Brian Omogrosso

 

Brian Omogrosso was a relief pitcher for the White Sox in 2012 and 2013.

Brian Scott Omogrosso was born April 26, 1984, in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. At Blackhawk High School in Beaver Falls he starred in baseball, basketball, and football (at tight end and linebacker) and graduated in 2002; he was also an all-star in American Legion ball. 

He then went to Indiana State, where he pitched and also played first base. In 2006, after being named a relief pitcher on the second team of the All-Missouri Valley Conference team, he was drafted in the sixth round of the June free agent draft by the White Sox. He spent what was left of the season with the Kannapolis Intimidators of the Class A Sally League, relieving in 22 games with a 3.19 ERA in 36 2/3 innings.

In 2007 Brian moved up to the Winston-Salem Warthogs in the Carolina League, class Advanced A. He was moved into the starting rotation in mid-season, and wound up with a 3.74 ERA in 120 1/3 innings in 40 games, 14 of them starts; he struck out 108 while walking 57, hitting 14 batters, and throwing 15 wild pitches. For 2008 he graduated to the Class AA Southern League and the Birmingham Barons—I assume he spent some time on the disabled list, as he only pitched 39 innings in 17 games, five of them starts. His ERA was 3.69.

Brian returned to Birmingham in 2009 and had a 4.19 ERA in 13 starts, then finished the season with AAA Charlotte where he had a 15.88 ERA in four relief appearances, ending the year on the disabled list. Still, in November the White Sox purchased his contract from Charlotte, putting him on the 40-man protected major league roster. At some point he had shoulder surgery.

In March 2010 Brian signed a major league contract, then soon after was optioned to the Charlotte roster. The season began with him on the disabled list, still trying to recover from the surgery. In late August he was activated for a rehab assignment with Bristol of the Rookie class Appalachian League; he pitched two scoreless innings over two games, then reported back to Birmingham, where he allowed one earned run in three innings before the season ended.

Brian went back to Birmingham for 2011. He had a 2.53 ERA in 43 innings in 31 relief appearances, with 53 strikeouts, before being moved up to Charlotte on July 26. There his ERA was 4.03, in 22 1/3 innings in 11 games, including one start. On November 5 he got married. That winter he played for La Guaira in the Venezuelan Winter League.

In 2012 Brian went to spring training to compete for a job in the White Sox’ bullpen, but was reassigned to the minor league camp in mid-March. He pitched for Charlotte until June 29, when he was called up when Brian Bruney was placed on the DL. Our Brian made his major league debut at home on July 3 against the Rangers, replacing starter Chris Sale with one out and one on in the eighth; he allowed the inherited runner and a runner of his own to score, then finished up a 19-2 Chicago victory.

Brian made four more appearances before being sent back to Charlotte on July 21. He finished up the season with the Knights (4.56 ERA, 33 games, 47 1/3 innings, 59 strikeouts, a career-high nine saves) and then returned to Chicago. He got into 12 more games, making 17 for the season with the White Sox, and got his ERA down to 2.57 over 21 innings.

Brian signed a new White Sox contract in February 2013 and went to spring training. From the March 22 Arlington Heights Daily Herald:

…Brian Omogrosso is an obvious candidate to replace [RH reliever Jesse] Crain.

“I got a chance to pitch up here last year, and I think I showed what I can do,” said Omogrosso, who had a 2.57 ERA in 17 games with the White Sox in 2012. “If I am Plan B, that’s fine with me.”

This spring Omogrosso has not allowed an earned run in 10 2/3 Cactus League innings.

But he’s not a proven commodity, so the Sox are hoping Crain finally gets healthy and stays that way…

Brian was optioned to Charlotte at the end of spring training, but was recalled on May 1. He made 11 relief appearances through June 5 with an ERA of 5.14, then was optioned back to Charlotte. On June 21 he was recalled again; on the 28^th he allowed nine earned runs in 2 1/3 innings, exploding his ERA from 5.14 to 9.37. The next day he was returned to Charlotte, but didn’t get into a game—on July 12 he was placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 29 with a right triceps strain. The 15 days was optimistic, though, as on August 5 he had season-ending surgery “to remove loose bodies and shave down a bone spur in his throwing (right) elbow.” At the time it was reported that he was expected to start throwing in 8-10 weeks. On September 3 he was moved to the 60-day DL, and on October 3 the White Sox assigned his contract to Charlotte, meaning he would not be protected from the off-season draft.

In mid-January 2014 Brian signed a minor league contract, though he was invited to major league spring training. On March 5 he was reassigned to the minor league camp; eventually he was released. In early April he pitched in a showcase for other major league teams, but nothing came of it. He did pitch in seven games for the Bridgeport Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League, but his ERA was 13.50 and he retired in late May. Since 2017 he has been a sales executive for Doing Better Business, Inc., in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

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