Branden Florence, OF

B-T: R-R

HT: 6-0

WT: 200

BORN: April 3, 1978, Tacoma, WA

RESIDES: Boise, ID

HOW OBTAINED: Signed by Phillies as a minor league free agent, 1/19/06; originally signed by SF as a non-drafted free agent, 5/14/01

EDUCATION: Attended Albertsons College (ID) ... 2007: Spent season with Reading (AA) ... Appeared in 10 games before going on the DL for remainder of the season with a left bicep strain, 4/23... 2006: Began the season with Clearwater (A) ... Led the Florida State League in hits, was 2nd in batting average, and 3rd in RBI ... Became the Threshers’ single-season hit leader with his 155th hit of the season, 8/28 vs Fort Myers, passing Rusty McNamara (1998) ... Tied a career high with 30 doubles ... After 7/4, his batting average never dipped below .300 ... Had a 12-game hit streak, 7/28-8/9 (.447, 21-47, 6 R, 2 HR, 15 RBI), including 7 straight games with an RBI, 7/28-8/4 ... Phillies Minor League Player of the Week, 7/31-8/6 (.481, 13-27, 5 R, 2 HR, 9 RBI) ... In 28 July games, hit .389 (42-108) with 11 runs, 6 doubles and 22 RBI ... Hit .349 (111-318) with 29 R, 18 2B, 4 HR and 63 RBI over his last three months (6/1-9/3) ... Hit .332 (125-337) with 6 HR and 65 RBI vs RHP and .311 (37-119) vs LHP ... In 64 home games, he hit .375 (90-240) with 6 HR and 45 RBI ... Had 50 multi-hit games including 16 three-hit games ... Promoted to Reading (AA) in September and appeared in one game ... 2005: Spent entire season with Frederick (A) ... Played 55 games as DH and hit .338 ... Hit a career-high 16 HR in 283 at-bats (1 HR/17.6 AB) ... Had 9 RBI over a 2-game span, 7/4-5 at Lynchburg, including a 2-homer game, 7/4 ... Also had a season-high 15-game hit streak, 7/4-27 (.449, 26-58, 6 HR, 16 RBI) ... Reached base safely in 20 of 21 games in July and batted .410 (32-78) ... Had 26 multi-hit games including seven 3-hit games ... 2004: Released by SF, 4/2 ... Began year with Pennsylvania of the independent Atlantic League ... Signed by BAL, 6/2, and assigned to Frederick ... Hit safely in 42 of his first 47 games ... Served as DH in 58 of 63 games ... Transferred to Bowie (AA), 8/19, where he spent remainder of the season ... 2003: Spent season at San Jose (A) and was 2nd on team in hitting ... T-2nd on club in RBI, despite missing the final month of the season ... 2002: Spent most of season at Hagerstown (A) and finished 7th in South Atlantic League in avg ... 2001: Hit safely in 23 of 32 games for Salem-Keizer (A )... Had 3 hits and a HR in his pro debut, 6/19 vs Boise.

CAREER STATISTICS: *League leader

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