Brent Clevlen

{{Infobox baseball biography

| image = Brent Clevlen.jpg

| name = Brent Clevlen

| position = Outfielder

| bats = Right

| throws = Right

| caption = Clevlen with the Wichita Wingnuts in 2011

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|10|27}}

| birth_place = Austin, Texas, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

| debutdate = July 30

| debutyear = 2006

| debutteam = Detroit Tigers

|finalleague = MLB

| finaldate = July 29

| finalyear = 2010

| finalteam = Atlanta Braves

|statleague = MLB

| stat1label = Batting average

| stat1value = .233

| stat2label = Home runs

| stat2value = 3

| stat3label = Runs batted in

| stat3value = 7

| teams =

Detroit Tigers ({{mlby|2006}}–{{mlby|2008}})
Atlanta Braves ({{mlby|2010}})

}}

Brent Aaron Clevlen (born October 27, 1983) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played parts of four major league seasons with the Detroit Tigers and Atlanta Braves.

Personal life

Clevlen graduated from Westwood High School in 2002.[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AASB&p_theme=aasb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0FBCDFC701BBEE9F&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM "Clevlen cold, hungry"], The Austin American-Statesman, Chuck Licata, June 19, 2003 He is married.

Major leagues

Clevlen was a 2nd-round pick by the Detroit Tigers in the 2002 first-year player draft. In 2005, Clevlen was named the Tigers minor league players of the year while playing for Lakeland.{{cite book |title=2015 Detroit Tigers Media Guide. pg. 387}} He made his Major League debut on July 30, 2006, in a 6–4 loss to the Minnesota Twins. He started at center field in his first game. His first catch in the field was intended to be a sacrifice fly by Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer, but ended up being an inning-ending double play, as Clevlen threw out Luis Castillo at home plate. In his first MLB at bat, he doubled off Twins ace Johan Santana.

On August 1, 2006, in his second Major League game, Clevlen hit his first major league home run against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 5th inning off pitcher Travis Harper. He later added another home run in the 9th inning off pitcher Ruddy Lugo going 3-for-5 for the night, with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI.

Clevlen was optioned down to the Tiger's AAA-affiliate Toledo Mud Hens later in the 2006 season as Alexis Gómez emerged as a valuable bench player.{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}} Tigers manager Jim Leyland has stated that Clevlen would benefit from playing every day in Toledo, and remains second in the team's depth chart for center field.{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}} Following the season, Clevlen was named the third-best prospect and rated as possessing the best outfield arm in the Tigers' organization by Baseball America.{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}}

In 2007, Brent was called up when the Detroit Tigers expanded their rosters.

In 2008, Clevlen was called up in place of injured Clete Thomas, but returned to Toledo when Thomas was reactivated.{{cite news | title=Polanco leads Tigers past Giants | url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/06/16/sports/s220649D98.DTL | work=San Francisco Chronicle | first=Janie | last=McCauley | date=June 18, 2008 | accessdate=June 18, 2008 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622134645/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fn%2Fa%2F2008%2F06%2F16%2Fsports%2Fs220649D98.DTL | archivedate=June 22, 2008 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}

He played in four games for the Atlanta Braves during the 2010 season before being designated for assignment on July 30.{{cite web |last1=Nicholson-Smith |first1=Ben |title=Braves Designate Brent Clevlen For Assignment |url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/07/braves-designate-brent-clevlen-for-assignment.html |website=MLB Trade Rumors |access-date=June 9, 2024 |date=July 30, 2010}} Clevlen became a free agent at the end of the season.

Clevlen was to start the season with the independent Wichita Wingnuts of the American Association, but was purchased by the Cincinnati Reds on May 9, 2011. He was returned to Wichita after playing in 26 games for Triple-A Louisville. After playing in 46 games for Wichita, Clevlen was purchased by the Philadelphia Phillies and was assigned to Double-A Reading.{{cite web |url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4268118 |title=Brent Clevlen Sold to Phillies |work=OurSports Central |date=August 5, 2011}} In all of 2011 (104 games), Clevlen hit .303 with 19 HR and 62 RBI.

On April 19, 2012, Clevlen signed a minor league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and was assigned to Double-A Mobile.{{cite web |url=http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/04/minor-moves-brent-clevlen.html |title=Minor Moves: Pelzer, Clevlen |work=MLB Trade Rumors |first=Ben |last=Nicholson-Smith |date=April 19, 2012}} He also spent time at Triple-A Reno. He began 2013 in the Diamondbacks organization, splitting time with Mobile and Reno before being released. Over those 2 seasons (152 games), Clevlen hit .265 with 19 HR and 77 RBI in 523 PA.

On June 17, 2013, Clevlen returned to Wichita.{{cite web |url=http://www.wichitawingnuts.com/news/article1584.html |title=Big League Bat Returns To Wingnuts |work=WichitaWingnuts.com |date=June 19, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150601011105/http://www.wichitawingnuts.com/news/article1584.html |archivedate=June 1, 2015 }} He continued to play with Wichita in 2014 and became the American Association MVP with a slash line of .372/.447/.647 {{cite web | title=Wichita Wingnuts Brent Clevelen Named American Association MVP |url=http://minorleaguesportsreport.com/index.php/wichita-wingnuts-brent-clevlen-named-american-association-mvp/|date=September 13, 2014}} and signed with the Puebla Pericos of Liga Mexicano de Beisbol for the 2015 season.

On February 25, 2016, Clevlen signed with the Wichita Wingnuts of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball.

On November 16, 2018, Clevlen was announced at the manager of the Cleburne Railroaders (American Association of Independent Professional Baseball). On December 17, 2020, after two years as the manager, Clevlen was replaced by Mike Jeffcoat.