Topic: Brian Stokes

Brian Alexander Stokes (born September 7, 1979 in Montclair, California) is an American professional baseball player. A right-handed starting pitcher, he currently plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball.

Stokes graduated Jurupa Valley High School and played college ball at Riverside Community College in California.

On October 2, 1998, Stokes was first signed as an amateur free agent by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He spent his first professional season with the Princeton Devil Rays in 1999. While with Princeton, he led the Appalachian League in games finished with 35. He pitched for Charleston (Single-A) in 2000, allowing one home run in 70.1 innings pitched. Stokes pitched his first complete game at Mudville on June 23, 2001, but lost the game. He played for Bakersfield during the 2002 season, leading the team in wins (10) and strikeouts (154). He threw his first professional shutout on July 14 against San Jose. Stokes started ten games for Orlando (Double-A) before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2003, resulting in his missing the entire 2004 season. In 2005, Stokes pitched for both Visalia (Single-A) and Montgomery (Double-A). A hamstring injury sidelined him for the month of July. He was recalled from Durham (Triple-A) on September 2, 2005. Stokes made his major league debut on September 3, 2006. In 2007, Brian's 59 appearances were fourth among American League rookies.=