Braden LaVerne Looper (born October 28, 1974) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for several teams between 1998 and 2009.
He made his major league debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 31, 1998, striking out the side in a relief appearance.
Toward the end of the 2003 season, as the Marlins were in a pennant race that culminated in a World Series win, Looper faltered and was replaced as closer by Ugueth Urbina.
[2] On December 15, 2005, Looper signed a three-year, $13.5M contract with the Cardinals to set up star closer and former Met Jason Isringhausen.
Primarily an eighth inning setup man, Looper posted a 9-3 record as the team's bullpen wins leader.
[5] In his first season as a starter, Looper reached career highs in wins (12), innings pitched (175), and strikeouts (84) in 30 starts (31 total appearances).
After not pitching in the 2010 season, Looper was a non-roster invitee of the Chicago Cubs to spring training as a candidate to be either a starter or reliever on the team.