Braden Looper, baseball player, 1998-2009

Braden Looper

Born: 10/28/1974 in Weatherford, OK, USA

MLB Debut: 1998-03-31 | Final Game: 2009-10-02

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 210 lbs

Full name: Braden LaVern Looper

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Biography

Braden Looper was a professional baseball pitcher known for his versatility and effectiveness on the mound during his career, which spanned from 1998 to 2009. Born in 1974, Looper made his mark in Major League Baseball as both a starter and a reliever, showcasing his adaptability in a variety of roles. He finished his career with a record of 72-65 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.15, striking out 669 batters and securing 103 saves. His ability to transition between starting and closing duties made him a valuable asset to the teams he played for. Looper's career took him through several franchises, including the New York Mets, Florida Marlins, and St. Louis Cardinals. He was particularly noted for his contributions as a closer, where he excelled in high-pressure situations. Looper's playing style was characterized by a strong fastball and a reliable breaking ball, which helped him maintain his effectiveness throughout his career. As a member of the Cardinals, he played a significant role in the team's bullpen during a competitive era of baseball, contributing to their success in the late 2000s. His legacy is remembered not only for his statistics but also for his resilience and adaptability in a rapidly evolving game.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
72 65 670 97 1 1 103 1176.0 1242 542 132 373 669 4.15 0

Career ERA 4.15 vs. league average 4.45 across their career seasons — 6.8% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1998 STL NL 0 1 4 0 0 0 0 3.3 5 2 1 4 5.40 — -
1999 MIA NL 3 3 72 0 0 0 0 83.0 96 35 31 50 3.80 4.71 (+19%) -
2000 MIA NL 5 1 73 0 0 0 2 67.3 71 33 36 29 4.41 4.77 (+8%) -
2001 MIA NL 3 3 71 0 0 0 3 71.0 63 28 30 52 3.55 4.42 (+20%) -
2002 MIA NL 2 5 78 0 0 0 13 86.0 73 30 28 55 3.14 4.28 (+27%) -
2003 MIA NL 6 4 74 0 0 0 28 80.7 82 33 29 56 3.68 4.40 (+16%) -
2004 NYN NL 2 5 71 0 0 0 29 83.3 86 25 16 60 2.70 4.46 (+40%) 2948.5
2005 NYN NL 4 7 60 0 0 0 28 59.3 65 26 22 27 3.94 4.29 (+8%) -1077.8
2006 STL NL 9 3 69 0 0 0 0 73.3 76 29 20 41 3.56 4.53 (+21%) -
2007 STL NL 12 12 31 30 0 0 0 175.0 183 96 51 87 4.94 4.47 (-10%) -
2008 STL NL 12 14 33 33 1 1 0 199.0 216 92 45 108 4.16 4.32 (+4%) -
2009 MIL NL 14 7 34 34 0 0 0 194.7 226 113 64 100 5.22 4.32 (-21%) -7165.9

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
679 186 15 40 6 1 0 18 0 10 63 0.215 0.259 0.258 0.517 -950.2

Career AVG .215 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — 19.1% below league average.

Career OBP .259 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 22.8% below league average.

Career SLG .258 vs. league average .424 across their career seasons — 39.2% below league average.

Career OPS 0.517 vs. league average 0.760 across their career seasons — 32.0% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1998 STL NL 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1999 MIA NL 72 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2000 MIA NL 73 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2001 MIA NL 71 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2002 MIA NL 78 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2003 MIA NL 74 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 — — — — 0.0
2004 NYN NL 71 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2005 NYN NL 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2006 STL NL 69 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.500 — — — — 0.0
2007 STL NL 31 53 6 10 2 0 0 6 0 4 19 0.189 .268 (-30%) .335 (-23%) .422 (-46%) .758 (-36%) -326.4
2008 STL NL 42 63 5 16 3 1 0 4 0 4 21 0.254 .263 (-4%) .333 (-10%) .416 (-20%) .749 (-16%) -178.8
2009 MIL NL 34 60 3 12 0 0 0 8 0 2 18 0.200 .262 (-24%) .332 (-32%) .417 (-52%) .750 (-43%) -445.1

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2006 NLCS SLN 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2006 NLDS2 SLN 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2006 WS SLN 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2003 NLCS FLO 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2003 NLDS1 FLO 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2003 WS FLO 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2 0 15 0 1 15.7 17 8 3 7 4.60

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2006 NLCS SLN 0 0 3 0 0 4.7 7 3 0 1 5.79
2006 NLDS2 SLN 0 0 1 0 0 1.7 1 0 0 0 0.00
2006 WS SLN 0 0 3 0 0 2.3 1 1 0 1 3.86
2003 NLCS FLO 0 0 2 0 1 1.7 1 0 1 1 0.00
2003 NLDS1 FLO 1 0 2 0 0 1.7 1 0 2 0 0.00
2003 WS FLO 1 0 4 0 0 3.7 6 4 0 4 9.82

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 670 97 72 144 4 9

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1998 SLN P 4 0 0 0 0 0
1999 FLO P 72 0 3 8 0 0
2000 FLO P 73 0 6 10 1 1
2001 FLO P 71 0 4 8 0 1
2002 FLO P 78 0 3 14 0 2
2003 FLO P 74 0 1 10 0 0
2004 NYN P 71 0 5 12 0 1
2005 NYN P 60 0 0 8 1 0
2006 SLN P 69 0 6 10 0 2
2007 SLN P 31 30 11 18 0 1
2008 SLN P 33 33 20 15 0 0
2009 MIL P 34 34 13 31 2 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 670

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2009 MIL NL $4,750,000
2008 SLN NL $5,500,000
2007 SLN NL $4,500,000
2006 SLN NL $3,500,000
2005 NYN NL $800,000
2004 NYN NL $2,000,000
2003 FLO NL $1,600,000
2002 FLO NL $800,000
2001 FLO NL $400,000
2000 FLO NL $255,000
1999 FLO NL $201,000
1998 SLN NL $170,000
Total Career Earnings $24,476,000

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Wichita State University Wichita KS 1994, 1995, 1996