Brandon Knight

Brandon Knight is on the list of major-league pitchers who have just one career win, but his life and career go far beyond that unique distinction. In addition to being a major leaguer, he was an Olympic athlete who represented the United States, and he also enjoyed a successful baseball career overseas in both Japan and South Korea.

Knight was born in Oxnard, California, on October 1, 1975, to Michael Knight, a Navy equipment buyer, and Tahnee Knight, a trust officer. A brother, Trevor, was born in 1978.1

Baseball became a passion for Knight early on: “The only organized sport I played was baseball,” he said. “I played all the other sports with the neighborhood kids but stuck to baseball. Wanted to play football in high school but my dad talked me out of it.”2 Those he counted among his favorite athletes as a kid were “Steve Sax, Magic Johnson, Don Mattingly, Will Clark, and Roger Craig. … I liked guys who had reputations as hard workers and great competitors.”3

He attended Buena High School in Ventura and won the junior-varsity league batting title his sophomore year. He was promoted to the varsity in his junior year and was the starting second baseman.4 He posted a team-leading .391 batting average and also pitched, putting up a 0.96 ERA over 31 innings, which earned him a selection to the All-Ventura County Team.5 As a senior he went 6-2 with a 2.05 ERA.6 That summer (1993), he was drafted as a second baseman by the Colorado Rockies in the 55th round of the Amateur Draft, but did not sign.

Instead, Knight attended nearby Ventura College, where he remained a two-way player. In his freshman year, he hit .343 with 24 RBIs and went 4-3 with a 3.48 ERA and a team-leading two complete games from the mound.7 He was again selected by the Rockies, in the 51st round of the June 1994 Amateur Draft, again as a second baseman, but he did not sign this time either. In December 1994, he signed a letter of intent to play baseball at the University of Southern California starting in 1996.8

In 1995, his sophomore year, Knight quickly emerged as Ventura College’s ace pitcher, going 14-3 and setting a school record with 10 complete games.9 “ It’s not so much of a surprise,” Knight said of his success on the mound. “I worked real hard. I’ve been hitting spots and changing speeds. My change has been really effective. Before this year, I didn’t throw much of a change.”10

“He’s your typical power pitcher,” said coach Don Adams. “He has a live arm and he has control. He worked hard in the offseason to make it stronger.”11

Knight was also Ventura College’s best offensive player, leading the team with a .446 batting average, 24 RBIs, and 10 doubles.12 At the end of the season, he was named Western State Conference Player of the Year.13

In June 1995 Knight was drafted for the third consecutive year, this time by the Texas Rangers in the 14th round, No. 374 overall. This time he signed a contract, passing up USC. The Rangers decided to make Knight a full-time pitcher, and it was not easy for him to give up hitting: “I remember sitting in dugouts between starts, knowing there were guys I could hit better than. … It took a while to accept ‘You’re a pitcher.’”14 His first year, he went 6-3 with a 3.51 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 66⅔ innings with the Class-A Charleston RiverDogs and the Rookie League Gulf Coast Rangers. He started 1996 with the Class-A Advanced Port Charlotte Rangers, but after losing his first six decisions was sent down to the Hudson Valley Renegades, the Rangers’ Class-A short-season team.15 “My fastball was up in the zone, my curveball was nonexistent, I was behind in the count and I didn’t have much of a changeup,” Knight said. “Overall, it was horrible. After the first couple games I kept thinking it would get better, but it kept not getting better.”16

He managed to get things back on track a bit, going 4-4 in his last eight decisions, and in 1997 he was back with Class-A Port Charlotte. That spring, he began developing a new slider and even got advice from Rangers closer John Wetteland. “Wetteland changed my grip for the slider the way he’s thrown it and that’s made it more effective for me,” Knight said in a 1997 newspaper interview. “Now I can throw it more like a fastball.”17

The new changes seemed to help him; he went 7-4 with a 2.23 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 92⅔ innings with Port Charlotte before being promoted to the Double-A Tulsa Drillers in June.18 “Basically I’m just happy that it’s all kind of come together,” Knight said in the 1997 interview. “Last year was a big struggle for me. I just all of a sudden lost everything that I had ever learned.”19 He went 6-4 with a 4.50 ERA over the rest of the season in Tulsa. In November, he was one of six players added to the Rangers’ major-league roster.20 Two months later, he and the Rangers agreed on another one-year contract.21

