Brian Lee Traxler (September 26, 1967 – November 19, 2004) was a first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers during their 1990 season.

Traxler expected to look for another coaching job at the upcoming Winter Meetings, but he died of alcohol-related liver disease on November 19 at the age of 37.

Brian Lee Traxler was born in Waukegan, Illinois, on September 26, 1967 to parents Floyd (nicknamed "Sandy") and Ruth.

His father started playing baseball with him while he was a toddler, and by the age of four, he was demonstrating "keen hand-eye coordination," according to Traxler biographer Rory Costello.

Next season, he hit 20 as the Privateers reached the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) South Division II Regional Tournament.

He was a candidate to play in the 1987 Pan American Games for Team USA, but shin splints kept him from participating.

He finished his junior season in 1988 with 14 home runs as the Privateers advanced to the NCAA Central Regional, where they were eliminated by the University of Michigan Wolverines.

The 400th overall pick, he was a long shot to reach the major leagues, but his chances were aided when fellow first base prospect Eric Karros negotiated for a higher-paying contract.

[4] Midway through the season, he was promoted to the Triple-A Albuquerque Dukes of the Pacific Coast League (PCL).

Nicknamed "El Gordito" by the fans, a reference to his heavy build, he batted .301 with four home runs and 39 RBI in 57 games.

"[5] The Dodgers were worried about the fact that he weighed over 200 pounds, and manager Tommy Lasorda advised him to get in better shape.

With Kal Daniels temporarily unavailable due to a twisted side, the Dodgers desired another left-handed bat on the roster.

[1][3] He made his MLB debut on April 24, 1990, replacing Eddie Murray at first base after the veteran was ejected from the game by umpire Harry Wendelstedt.

In his lone at bat of the contest, he struck out against Bob Tewksbury, but the Dodgers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 3–0.

[7][8] Still batting .000 after his first six games, Traxler got his first career hit on May 10 with a pinch-hit double against Dennis Martínez in an 8–2 loss to the Expos.

[1] In his ninth game for the Dodgers, on May 21, he played first base for only the third time when he replaced Mickey Hatcher for the final two innings of a 12–3 loss to the Mets.

After the season, Traxler returned to the Leones del Caracas, but he batted just .217 this time while only playing 27 games.

His .333 batting average was fourth in the league (behind Jim Lindeman's .362, teammate Jerry Brooks's .344, and Brian Johnson's .339), his 81 runs scored were ninth, his 147 hits were fifth, his 36 doubles were tied with Kurt Abbott and Luis López for third (behind James Mouton's 42 and Steve Hosey's 40), his 16 home runs were tied with four other players for eighth, and his 83 RBI were ninth in the league.

[1] Entering the 1994 season, the Colorado Rockies were interested in acquiring Traxler, though they only planned to use him as a pinch hitter.

Instead, Traxler cut his season in Puerto Rico short, signing with the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League in Nippon Professional Baseball.

[1] Traxler did not hit quite as well in the second half of the season, finishing the year with a .263 average, 15 home runs, and 29 RBI in 129 games.

He did not return to Fukuoka in 1995, as the Hawks replaced him with former NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Kevin Mitchell at first base.

In his six seasons with the Dukes, Traxler set team records for most games played (544), doubles (122), and total bases (829) in a career.

He started the 1998 season with the Somerset Patriots of the newly formed, independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

[4] Traxler's contract with Somerset included a clause that allowed him to opt out if he got offered a spot on a team at a higher level.

He took advantage of this clause in early July, when he went to Taiwan to join the Ho-Hsin Whales of the Chinese Professional Baseball League.

On June 19, he hit two home runs in an inning against the Bridgeport Bluefish at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard.

[3] On November 4, 2004, Traxler was taken to North Central Baptist Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, with alcohol-related liver disease.

A woman who "loved baseball" by her own admission, she would hit him ground balls and pitch batting practice for him during his offseason workouts.

He was "gregarious and approachable, the type of player that fans of all stripes could relate to," according to the Home News Tribune.