Brad Penny American baseball player Date of Birth: 24.05.1978 Country: USA

Biography of Brad Penny

Brad Penny, born Bradley Wayne Penny, was an American baseball player who was born in 1978 in Blackwell, Oklahoma. From an early age, Brad was passionate about sports, and while attending Broken Arrow Senior High School, he played for the school's baseball team as a starting pitcher. During his high school career, he was named an 'All-State selection' and was recognized as the 'Frontier Conference Pitcher of the Year'.

In 1996, Brad was drafted by the 'Arizona Diamondbacks' in the 5th round of the Major League Baseball draft. He signed a contract with the team on June 4, 1996, and was sent to the Arizona Summer League, where he finished 2nd in the league with an impressive 2.36 ERA. In August of that year, he was named the 'Arizona's Organizational Pitcher of the Month'.

In the 1997 season, Brad played for the 'South Bend Silver Hawks', where he maintained a solid ERA of 2.37. The following year was particularly successful for the young athlete as he played for the 'High Desert Mavericks' and was named the 'best pitcher in the Minor Leagues' by 'Baseball America'. He also received accolades such as the 'California League Pitcher of the Year', 'California League Most Valuable Player', and 'A' Level Player of the Year'.

In the next season, Brad made his debut in the Major League Baseball with the 'Florida Marlins'. He initially played for the team's reserve squad based in Portland, where he achieved a no-hitter in his first game, becoming the first player in the reserve team's history to accomplish this feat. In 2000, he was included in the Marlins' main roster and had an impressive debut, pitching for 7 innings and allowing only one home run. He finished the season as the 2nd-ranked rookie in the league and recorded 80 strikeouts.

In the 2003 season, Brad reached his first World Series with the Marlins, where he won both games he appeared in. The team eventually became the champions, and many baseball critics credited Brad's performance as instrumental to their success. On July 30, 2004, he was traded to the 'Los Angeles Dodgers' and made a remarkable start for the team. However, in his second game, he suffered a severe injury to his right arm. Although he attempted to return in September, he realized that the problem persisted.

On June 12, 2005, Brad signed a 3-year contract with the Dodgers worth approximately $25 million. The following year, he was selected as the starting pitcher for the National League in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. In the 2006 season, Brad set two records - he struck out four batters in one inning against the 'Arizona Diamondbacks' and also achieved the highest average pitch speed of 93.3 miles per hour (150 kilometers per hour).

After his time with the Dodgers, Brad joined the 'Boston Red Sox' on a one-year contract worth $5 million. Unfortunately, the season did not go well for him, and he was replaced by the veteran pitcher Tim Wakefield in several of the last games. On August 31, 2009, Brad signed a low-cost contract with the 'San Francisco Giants', who eventually won the World Series. Despite a decent season, the team decided not to extend his contract, making Brad a free agent for the first time in his career.

On December 10, 2009, Brad agreed to a contract with the 'St. Louis Cardinals', the details of which were undisclosed. On May 21, 2010, he hit his first career grand slam. Brad Penny is known to be married to Ukrainian dancer Karina Smirnoff, a star on the show 'Dancing with the Stars'.