On September 6, 2005, as the Astros began to make their run at the 2005 NL Wild Card, EricBruntlett became only the 11th pinch-runner in modern baseball history to enter a game in the ninth, then steal two bases.
And though I'm not sure, he may also have become the first of that small group to score the game's winning run after having done so.
What's definitely not in question is Bruntlett's role as the instigator of the biggest double play in team history, the 4-6-3 that caught Reggie Sanders at second and nailed John Mabry at first to end Game 4 of the 2005 NLCS. It seemed like Bruntlett never even fielded the ball; all he did was change its direction. One moment, the ball was moving towards centerfield, the next, Bruntlett had somehow pushed it in the direction of Adam Everett's glove.
Though Lord knows it wouldn't stay there long, either.
Apart from these sick, clutch plays he made disproportionately often, Bruntlett may have been most famous for having graduated from Stanford University, for actually having graduated early from Stanford University. But the thing about Bruntlett was that he played many positions, and he played all of them very well. During the 2007 season, Bruntlett was simultaneously the Astros best defensive second baseman, its best defensive leftfielder, its best defensive centerfielder, and its best healthy shortstop.
Versatility and excellence are only very rarely so linked, and Astroland wishes Eric Bruntlett the best of luck in Philly, and with the rest of his baseball career.
