He's on his way to Seattle and he gets the spotlight in the latest episode of the December Double POTD!

Brandon League gets set to deliver a pitch against the Angels on Flashback Friday August 21st at Rogers Centre. 

League gets ready to fire again in his next appearance against the Rays August 24th.

The 26 year-old native of Sacramento leaves the Blue Jays nest after being traded to Seattle along with minor league outfielder Johermyn Chavez in exchange for right-handed starter/reliever Brandon Morrow.  After being the team's second round pick in the 2001 amateur draft, League began his pro career in Medicine Hat as a starter and didn't move to the pen until reaching New Hampshire in 2004.  It was in September of that year he made his major league debut and he was the youngest player in the American League that season at the age of 20.  League gave up just one hit in 1 1/3 shutout innings against the Yankees September 21st in his first ever appearance.  The next night, he picked up his first hold with two-thirds of a scoreless inning against the Yanks despite a hit and a walk but he whiffed Gary Sheffield for his first big league "K".  In his third and final appearance of '04, he earned his first major league "W" with 2 2/3 shutout innings as he gave up just one hit to the Orioles at Camden Yards September 27th.

The Jays number one prospect according to Baseball America heading into the 2005 season, the hard-throwing righty didn't live up to the hype that year as he gave up runs in four of his five April appearances.  That led to a demotion to Syracuse where ten of his 19 appearances came as a starter.  Despite going 4-4 with a 5.71 ERA in AAA, he was called back up to Toronto where he finished the year with a 1-0 record and 6.56 ERA.

League was able to rediscover his mojo in '06 as he went 3-2 with a 2.14 with Syracuse to go along with eight saves.  That led to a return to Toronto in early July where he went on to make 33 appearances with an ERA of 2.53 and a dozen holds to go along with a 1-2 record.  He picked up his first major league save with four shutout innings August 7th against the Orioles at Rogers Centre. Unfortunately, the '06 offseason was a disaster as he overdeveloped his muscles in his right shoulder during off-season conditioning.  That caused a loss of velocity from his nearly 100 MPH sinker.  He spent the majority of 2007 in the minors and made just 14 appearances with the big club where he strugged to a 6.17 ERA.

The 2008 season tested League's mettle again.  His second appearance of the year resulted in an extra innings loss to Oakland and he eventually found himself back in the minors with Syracuse.  League went 2-3 with a 3.93 ERA, collected a pair of saves and nearly had a K per inning with 32 in 34 1/3 innings.  Called up the day after Canada Day, League got back into the groove and finished with a 1-2 record and a 2.18 ERA along with a save.

The 2009 campaign was a mixed bag for League.  He avoided going to the minors and averaged slightly better than a "K" per inning for the first time in his career with 76 punchouts in 74 2/3 innings.  However, he won just three of nine decisions and his ERA was 4.58.  League was also sixth in the American League in wild pitches with nine.  His final outing as a Jay was one to forget.  He took the loss October 4th when he threw away a Jeff Fiorentino bunt and allowed the winning run to score as the Orioles beat the Jays at Camden Yards in the season finale.

League's greatest strength is inducing ground balls as evidenced by a ground ball rate ranging anywhere from 50 to 60 percent during his time with the Jays.  I'm sure he'll kill his share of worms in Seattle as he should have success throwing his sinkers, sliders and splitters in pitcher-friendly Safeco Field. 

When League was on, there's nobody else you'd rather have on the mound.  However, when he was off - oy vey!  Still, all the best to Brandon League in the state of Washington!  I'll never look at Hawaiian Punch the same way again!