Iona Prep's Moran brothers face off against each other, make MLB history

It has been a long journey for Brian Moran.

The 30-year-old, who starred at Iona Prep over a decade ago, recently received his first major league call-up from the Miami Marlins after toiling in the minors for years, including stints in independent leagues.

The left-handed pitcher made his debut Thursday night, coming into a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fourth inning.

Not only that, he got to face his younger brother, Colin. And in the process, he made history.

Brian struck out Colin in the encounter, freezing him with a full-count slider. It marked the first time in MLB history since 1900 that a player making his debut faced off against his brother in an at-bat.

"It's incredible," Brian Moran said. "I think the last three days have been some of the most exciting, moving days that I've experienced. I don't think you could dream up a cooler situation. I'm so excited I got to share it with my family. I got to get out on a big league mound."

Since 1900, a player making his debut against his brother's team has happened only seven times. The last time was June 7, 1998,  when Alex Cora debuted for the Dodgers opposite against the Mariners, who had his brother Joey.

"He's been my inspiration my whole life," Colin Moran said. "He's never given up. That's kind of been the theme of his career. I would've given up, probably. A lesser man would have given up with the road he's had to go through."

Brian Moran pitched out the rest of his debut inning before being relieved, giving up no hits and no walks. He was 2-3 with a 3.15 ERA in 43 appearances for Triple-A New Orleans this season. He made his professional debut in Seattle's farm system at the rookie level in 2009.

"There's a certain element of it being meant to be," said Brian, who blew a kiss to his wife, Jackie, as he came off the field. "It's been everything and more. It's worth the wait, and I couldn't be more excited."

Colin Moran, a third baseman who also starred at Iona Prep, came into Thursday's game with a .286 average, to go with 17 home runs and 77 RBIs.

The Morans are Rye natives. Brian capped his senior year at Iona Prep in 2006 by winning The Journal News Westchester/Putnam Player of the Year. Colin graduated Iona Prep in 2010, was a star at North Carolina before being picked No. 6 overall in the 2013 draft by the Marlins.

They are also the nephews of B.J. Surhoff, a former Rye High School star who played 19 seasons in the major leagues and was an All-Star. Their grandfather, Dick Surhoff, played for the New York Knicks in the 1950s.

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Journal News/lohud reporter Josh Thomson and the Associated Press contributed to this story.