Fastball

Longtime MLB Veteran Making Shocking Decision in Order to Extend Career

After multiple call-ups to the big leagues this season as a utility player, Atlanta Braves minor leaguer and longtime veteran Charlie Culberson is trying to make it as a pitcher.

Brady Farkas

Longtime MLB Veteran Making Shocking Decision in Order to Extend Career
Longtime MLB Veteran Making Shocking Decision in Order to Extend Career /
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Longtime major league veteran Charlie Culberson is looking to make it back to the big leagues as a pitcher.

Currently in Triple-A with the Atlanta Braves organization, Culberson has said he's making the decision to extend his career.

"Battery Power," a Braves-centered site, did a great job at providing the information:

Long-time position player Charlie Culberson is attempting to transition to pitching. In an interview with Dave Lezotte, the play-by-play voice of the Gwinnett Stripers, prior to yesterday’s game, Culberson announced that he is working to transition to a pitcher.

Culberson told Lezotte that he’d like to be a two-way player but is trying to do as much as he can to extend his career. The transition - which he is working on with the Braves organization - started in April but was interrupted by two call-ups to the major league roster.

The 34-year-old reportedly has the blessing of the Braves to undertake this. He made his major league debut in 2012 and has appeared in the majors in every season with the exception of 2015. He's played for the Giants, Rockies, Dodgers, Braves and Rangers and has always offered valuable defensive versatility.

He's a lifetime .248 hitter who has recorded 301 career hits and 30 career homers.

He's 1-for-1 at the big league level this year.

The Braves are 99-55 on the season and have already wrapped up the National League East crown. They play a doubleheader on Sunday against the Washington Nationals. 

First pitch of Game 1 is set for 1:35 p.m. ET.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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