Danny Putnam #26

Daniel Christopher Putnam was originally signed by A's scout Scott Kidd...graduated from Rancho Bernardo (CA) High School in 2001 when he was named *USA Today* California High School Player of the Year...attended Stanford University where he was a .345 career hitter with 33 home runs and 138 RBI in 157 games over three seasons...was a two-time All Pac-10 Selection, hitting .348 with 16 home runs and 66 RBI as a sophomore in 2003 and .378 with 16 home runs and 62 RBI as a junior in 2004...was selected by the A's as a compensation pick following the first round of the June, 2004 draft for the loss of free agent Keith Foulke to Boston.

2007

Was one of nine players to make his Major League debut with the A's in 2007 and batted .214 with one home run and two RBI in 11 games...was part of the A's first roster move of the season as he was selected from Double-A Midland on April 23 when Milton Bradley went on the disabled list...made his debut that night at Baltimore with a start in right field and went 1 for 4...struck out in his first at bat, but then singled off Erik Bedard in the fifth inning for his first ML hit...collected his first RBI the next day against the Orioles with a bases loaded walk in the sixth inning...went 3 for 24 (.125) over his first 10 games...then had his first three-hit game and hit his first ML home run in a 3 for 4 performance on May 10 at Kansas City...hit a solo home run in the seventh inning off Neal Musser but was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento the next day...appeared in all three outfield positions for Oakland and made four starts in center field and three in right field...went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position...batted a combined .250 with five home runs, 38 RBI and a career high three stolen bases in 73 games with four different teams in the A's farm system...started the year at Midland, played for Sacramento following his option from Oakland and had rehab stints with Single-A Stockton and the A's affiliate in the Arizona Rookie League following a stint on the disabled list...his batting average included a .271 (52 for 192) mark against right-handed pitching and .188 (12 for 64) against left-handers...hit .239 with runners in scoring position...appeared in 28 games in right field, 26 in left field and 15 in center field...was also 4 for 16 (.250) in four games at designated hitter and 0 for 2 as a pinch hitter...began the year at Midland and hit .327 with two home runs and 15 RBI in 13 games before his promotion to Oakland...hit safely in 12 of those games, including each of the last nine (12 for 35, .343)...went 2 for 4 with a home run and a season high five RBI in his final Double-A game on April 22 against San Antonio...was sent to Sacramento following his option from Oakland on May 11 and hit .216 with one home run and 17 RBI in 51 games with the River Cats...went 5 for 26 (.192) with two RBI over his first nine games before fracturing his left finger...was placed on the seven-day disabled list on May 26...went 6 for 19 (.316) with a home run and one RBI in six games with the A's affiliate in the Arizona Rookie League from June 27 to July 3, and 4 for 14 (.286) with a home run and five RBI in three games with Stockton from July 4 to 6...returned to Sacramento on July 7 and hit .221 over his final 42 games...batted .184 in 24 games in August, which included a 1 for 22 stretch from August 20 to 27...then hit .217 (5 for 23) with a triple, three home runs and seven RBI in seven postseason games for the River Cats.

2005

Spent his first full professional season with Single-A Stockton of the California League and batted .307 with 37 doubles, 15 home runs and 100 RBI in 131 games...added 66 walks for a .388 on-base percentage...led the A's farm system in RBI and ranked fifth in batting...ranked fourth in the CL in runs scored (97) and was fifth in RBI...led Stockton in runs, hits (158) and RBI...batted .311 (115 for 370) against right-handed pitchers and .299 (43 for 144) against left-handers...his average improved to .350 (57 for 163) with runners in scoring position, including .366 (26 for 71) with RISP and two outs...was just 3 for 16 (.188) with the bases loaded but had 18 RBI, including a grand slam on June 11 against Bakersfield...never batted under .287 in a month as he hit .305 in April, .287 in May, .296 in June, .329 in July and .328 in August...his average never dropped below .283 after April 13...had six home runs and 27 RBI in 24 games in June...hit .331 (82 for 248) at home and .286 (76 for 266) on the road...appeared in 105 games in left field, 25 in right field and two in center field...had 10 assists as an outfielder...hit in every spot in the order from two through seven and saw his most action with 46 games batting clean-up (57 for 183, .311)...had his first of two two-homer games on May 1 against Lancaster...the second two-homer game came on June 11 at Bakersfield when he also had a season high seven RBI...had 14 RBI over a five-game span from June 8 to 13...went 4 for 6 with four runs scored and three RBI on June 16 against San Jose...it was his lone four-hit game of the season but he also scored four runs three games later on June 19 against Rancho Cucamonga...scored a total of 14 runs over a six-game span from June 16-21...had a season best 10-game hitting streak from August 23 to September 2 (18 for 45, .400)...was transferred to Double-A Midland on September 6 and hit .314 (11 for 35) with a home run and five RBI in nine postseason games for the Texas League Champions.

2004

Played for Single-A Vancouver and Single-A Kane County in his first professional season and combined to hit .232 with nine homeruns and 30 RBI in 60 games...added 43 walks for a .376 on-base percentage...began the year at Vancouver and batted .289 with a .481 on-base percentage in 11 games, all in left field...his first two professional homers came in back-to-back games on July 5 and 6 at Everett...singled and walked four times in five plate appearances on July 14 at Boise...was promoted to Kane County on July 16 and hit .219 with seven home runs and 27 RBI in 49 games...appeared in 43 games in left field but was also 4 for 15 (.267) in four games at designated hitter and 2 for 3 (.667) as a pinch hitter...hit .303 (20 for 66) over his first 20 games but went 15 for 94 (.160) over his final 29 games...then hit .375 (15 for 40) with six doubles, a home run, eight RBI and eight runs scored in 10 postseason games for the Cougars.