Knight began 1998 with Tulsa and was promoted to the Triple-A Oklahoma RedHawks in June after going 6-6 with a 5.11 ERA, but then things took a turn for the worse.22 He went 0-6 with a 10.01 ERA as a starter for the RedHawks and was moved to the bullpen for the remainder of the season, finishing 0-7 with a 9.74 ERA. His struggles were attributed to his upright pitching motion, which made it difficult to keep the ball down in the zone.23  “He reached the conclusion that he was going to have to make a dramatic change in his delivery to have command down in the strike zone,” said Rangers assistant general manager Dan O’Brien. “It’s one thing to say you’re going to change your delivery. It’s another thing to be committed to changing your delivery.”24 

That offseason, Knight and the Rangers again agreed on a one-year deal.25 His new pitching motion seemed to help him in 1999; he posted a 9-8 record with a 4.91 ERA while playing for Oklahoma. His strikeout rate dropped from 7.2 per nine innings to 5.4, but his walk rate improved significantly, falling from 4.0 to 2.6.

In December 1999 Knight and fellow minor-league pitcher Sam Marsonek were traded to the New York Yankees in exchange for outfielder Chad Curtis.26 Part of the reason Knight was included in the deal was so the Rangers wouldn’t lose him for $50,000 in the coming Rule 5 draft, for which he was eligible.27 He started 2000 with the Yankees’ Triple-A Columbus Clippers and went 10-12 with a 4.44 ERA. Knight led the International League with 184⅔ innings pitched and led all the minor leagues with eight complete games. He came close to making his first major-league start on July 8 against the New York Mets, but was passed up in favor of former Cy Young Award winner Dwight Gooden, then 35, who had signed with the Yankees a month earlier.28 That December, Knight was selected by the Minnesota Twins with the second pick in the Rule 5 draft, but was returned to the Yankees before the 2001 season began.29

Knight started 2001 with Columbus but was called up to the Yankees in early June with plans for him to serve in long relief.30 “We just flew right in and it seemed like I was almost eye level with the World Trade Center and the Empire State Building,” Knight told a local sportswriter about his first time arriving in New York. “I saw all the high rises. It hit me then. … I’m staying in a hotel in Manhattan and I’m taking my first subway trip. I’m getting the whole experience in one day so far. I walked into the stadium today. I’m not a really excitable guy, but I’m about to jump out of my shoes right now.”31

Knight made his major-league debut on June 5, 2001, against the Baltimore Orioles. He struck out the first batter he faced, Jerry Hairston, but then gave up back-to-back homers to Brady Anderson and Mike Bordick. Over four innings, he gave up four earned runs and eight hits while striking out four in the Yankees’ 10-3 loss. “I remember jogging to the mound at a sold-out Yankee Stadium. I made sure to take it all in. I didn’t keep my head down and try to block it out, I wanted to absorb the whole experience. As I was throwing my warm-up pitches the crowd started cheering really loud. I turned and looked at the scoreboard and it said I was making my debut. That was really cool.”32

“He got his feet wet,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said of Knight’s outing.33 

Knight’s next appearance came four days later, on June 9. He entered in the top of the ninth inning with the Yankees trailing the Atlanta Braves 8-6. He gave up two home runs in the inning and the Yankees lost 10-6. After five innings of work in the major leagues, Knight had allowed four home runs and his ERA was 10.80. “This is a chance for me to show what I can do,” Knight said. “The home runs have got to stop. I need to get groundballs. This isn’t a team that can wait for you to develop. It wants results now.”34

Five days later, Knight was back in Columbus.35 He continued to put up impressive numbers in the minors, going 12-7 with a 3.66 ERA and 173 strikeouts, which led the International League. In September, he was called back up to the Yankees.36 He came in as a reliever in the third inning on September 22 against the Orioles and allowed three earned runs in 1⅓ innings. A week later, again facing the Orioles, he gave up three earned runs, including a home run, over 4⅓ innings. After four major-league outings totaling 10⅔ innings, Knight had a 10.13 ERA and no decisions. When the regular season ended, he was not put on the Yankees’ postseason roster.37

