Doug Brocail

{{short description|American baseball player and coach (born 1967)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Infobox baseball biography | name = Doug Brocail | image = Doug Brocail (29565292448) (cropped).jpg | caption = Brocail with the Texas Rangers in 2018 | position = Pitcher | bats = Left | throws = Right | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|5|16}} | birth_place = Clearfield, Pennsylvania, U.S. |debutleague = MLB | debutdate = September 8 | debutyear = 1992 | debutteam = San Diego Padres |finalleague = MLB | finaldate = October 2 | finalyear = 2009 | finalteam = Houston Astros |statleague = MLB | stat1label = Win–loss record | stat1value = 52–48 | stat2label = Earned run average | stat2value = 4.00 | stat3label = Strikeouts | stat3value = 642 | teams = * San Diego Padres ({{mlby|1992}}–{{mlby|1994}}) * Houston Astros ({{mlby|1995}}–{{mlby|1996}}) * Detroit Tigers ({{mlby|1997}}–{{mlby|2000}}) * Texas Rangers ({{mlby|2004}}–{{mlby|2005}}) * San Diego Padres ({{mlby|2006}}–{{mlby|2007}}) * Houston Astros ({{mlby|2008}}–{{mlby|2009}}) }}

'''Douglas Keith Brocail''' (born May 16, 1967) is an American professional baseball pitcher and pitching coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers. He has coached in MLB for the Astros, Rangers, and the Orioles.

==Playing career== Brocail attended Lamar High School in Lamar, Colorado where he won All-State honors in football, basketball, and baseball.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-08-05-9003050810-story.html |title=Looking For 'The Natural' |date=August 5, 1990 |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=January 24, 2019}}</ref> The San Diego Padres selected Brocail in the first round of the 1986 Major League Baseball draft. He did not make his major league debut until 1992 because of injuries sustained in the minors. Initially a starter, Brocail went 4–13 in his first full season (1993) before being converted to relief. thumb|left|Brocail with the San Diego Padres After the 1994 season, the Padres traded Brocail, Derek Bell, Ricky Gutiérrez, Pedro Martínez, Phil Plantier, and Craig Shipley to the Houston Astros for Ken Caminiti, Andújar Cedeño, Steve Finley, Roberto Petagine, and Brian Williams.<ref>{{cite web|author=MURRAY CHASS|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/29/sports/baseball-padres-and-astros-make-a-12-player-swap.html |title=BASEBALL; Padres and Astros Make a 12-Player Swap - The New York Times |work=The New York Times |date=December 29, 1994 |access-date=January 24, 2019}}</ref> After the 1996 season, the Astros traded Brocail, Brian Hunter, Todd Jones, Orlando Miller, and cash to the Detroit Tigers for Brad Ausmus, José Lima, Trever Miller, C. J. Nitkowski, and Daryle Ward.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1996-12-11-9612110288-story.html |title=TIGERS FILL SOME GAPING HOLES IN 10-PLAYER DEAL WITH ASTROS |date=December 11, 1996 |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=January 24, 2019}}</ref> After the 2000 season, the Tigers traded Brocail, Ausmus, and Nelson Cruz to the Astros for Roger Cedeño, Chris Holt, and Mitch Meluskey.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/2000/12/11/Tigers-Astros-work-six-player-trade/5160976510800/ |title=Tigers, Astros work six-player trade - UPI Archives |publisher=Upi.com |date=December 11, 2000 |access-date=January 24, 2019}}</ref>

Two Tommy John surgeries kept Brocail out of the major leagues for nearly four years (2000–04). He returned in 2004 with the Texas Rangers and was placed on the disabled list in May for 15 days due to an appendectomy. He pitched for San Diego in 2006 and 2007. On June 20, 2007, Brocail hit Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada with a pitch that broke Tejada's wrist, leading to Tejada being placed on the disabled list a few days later, ending his consecutive games streak at 1,152, the fifth longest in Major League history.<ref>{{cite news |first=Spencer |last=Fordin |title=Streak over: Tejada placed on DL |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070622&content_id=2042946&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |work=MLB.com|date=June 22, 2007 |access-date=July 28, 2007}}</ref>

Brocail underwent an angioplasty on March 11, 2006, to clear a 99% blockage of his left anterior descending artery. He had complained of chest tightness that radiated into both arms. He already was being treated for an abscessed tooth and asthma.<ref>{{cite web|date=March 12, 2006|title=Padres pitcher Doug Brocail undergoes heart surgery|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-padres-pitcher-doug-brocail-undergoes-heart-2006mar12-story.html|access-date=January 24, 2019|work=The San Diego Union-Tribune}}</ref> Weeks later, Brocail underwent a second, more complex angioplasty in which he received three stents in his heart in addition to the one put in prior. Post-heart surgeries, Brocail returned to the mound on July 14, 2006.

Brocail pitched relief for the Astros in 2008 and 2009 before retiring at the age of 42.

