HOUSTON – Doubt had crept into the Astros clubhouse. A World Series was on the line. And then Michael Brantley spoke.
Shoulder surgery kept him off the active roster, but many within the organization insisted he remain with the team during its 2022 postseason journey. Brantley brought the team together after a Game 3 loss left Houston with a 2-1 series deficit. He failed to contribute on the field but became irreplaceable off it. Brantley turned to his teammates and reminded them how far they had come and where they wanted to go.
The Astros never lost another game and Brantley won the World Series ring that had long eluded him.
Brantley, 36, is retiring, he announced Friday, capping the career of a five-time All-Star, one of the most consistent hitters of the last decade and the definition of a consummate professional. Lauded early on for his superb left-handed swing and discipline in the strike zone, Brantley grew from a player yet to be named into one of baseball's most respected players, a man distinguished by his meticulous routines and mentorship.
“It is with great appreciation that I announce the end of an amazing journey in baseball. It has been a great honor to achieve my dreams and wear a Major League jersey for the past 15 years,” Brantley wrote in his announcement statement.
After the Astros swept the Indians in the 2018 postseason and the crowd in Cleveland's clubhouse began to disperse, veteran players flocked to Brantley's corner locker, a double stall usually reserved for a team executive. Jason Kipnis, Josh Tomlin and Yan Gomes sat in leather chairs in the area. There Alonso sat on the ground near the base of Brantley's lineup.
They all knew that some or most of them wouldn't be coming back, including Brantley. The band splits. At Brantley's exit interview the following day with manager Terry Francona and executives Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff, everyone in the room cried. In his decade with the organization, Brantley developed into a reliable figure who Francona would say could fall out of bed and get a few hits. He emerged as a leader so influential that Francisco Lindor credited him with teaching him how to be a great player.
Everyone in that office assumed on that day in October 2018 that Brantley would be wearing a different jersey the following season. No one knew it would be an Astros uniform.
Houston prioritized a cornerback outfielder all winter but was aware of the potential void that could develop in its clubhouse. Carlos Beltrán retired after winning the 2017 World Series, and a season later Brian McCann departed for Atlanta, losing the club its two most trusted veteran leaders.
Finding a player who aligns with the Astros' offensive philosophy and is willing to mentor some even more mature players seemed imperative to me. After Brantley signed a two-year, $30 million contract, former general manager Jeff Luhnow called it “one of our highest priority moves.”
Brantley hit .305/.365/.463 in 394 games as an Astro, earning two All-Star selections and a permanent spot at the top of one of baseball's strongest lineups. During Game 6 of the 2019 American League Championship Series, Brantley initiated one of the most memorable defensive plays in franchise history, fending off a sinking liner from Aaron Hicks before doubling Aaron Judge at first base for a two-run lead preserve.
These heroics sparked smiles and outcry that Brantley rarely saw in public. He led in relative silence, allowing teammates to see his detailed operations and offering advice based on experience that few in that clubhouse had. During Brantley's first spring training, his teammates called him “Uncle Mike,” a nickname that found its way onto T-shirts, promotional materials and the team's television broadcast throughout his tenure.
“There are people who were here who are not here who have helped me incredibly personally. I think Mike has really been the guy so far,” George Springer said in 2019. “I always want to be successful. And if things don't go the way I want them to – or the way we want them to – then it's not for me. That's because I want to be successful for the team. If I fail, I feel like I'm letting the team down. Mike gave a lot of detailed (advice) about “You didn’t let the boys down.” Just play the game. There's a lot more to play with. Be who you are and make sure one throw, one play or one shot doesn't spiral into the next.'”
The respect Brantley inspired within the organization is difficult to quantify. Signing him to three separate free agent contracts is evidence of that. Dusty Baker spoke of him with a reverence shown to only a few players and insisted that his 24-year-old son Darren should learn to bat from Brantley. Both Springer and Kyle Tucker praise Brantley for his rise to the sport's elite.
“Professional in every way,” said backup Joe Smith, who played with Brantley in both Cleveland and Houston. “My favorite teammate ever. We were together for 10 seasons. He’s a great guy to be with for so long.”
Brantley learned the trade from his father, Mickey, a Mariners outfielder in the late '80s who eventually coached in the majors. During Brantley's career, the two studied his swing mechanics. Even in Brantley's final seasons, Mickey would march to the ballpark to watch his son take batting practice.
Some called Brantley “Junior” because he shares the name and passion for hitting with his father. Others in Cleveland referred to him as “Dr. “Smooth” because of his fluid movement when placing a pitch into the gap.
Brantley spent 15 seasons in the majors, none of them with the team that drafted him. That's because CC Sabathia dragged the Brewers to the playoffs in 2008, a few months after Cleveland traded him to Milwaukee for four unproven players. Matt LaPorta was the centerpiece, a strong first baseman who failed when he reached the big leagues. Pitchers Zach Jackson and Rob Bryson never amounted to much for Cleveland. The fourth player was narrowed down to two candidates, but the final deal was contingent on the Brewers advancing to the postseason.
Had Sabathia not led his new team to the NLDS, Cleveland would have settled for infielder Taylor Green, who ultimately made 154 plate appearances as a major league player and would have cemented Mark Shapiro's nightmare as head of the Indians' front office.
Instead, the club brought in Brantley, a cornerstone of the lineup for much of the following decade. At his best, Brantley was a double machine, walking as often as he struck out and racking up outfield assists while perfecting the art of throwing a ball off the 19-foot wall at Progressive Field with his bare hands, turning around and throwing a ball complete pinpoint throw to second base.
In 2014, he became an MVP finalist when he hit .327/.385/.506 and had 20 home runs, 45 doubles, 23 stolen bases and a career-best 200 hits. When Cleveland moved on from Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn in August 2015, Brantley took on more of a leadership role. It was all the more painful when, a year later, he was banished from the audience for the team's march to the World Series.
Due to shoulder surgery, Brantley only appeared in 11 games in 2016 and had to watch his teammates' playoff run from a distance. Michael Martinez, a defensive replacement in left field, made it to the final out in the 10th inning of Game 7 of the World Series. If Brantley were healthy, Martinez — or anyone else — wouldn't have played left field.
Brantley suffered an ankle injury in August 2017 that sidelined him until the final weekend of the season. He wasn't 100 percent ready for the playoffs and wasn't in the starting lineup until Game 3 after Edwin Encarnación suffered an ankle injury of his own.
He finally made it to a postseason opportunity unscathed in 2018, but the Astros made quick work of Cleveland in Brantley's final days with the franchise.
Brantley's clubs reached the playoffs in each of his last eight years. A shoulder injury limited him to 79 games in his final two seasons. He was unable to play during the 2022 World Series, but the man known for his relentlessly stoic demeanor still enlivened his reeling team between Games 3 and 4.
“He’s a teammate who cares more about others than himself,” catcher Martín Maldonado told The Athletic this week. “He’s the reason we won the World Series (2022). He (led) the best team meeting I've ever heard. When he was hurt, he was always in the dugout trying to help others.”
In public, Brantley has never broken this role, deliberately resorting to his endless supply of clichés in interviews. Privately, he became vital to Cleveland's operation and Houston's budding dynasty.
After a grueling rehab filled with setbacks, Brantley actually contributed to the Astros' 2023 postseason run. When it ended just one win shy of a pennant, Brantley informed his teammates of his intention to retire – a final message in a clubhouse where his legacy is being cemented.
(Top photo: Tim Warner / Getty Images)