Knight got an invitation to spring training in 2002 but was cut on March 11 and sent to the Yankees’ minor-league camp.38 “The inevitable came a little earlier than I expected,” he said. “But I understand. If you don’t, you’re a moron. I’m not upset at them for doing what baseball teams have been doing for years. All you can do is play hard and give them a reason to bring you up. … They know I’m going to work my butt off, no matter what. Last year, when I got my cup of coffee, it was a big deal. I was just happy to be there. But when I came back in September, that feeling kind of left me. I wanted to pitch. I was done with, ‘Oh, it’s great to be here. “I wanted the damn ball.”39

Knight was back in Columbus to start the 2002 season, and the Yankees decided to convert him into a closer. “He’s got a very good arm,” Mark Newman, the Yankees vice president of baseball operations, said in May. “He throws 97, he’s got a slider, and he’s athletic and competitive. … We’ll see, maybe it’s a new life for him. He never could get over the hump as a starter. We don’t want to get too geeked about it yet, but it’s been good so far.”40

“This is kind of fun,” Knight said about his new role. “You get to play every day and I always liked that.”41 The move worked out for Knight, who collected 12 saves while compiling a 3.90 ERA with Columbus. His newfound success earned him a call-up to the Yankees in early July.42 He pitched eight innings over six relief appearances for the Yankees, giving up six earned runs, walking four and striking out six. He held his opponents to a .207 batting average and a .483 slugging percentage. 

Knight was sent back down to Columbus on August 8 but was back with the Yankees less than a month later when rosters expanded.43 In his lone appearance in September, he gave up five runs on five hits and a walk to the Chicago White Sox, recording only two outs. The outing raised his ERA to 11.42. The Yankees made the playoffs again in 2002, but once again, Knight was not on the postseason roster. After 11 appearances over two years in the major leagues, he had yet to get a decision as a pitcher.

In January 2003, the Yankees sold Knight’s contract to the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks of the Japan Pacific League.44 “First year in Japan,” Knight said, “I thought to myself, ‘Oh, my God. What did I do? I shouldn’t be here.’”45 He went 6-4 with a 4.86 ERA in 16 starts for the first-place Hawks. He pitched in Game Four of the 2003 Japan Series against the Hanshin Tigers, giving up three runs in five innings and ending with a no-decision in the Hawks’ loss. (The Hawks won the Series in seven games.) The next season Knight became a reliever for the Hawks, compiling a 12.00 ERA in six appearances. After the season he signed a one-year contract with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, also of the Pacific League, for 2005.46 The deal was worth 40 million yen, plus a 10 million yen signing bonus, equivalent to approximately $450,000. He pitched to an 0-2 record and 11.12 ERA in two starts and six relief appearances.

In 2006 Knight was back in the United States after signing a minor-league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates.47 He started the season with the Double-A Altoona Curve and quickly became the team’s go-to closer, at one point pitching 20⅓ innings over 12 outings without giving up a run.48 He finished the season with an Eastern League-leading and franchise record 27 saves, in addition to a 2-7 record and 2.25 ERA.

After not getting any major-league interest before the 2007 season, Knight considered retiring from baseball, until he got a call from Brett Jodie, director of player procurement for the Somerset Patriots of the independent Atlantic League.49 “He asked if I was still interested in playing,” Knight said. “I said I was thinking about it. I wouldn’t mind. I certainly didn’t think that at 31 years old I was done.”50

Founded in 1998, the Atlantic League has eight teams and is viewed as a steppingstone to the major leagues or, in the case of players like Knight, a path to getting back to the majors. “All the times when guys say they would play for free, that’s what you’re doing here,” Knight said. (Players in the Atlantic League typically earn between $800 and $3,000 a month.) “It’s almost like some kind of baseball camp where you’re paying to play. But it certainly isn’t all about money. We’re all here playing and trying to move on and play someplace else.”51

Knight ended up joining Somerset and made his mark immediately. In his first appearance, he was told he was going to be the starter just three hours before the game. In his second appearance, he was brought in during the sixth inning with the bases loaded and no outs with his team down 7-3. He escaped the inning unscathed, and the Patriots ultimately won the game. “He won us that game in Lancaster,” Patriots manager Sparky Lyle said. “He got us out of that bases-loaded jam when nobody else could throw the ball over the plate. When he came out of the bullpen, I said, ‘This is what you do.’ And he said, ‘You’re right.’”52

“Surprise doesn’t suit me well because I’ve been starting for 11 years,” Knight said, “but if you can’t get up for a situation like the other night, there’s something wrong.”53

