Bill Bray

For other people named William Bray or Bill Bray, see William Bray (disambiguation).

Bill Bray
During his tenure with the Cincinnati Reds
Relief pitcher
Born: (1983-06-05) June 5, 1983 Virginia Beach, Virginia
Batted: Left Threw: Left
MLB debut
June 3, 2006, for the Washington Nationals
Last MLB appearance
July 30, 2012, for the Cincinnati Reds
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	13–12
Earned run average	3.74
Strikeouts	188
Teams
Washington Nationals (2006) Cincinnati Reds (2006–2008, 2010–2012)

William Paul "Bill" Bray (born June 5, 1983), is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary. He attended Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach.

Career

Washington Nationals

The left-handed Bray was the 13th overall selection in the 2004 draft by the former Montreal Expos franchise which relocated to Washington, D.C. and was renamed the Washington Nationals. Bray made his Major League debut on June 3, 2006, against the Milwaukee Brewers in Milwaukee, earning a 1-pitch win. Bray threw a strike to Prince Fielder, but Corey Koskie was thrown out attempting to steal on the play to end the inning. Bill Bray did not surrender a run in his first six games. His first run allowed was on a solo home run to Colorado Rockies second baseman Jamey Carroll on June 14, 2006, at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.. The Rockies ultimately won the game 14–8 and tagged Bray for five runs in two innings.

Cincinnati Reds

Almost a month later, on July 13, 2006, Bray, along with infielders Royce Clayton and Brendan Harris, reliever Gary Majewski and starter Daryl Thompson were traded to the Cincinnati Reds for outfielder Austin Kearns, infielder Felipe Lopez and pitcher Ryan Wagner.

Bray began the 2009 season with the Triple-A Louisville Bats after failing to earn a spot on the Reds' roster. After only a few games in Louisville, Bray underwent Tommy John surgery to repair his left elbow and missed the rest of the year. Bray was called up from Triple-A Louisville June 27, and made his 2010 debut with the Reds on June 28, 2010, pitching one inning vs the Philadelphia Phillies.

In six seasons with the Reds, with 2008 and 2011 being his best, Bray's record was 12–11 with a 3.72 ERA while striking out 172 in 174.1 innings in 258 appearances. On November 8, 2012, Bray elected free agency after a disappointing 2012 season in which he only pitched in 14 games.

Return to Washington

On December 3, 2012, Bray returned to the Nationals on a minor league contract. He went to spring training with the Nationals, but on March 4, 2013, he was cut and sent back to their minor league camp.

Bray announced his retirement via his Twitter account on March 16, 2014.

Personal life

Bill Bray and his wife, Elaine, were married on December 2, 2006. They have two daughters.

Following baseball, he returned to William & Mary to finish his undergraduate degree in finance. He graduated in May 2015, and began attending William & Mary law school that fall. He has also written multiple articles for Sporting News.

In 2012, Bray shaved his head in an effort to raise funds for pediatric cancer.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)