==Coaching career==

After the Houston Astros fired pitching coach Brad Arnsberg on June 14, 2011, Brocail was named the interim pitching coach.<ref>{{cite web |last=Calcaterra |first=Craig |title=Astros fire their pitching coach |date=June 14, 2011 |url=http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/06/14/astros-fire-their-pitching-coach/ |publisher=NBC Sports |access-date=June 14, 2011}}</ref> In October 2013, Brocail was reassigned by the Astros to the role of special assistant.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ortiz |first=Jose |title=Astros make changes to Porter's staff |url=http://blog.chron.com/ultimateastros/2013/10/01/astros-fire-dave-clark-dennis-martinez-and-reassign-doug-brocail/ |newspaper=Houston Chronicle |access-date=October 2, 2013}}</ref> Brocail served as interim pitching coach for the Corpus Christi Hooks in 2014, and full time for Corpus Christi in 2015.

In November 2015, Brocail was offered a spot as the Texas Rangers pitching coach by Rangers manager Jeff Banister. Brocail accepted the position, replacing the departed Mike Maddux. Brocail led the Rangers' pitching staff through the 2017 and 2018 seasons.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/texas-rangers/rangers/2018/11/12/source-rangers-fire-pitching-coach-doug-brocail |title=Texas Rangers: Sources: Rangers part ways with pitching coach Doug Brocail as they remake staff | SportsDay |date=November 13, 2018 |publisher=Sportsday.dallasnews.com |access-date=January 24, 2019}}</ref>

Brocail was announced on January 23, 2019, as the Baltimore Orioles pitching coach succeeding Roger McDowell.<ref>{{cite news |title=Orioles add Don Long as hitting coach, Doug Brocail as pitching coach |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25834601/baltimore-orioles-hire-don-long-doug-brocail-hitting-pitching-coaches |access-date=January 31, 2025 |agency=Associated Press |work=ESPN.com |date=January 23, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Orioles Announce New Coaching Staff |url=http://www.wbal.com/article/369278/124/orioles-announce-new-coaching-staff |access-date=January 23, 2019 |work=wbal.com |language=en}}</ref> During his two seasons in this capacity, the Orioles' pitching staff went from being one of MLB's worst to lowering its ERA by a run, with the bullpen giving up almost two less runs per game. He was not retained after the 2020 season as the Orioles continued to streamline its player personnel operations.<ref>[https://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2020/09/brocail-and-flores-wont-return-to-orioles-coaching-staff.html Kubatko, Roch. "Brocail and Flores won’t return to Orioles coaching staff," Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), Wednesday, September 30, 2020.] Retrieved October 1, 2020</ref>

==Personal life== Brocail and his wife Lisa have five daughters. The family lives in Missouri City, Texas.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/texas-rangers/rangers/2017/08/29/rangers-doug-brocail-wants-boat-houston-right-now-still-may-end |title=Texas Rangers: Rangers' Doug Brocail wants to be on a boat in Houston right now – and he still may end up there | SportsDay |date=August 30, 2017 |publisher=Sportsday.dallasnews.com |access-date=January 24, 2019}}</ref>

On September 13, 2004, Brocail was involved in an incident at the McAfee Coliseum, when the Texas Rangers were playing the Oakland Athletics. His rookie teammate Frank Francisco, angry at a fan for heckling Brocail and others, hoisted a folded chair into the stands, striking a female fan and breaking her nose.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0610/gallery.memorable.brawls3/content.7.html |title=Memorable Brawls |access-date=January 14, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070114040627/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0610/gallery.memorable.brawls3/content.7.html |archive-date=January 14, 2007 }}</ref> Brocail would later pitch {{frac|1|3}} of an inning.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Baseballstats|mlb=111492|espn=2786|br=b/brocado01|fangraphs=551|brm=brocai001dou}} {{s-start}} {{s-sports}} {{succession box|title=Houston Astros pitching coach|before=Brad Arnsberg|after=Brent Strom|years=2011–2013}} {{succession box|title=Texas Rangers pitching coach|before=Mike Maddux|years=2016–2018|after=Julio Rangel}} {{succession box|title=Baltimore Orioles pitching coach|before=Roger McDowell|years=2019-2021|after=Chris Holt}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brocail, Doug}} Category:1967 births Category:Living people Category:Baltimore Orioles coaches Category:Baseball players from Colorado Category:Corpus Christi Hooks players Category:Houston Astros coaches Category:Houston Astros players Category:Detroit Tigers players Category:Frisco RoughRiders players Category:Jackson Generals (Texas League) players Category:Lake Elsinore Storm players Category:Lamar Runnin' Lopes baseball players Category:Las Vegas Stars (baseball) players Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Major League Baseball pitching coaches Category:Minor league baseball coaches Category:New Orleans Zephyrs players Category:Oklahoma RedHawks players Category:People from Clearfield, Pennsylvania Category:People from Prowers County, Colorado Category:Round Rock Express players Category:San Diego Padres players Category:Spokane Indians players Category:Texas Rangers coaches Category:Texas Rangers players Category:Tucson Toros players Category:Wichita Wranglers players Category:Baseball coaches from Colorado Category:Charleston Rainbows players Category:20th-century American sportsmen