Knight was initially brought on to the Patriots as a reliever, but within a month he was moved to the starting rotation.54 “I like him on the mound all the time,” said second baseman Danny Garcia. “In the beginning of the game, the end of the game, it doesn’t matter. He’s got good stuff.”55

The Patriots made it to the Atlantic League championship in 2007, losing to the Newark Bears.56 Knight finished the year with a 12-5 record and a 4.03 ERA in 91⅔ innings pitched. “Baseball is a whole heck of a lot better than I expected,” he said at the time. “I knew this was basically the best league as far as talent-wise, but I really did not realize how well some of the competition was going to be.”57

The 2008 season was one of the most successful years of Knight’s career in terms of activity and achievements. He re-signed with the Patriots in March and started the season 0-2 with a 2.56 ERA over six starts but led the league with 50 strikeouts.58 In May, Knight returned to major-league baseball after signing a contract with the New York Mets.59 “I’m glad I stuck it out because it obviously paid off,” Knight said of his time in the Atlantic League. “Going to Triple A makes the decision real easy. Of course, they already have their guys who are pitching well, and I’m going to have to work hard.”60

The Mets sent Knight to the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs, where he was 5-1 with a 2.28 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 43⅓ innings. Then in July, he was named to the 2008 US Olympic Baseball team.61 A week later, he was called up to the Mets, putting his spot on the Olympic team in jeopardy, as Olympians were not allowed to be on major-league rosters.62 “They’re going to do whatever they want in the next couple of weeks,” Knight said. “I’m just going to have to let that go. This is the chance of a lifetime. I’ve already been to the big leagues. From a career standpoint, playing in the big leagues is probably better, but I can’t imagine playing in the Olympics is going to hurt my career.”63

“Major league baseball takes precedence over the Olympics,” Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. “He’s got some nice options, though.”64

Knight was given the ball on July 26 against the St. Louis Cardinals, his first start ever in the majors and his first major-league appearance in six years. He lasted five innings, giving up four earned runs with four strikeouts and two walks. He got no decision in the Mets’ 10-8 loss to the Cardinals. Two days later, he was designated for assignment, clearing the way for him to join the Olympic team.65

At 32, Knight was the oldest player on Team USA, a roster that included future major leaguers like Jake Arrieta, Stephen Strasburg, and Dexter Fowler. He started against South Korea during the group stage, allowing six runs on eight hits, two strikeouts, and two walks in 4⅓ innings, and got no decision as Team USA lost to South Korea, 8-7. His second and final start of the Olympics came on August 19 against Taiwan. Team USA entered the game with a 3-2 record and a spot in the medal round on the line. Knight went 6⅓ innings, giving up two runs on five hits, struck out five, walked two, and got the win as Team USA defeated Taiwan, 4-2, to advance to the medal round. Team USA lost to Cuba in the semifinals but beat Japan to win the bronze medal. “The Olympics were pretty unbelievable,” he said. “It was such an unexpected honor for me. I never thought I would have the chance to be on the team at my age. … Something I’ll take with me for the rest of my life.”66

Knight returned to New Orleans after the Olympics, then was called back up to the Mets in September. After a pair of one-inning relief appearances, it was announced that he would get the start on September 17 on the road against the Washington Nationals. If not for a rainout on the preceding Friday, September 12, Knight likely never would have gotten the nod. That postponement pushed Johan Santana’s start to the first game of the doubleheader on Saturday, and Manuel chose to give Jonathan Niese the ball for game two instead of Pedro Martínez, who was the original scheduled starter. Oliver Pérez pitched Sunday, followed by Martínez on Monday, bumping Mike Pelfrey to Tuesday. That created a hole in the rotation for Wednesday, which is how Knight ended up getting the call.67 Without the rain on Friday, Santana would have been on the mound that night and then again on Wednesday, meaning there would have been no need for Knight to pitch.

