Ryan Raburn

After the season, Baseball America ranked Raburn as the Tigers' 25th-best prospect.

Ryan Neil Raburn (born April 17, 1981) is an American former professional baseball outfielder.

He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies and Washington Nationals.

While primarily an outfielder, he played every position except for catcher and shortstop during his career.

Raburn attended Durant High School in Plant City, Florida.

Following his prep career, he was selected in the 18th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball draft by his hometown Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Raburn, however, chose not to sign, opting instead to play for the University of Florida before transferring to South Florida Community College.

After two seasons of college baseball, the Detroit Tigers selected Raburn in the 5th round of the 2001 Major League Baseball draft.

Raburn signed and began playing in the minor leagues at third base, his natural position.

He originally was a member of the Gulf Coast League Tigers, but was brought up to play on the Oneonta Tigers in July 2001.

In 2001, Raburn was a part of Baseball America's short-season all-star team.

At one point, he was the New York–Penn League's player of the week and his eight triples were the most in that league during the season.

However, Raburn also committed 23 errors, which tied for the league most by third basemen.

After the 2001 season was over, Baseball America named Raburn as Detroit's 18th-best prospect.

Raburn began 2002 unable to play because of a right hip strain.

In July, he got back into action with a rehab stint in the Gulf Coast League.

On July 17, he joined the West Michigan Whitecaps.

He immediately started an eight-game hitting streak that lasted until July 25.

During that stretch, Raburn posted a .355 batting average and drove in eight runs.

During the 2002 season, Raburn appeared in 40 games with West Michigan.

He batted .220, hit six home runs and totaled 28 runs batted in.

Raburn started off the 2003 season with West Michigan, but he appeared in only 16 games for the Whitecaps before moving on to the Lakeland Tigers in late April.

In his 95 games with Lakeland, he batted .222, with 12 homers and 56 RBI.

In 2004, the Tigers, lacking depth in the middle infield, moved Raburn to second base.

Raburn was a September call-up during the 2004 season for the Tigers.

He made his big league debut on September 12 and struck out in his first at bat.

On September 16, Raburn got his first hit, an RBI double on a pitch from Cleveland Indians pitcher CC Sabathia.

Raburn returned to the major leagues for the first time since 2004 when Tigers utility infielder Neifi Pérez was suspended 25 games after testing positive for amphetamine usage.

Raburn had a two-out RBI single in his first at bat of that season.

On July 25 against the Chicago White Sox, Raburn went 4–5 with two home runs, a double and a single and had a total of seven RBIs.

Raburn spent the entire 2005 season with Toledo, posting a .253 batting average and hitting 19 home runs in 130 games.

He committed the most errors (21) by any second baseman in the International League.

During the postseason, he batted .348 and drove in 3 runs.

Following the 2006 season, the Tigers chose to not add Raburn to the 40-man roster.

This left him unprotected in the Rule 5 draft, allowing any team to add him for a cost of $50,000, provided he spent the entire season on a major league roster.

Raburn was not selected and returned to the Tigers and their Triple-A affiliate Toledo Mud Hens.

Raburn earned the 2007 Tigers Rookie of the Year award from the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association.

For the first time in his career, Raburn started the season on Detroit's opening day roster.

After getting into one game as a pinch runner, Raburn was sent down to Toledo on April 5.

He was rated by Baseball America as the 18th-best minor league prospect for the Tigers at season's end.