Brian Milner

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Brian Milner

|position=Catcher

|image=

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1959|11|17}}

|birth_place=Fort Worth, Texas

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=June 23

|debutyear=1978

|debutteam=Toronto Blue Jays

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=June 26

|finalyear=1978

|finalteam=Toronto Blue Jays

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.444

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=0

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=2

|teams=

Toronto Blue Jays ({{mlby|1978}})

}}

Brian Tate Milner (born November 17, 1959) is an American former professional baseball player. He played two games in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1978 as a catcher.

Biography

Milner attended Southwest High School in Fort Worth, Texas, where he played baseball and football.{{cite news |url=https://cooperstownersincanada.com/2020/09/11/whatever-happened-to-brian-milner/ |title=Whatever happened to? . . . Brian Milner |first=Kevin |last=Glew |website=cooperstownersincanada.com |date=September 11, 2020 |accessdate=August 26, 2023}} He planned to attend Arizona State University, but was selected in the seventh round of the 1978 MLB draft, held June 6–8,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-tribune-2-tampa-pitchers-picke/130704652/ |first=Joe |last=Henderson |title=2 Tampa Pitchers Picked; Draft Ends |newspaper=The Tampa Tribune |page=6-C |date=June 9, 1978 |accessdate=August 26, 2023 |via=newspapers.com}} by the Toronto Blue Jays. He signed with Toronto on June 17 after being offered a $150,000 signing bonus and the opportunity to join the MLB team immediately.

Milner joined the Blue Jays the next day, but did not make his major-league debut until June 23, in a road game against the Cleveland Indians.{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/Imilnb1010011978.htm |title=The 1978 TOR A Regular Season Batting Log for Brian Milner |website=Retrosheet |accessdate=August 26, 2023}} He became the first, and to date only, catcher to be brought directly to the major leagues after being signed since the MLB draft began in 1965, and the first Blue Jays player to do so.{{cite web |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/feats9.shtml |title=Straight to the Major Leagues |website=Baseball Almanac}} Making his debut at the age of 18 years, seven months, and six days, he remains the youngest person to play for the team.{{cite news |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/youngest-and-oldest-blue-jays-players-in-history |title=All-time youngest, oldest Blue Jays players |first=Keegan |last=Matheson |website=MLB.com |date=February 11, 2021 |accessdate=August 26, 2023}} Milner played in two games for Toronto in June 1978, getting four hits, including a triple, in nine at bats—he scored three runs and had two runs batted in (RBIs).{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/M/Pmilnb101.htm |title=Brian Milner |website=Retrosheet |accessdate=August 26, 2023}}

Milner was sent down to the rookie league Medicine Hat Blue Jays shortly thereafter, where he had a .307 batting average.{{cite news |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=milner001bri |title=Brian Milner Minor Leagues Statistics |website=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=August 26, 2023}} He played four more seasons in Minor League Baseball, but suffered a series of injuries and never played in the major leagues again.

Following the end of his playing career, Milner ran a landscaping business in Fort Worth until 1990. He later served as a coach in the New York Yankees organization during 1991–1995, and as a scout for the Chicago Cubs during 1996–2007. One of the players he signed for Chicago was Eric Hinske. Milner later earned a business degree from Tarleton State University in 2009, and became a high school teacher.

Milner is the father of major-league pitcher Hoby Milner.{{cite news |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/sports/phillies/philadelphia-phillies-hoby-milner-rookie-pitcher-father-brian-toronto-blue-jays-20170627.html |title=Phillies rookie Hoby Milner brings father back to the big leagues |website=The Philadelphia Inquirer |url-access=limited |first=Matt |last=Breen |date=June 27, 2017 |accessdate=August 26, 2023}}