September 17 was perhaps the most crucial game of the Mets season up to that point. They entered riding a three-game losing streak and were a half-game behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East, their first time in second place in three weeks. With just 12 games left to play, this was a must-win for the Mets. “At this point, right now, every game counts,” Knight said before the game. “That’s the way it is in the Olympics. You lose one or two games and you’re done. I love it. This is where you want to be.”68

“I think he’s going to do well because I don’t think he will be intimidated by any means,” said Sparky Lyle. “He’s got enough self-control to know what he has to do. This is a big shot for him, but he doesn’t have anything to lose. I think he’s hungry for it.”69

Before the game, manager Jerry Manuel joked about what he was expecting from Knight: “Shutout – Nine innings of shutout ball and I won’t take anything less.”70 Knight may not have lived up to that lofty goal, but he still delivered a solid outing, allowing two earned runs on six hits, five strikeouts, and four walks in five innings. When he left the game, the Mets were up 7-2. Seven Mets pitchers followed Knight over the next four innings, only two of whom recorded three outs. Another run in the sixth and Carlos Beltrán’s solo home run in the eighth provided much-needed insurance runs, and the Mets escaped with a 9-7 victory. Seven years after his major-league debut, Knight had his first major-league win.

“I came out in the fifth inning, I went to the clubhouse and watched the rest of the game from the clubhouse,” Knight said. “I don’t remember being that nervous, but it wasn’t lost on me that it was my first MLB win.”71

After that game, the Mets went 5-6 in their final 11, finishing the season three games behind the Phillies and missing the playoffs. Knight’s win on September 17 proved to be his final major-league appearance. His career statistics were a 1-0 record, 8.62 ERA, 24 strikeouts, and 15 walks in 31⅓ innings across two starts and 13 relief appearances.

“I wasn’t even sure if I was going to play that year,” Knight said about his 2008 season. “But my wife said, ‘Just play one more year. You’re going to be mad at yourself if you don’t play one more year.’ So I play independent ball, then I get picked up by the Mets after a month or two. I was having a good season in Triple A, and that’s right around the time that I found out the Olympic team was interested in me. And then I got called up back to the big leagues before heading off to the Olympics. It catapulted me into playing baseball for six more years, after I thought I was going to be done forever.”72

Knight signed a one-year deal with the Mets in March 2009 but was sent down to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons during spring training.73 74 He went 4-9 with a 5.06 ERA in 20 appearances with Buffalo. In July he was released from the Bisons and signed with the Samsung Lions of the Korean Baseball Organization.75

“Playing [in Korea] was the best opportunity to provide for my family,” Knight said. “Being Triple A, you never know when you might get released for being too old or in the wrong position. When you play in Asia, if you are conducting yourself with class and playing well, you will have a job. That is comforting for someone who has been playing as long as I have.”76

Over 10 starts with the Lions in 2009, Knight was 6-2 with a 3.56 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 60⅔ innings. In 2010, his first full season in the KBO, he went 6-5 with a 4.54 ERA in 14 starts and seven relief outings. Before the 2011 season, Knight left the Lions and signed with the Nexen Heroes. That season he led the team in nearly every pitching category, including wins (7), losses (15), games started (30), innings pitched (172⅓), and strikeouts (115). 

The 2012 season was the best of Knight’s career from a statistical standpoint. He had a career-best 16 wins (four losses) and a 2.20 ERA, and he also pitched over 200 innings for the first time. He was selected to the KBO All Star team and he was also a finalist for the MVP award, ultimately losing to teammate ByungHo Park.77

In 2013, at the age of 37, Knight started 30 games for the third year in a row, posting a 12-10 record, tied for the team lead in wins, with a 4.43 ERA and a team-high 172⅔ innings pitched. The following year, 2014, was his last: He was released by the Heroes after going 1-2 with a 5.52 ERA in six starts to begin the season.78 Knight’s time in the KBO was the best stretch of his career; he compiled a 48-38 record with a 3.84 ERA in six seasons. 

With his playing career over, Knight said, he didn’t have any regrets over how it unfolded, but added: “If I could do it again, I would focus more on preparation, more so mental focus, in those first years. I would’ve focused a little bit on making sure I was the best pitcher I could be. … I was too content with throwing hard. I fell into the trap of being a ‘thrower,’ which you don’t want to be. I wish I would’ve focused on actually being a good pitcher.”79

In 2014 Knight worked as a scout for the KBO’s SK Wyverns before being hired back by the Nexen Heroes to be the pitching coordinator for their Futures League affiliate. “I’m super excited and eager to get back to Korea and start working,” he said.80 Two years later, he was promoted to pitching coach for the Heroes.81 Between 2018 and 2020, the team, now known as the Kiwoom Heroes, finished in the top four or better in ERA and WHIP with Knight as pitching coach. “At the end of the day, all the analytics are a supplement. The bottom line: You have to be able to pitch,” Knight said about his pitching philosophy. “If you have good vertical movements but if you can’t throw strikes, it doesn’t matter. So my main focus is making sure these guys know how to pitch, and then use analytics and data to make their pitches even better.”82

