, Bruntlett had been hitting .250 with nine RBIs in Houston. He played 22 games in Round Rock, batting .219 with one home run and seven RBIs in the process. He was recalled to Houston on August 28, allowing the Astros defensive flexibility if they made the playoffs. The callback was not needed, as the Astros missed the playoffs with a loss to the Braves on October 1. Bruntlett finished the season hitting .277 with 10 RBIs in 73 games, and he went 7-for-17 in pinch hitting appearances.