In 2021 Knight was hired as a pitching coach for the SSG Landers, the team that was previously called the SK Wyverns before they were purchased by the Shinsegae Group. “It’ll be fun. It’ll give me an opportunity to coach and teach,” he said.83 “Luckily, from a coaching standpoint, I’ve been in control of the pitching staff from the moment I started.”84

Knight has been married to his wife, Brooke (Archer), since 2004. They have four children: Brandon Jr., Bastien, Benjamin, and Brinley.85

Knight may never have put up huge numbers or received lots of accolades, but he still got to experience things in his baseball career that not many people do: winning a major-league game, winning an Olympic game and a medal, and playing in multiple countries. Ultimately, that’s a successful life spent in baseball.

“I never thought this was realistic,” Knight said of his baseball career. “It’s amazing how this game is, how life is, and how it can all change just like that.”86

Notes

1 Author interview of Brandon Knight, October 23, 2021, referred to hereafter as Knight interview.

2  “MyKBO.net Interviews Brandon Knight,” MyKBO, August 22, 2012. https://sites.google.com/site/mykbonet/interviews/mykbonetinterviewsbrandonknight

3 MyKBO, 2012.

4 “High School Baseball,” Los Angeles Times, March 7, 1992: C17.

5 “Valley Sports,” Los Angeles Times, June 11, 1992: C11.

6 “Junior College Baseball,” Los Angeles Times, February 3, 1994: C9.

7 “Final Area Junior College Baseball Statistics,” Los Angeles Times, July 14, 1994: C15.

8 “College Signings,” Los Angeles Times, December 4, 1994: C11.

9 “College Roundup,” Los Angeles Times, April 9, 1995: C13.

10 Fernando Dominguez, “Knight Has Two-Edged Sword,” Los Angeles Times, April 20, 1995: C8-10.

11 Dominguez.

12 Dominguez.

13 “Valley Sports,” Los Angeles Times, February 2, 1996: C11.

14 Knight interview.

15 “Knight Gets Everything Together,” Los Angeles Times, May 22, 1997: C10.

16 “Knight Gets Everything Together.”

17 “Knight Gets Everything Together.”

18 Johnny Paul, “Around the Farm,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, June 20, 1997: D5.

19 “Knight Gets Everything Together.”

20 “Rangers Increase Roster,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, November 21, 1997: C5.

21 “Transactions,” Los Angeles Times, January 10, 1998: C10.

22 Johnny Paul, “Rangers report,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, June 20, 1998: D4.

23 Johnny Paul, “Knight Changes Ways – and Gets Better,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, May 2, 1999: C4.

24 Paul.

25 “Transactions,” Austin American-Statesman, January 20, 1999: D4.

26 T.R. Sullivan, “Ranghers Acquire Curtis,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, December 14, 1999: D1.

27 Sullivan.

28 Anthony McCarron, “Doctor Feel Good,” New York Daily News, August 6, 2000: 86.

29 “Baseball,” Los Angeles Times, December 12, 2000: D10.

30 Peter Botte, “Mendoza Gets Nod, Knight Receives Call,” New York Daily News, June 3, 2001: 64.

31 Brian Heyman, “Knight Wants to Enjoy Time with Yankees,” White Plains (New York) Journal News, June 4, 2001: C5.

32 MyKBO.

33 Associated Press, “Orioles Bomb Yankees,” Glens Falls (New York) Post-Star, June 6, 2001.

34 John Delcos, “Yanks’ Pen Running Dry,” White Plains (New York) Journal News, June 10, 2001: C5.

35 Associated Press, “Yankees Rough Up Ex-Mate Irabu,” Binghamton New York) Press and Sun Bulletin, June 14, 2001.

36 “Deals,” Elmira (New York) Star-Gazette, September 5, 2001: B2.

37 “Former ‘Gade Left Off Roster,” Poughkeepsie Journal, October 11, 2001: E4.

38 Anthony McCarron, “For Sterling, There’s a Hitch,” New York Daily News, March 11, 2002: 71.

39 Vic Ziegel, “The Cheers Begin Here,” New York Daily News, March 31, 2002: 58.

40 “Pen Makes for Good Knight,” New York Daily News, May 5, 2002: 90.

41 “Pen Makes for Good Knight.”

42 Associated Press, “Thome Homers; Yanks Win,” Glens Falls (New York) Post-Star, July 4, 2002.

43 “Clemens Looks Sharp,” Orlando Sentinel, August 8, 2002: D4.

44 “Transactions,” Los Angeles Times, January 3, 2003: D18.

45 Knight interview.

46 “Fighters Finalize New Contracts,” Japan Times, January 18, 2005.

47 “Curve Opens 2006 Season Tonight,” Tyrone (Pennsylvania) Daily Herald, April 6, 2006: 5.

48 “Curve Lose Two to Cats,” Indiana (Pennsylvania) Gazette, June 4, 2006: C4.

49 Melissa Chodan, “Different Talent Pools, Different Rules Mark Independent Leagues,” Bridgewater (New Jersey) Courier-News, August 26, 2007: C4.

50 Chodan.

51 Chodan.

52 Ryan Dunleavy, “Knight Could Help Patriots Bullpen,” Bridgewater (New Jersey) Courier-News, June 12, 2007: C1.

53 Dunleavy, “Knight Could Help.”

54 Dunleavy, “Pats Spot Knight Big Early Lead,” Bridgewater Courier-News, July 18, 2007: C1.

55 Dunleavy, “Pats Spot Knight Big Early Lead.”

56 Dunleavy, “Patriots Focused on Season’s Successes,” Bridgewater Courier-News, September 26, 2007: C1.

57 Chodan.

58 “Pats Re-Sign Former Yankee Knight,” Bridgewater Courier-News, March 12, 2008: C2.

59 Ryan Dunleavy, “Knight, Minix Leaving,” Bridgewater Courier-News, May 28, 2008: C7.

60 “Knight, Minix Leaving.”

61 “Around the Horn,” Bridgewater Courier-News, July 18, 2008: C3.

62 Ryan Dunleavy, “Knight to Pitch for Mets,” Bridgewater Courier-News, July 25, 2008: C4.

63  “Knight to Pitch for Mets.”

64 Stefan Bondy, “Enjoying a Minor Miracle,” Passaic (New Jersey) Herald-News, July 26, 2008: E5.

65 Ryan Dunleavy, “Knight Designated for Assignment,” Bridgewater Courier-News, July 28, 2008: C4.

66 MyKBO, 2012.

67 Steve Popper, “Extra rest,” Hackensack (New Jersey) Record, September 14, 2008: S5.

68 David Lennon, “Much Power, but Little to Spare,” Long Island Newsday, September 18, 2008: A66.

69 Ryan Dunleavy, “It’s Knight’s Time,” Bridgewater Courier-News, July 26, 2008: D1.

70 Steve Popper, “Mets Keep Eyes on Prize with Victory,” Hackensack Record, September 18, 2008: S1.

71 Knight interview.

72 Ben Tully, “BrandonKnight: A One of a Kind Hero,” A Frozen Rope to the Hot Corner, August 9, 2020. https://frozenropeblog.wordpress.com/.

73 “Transactions,” Hackensack Record, March 2, 2009: S10.

74 “Transactions,” Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, March 23, 2009: D2.

75 “Knight Flight,” New York Daily News, July 27, 2009: 51.

76 MyKBO, 2012.

77 Moon Gwang-lip, “Despite Tough Season, Nexen Has Its Heroes,” Korea JoongAng Daily, October 3, 2012.

78 Yoo Jee-ho, “Nexen Heroes Bring Back Ex-Pitcher Knight as Minor League Coach,” Yonhap News Agency, November 3, 2015. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20151103005400315.

79 Knight interview.

80 “Nexen Heroes Bring Back Ex-Pitcher Knight as Minor League Coach.”

81 Yonhap News Agency, “Ex-U.S. Pitcher Promoted as Pitching Coach for Former KBO Club,” Korea Herald, July 31, 2017.

82 Yoo Jee-ho, “Armed with Strong Bullpen, American Pitching Coach Confident His KBO Club Will Contend Again,” Yonhap News Agency, April 24, 2020. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20200424002200315.

83 Yoo Jee-ho, “New Coach for Newly Named KBO Team Embraces Opportunity to Teach,” Yonhap News Agency, March 17, 2021. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210317005200315.

84 Knight interview.

85 Knight interview.

86 “Enjoying a Minor Miracle.”