Brant Brown
From Sports Library
| Brant Brown | ||
|---|---|---|
| Outfielder | ||
| Born: June 22 1971 (age 37) | ||
| Batted: Left | Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | ||
| June 15, 1996 for the Chicago Cubs | ||
| Final game | ||
| August 29, 2000 for the Chicago Cubs | ||
| Career statistics | ||
| Batting average | .247 | |
| Home runs | 45 | |
| RBI | 146 | |
| Teams | ||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||
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Brant Michael Brown is a former professional baseball player. He was born on June 22, 1971, in Porterville, California. He was 6'3" and 205 pounds, and threw and batted left handed.
Brown, an outfielder, attended Monache High School, which has also seen names like Rance Mulliniks and Steve Cox. He later attended Fresno State University.
In 1992, Brown was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 3rd round (81st overall). Perhaps he had his best minor league seasons within the first two years of his signing:
In his first season, he hit a respectable .274. But the next year, he hit .342 with A-Daytona and AA-Orlando.
A few years later, he made his major league debut. On June 15, 1996, at the age of 24, he saw his first glimpse of the majors. His first season was a success; he his .304 in 69 at bats. As a first baseman, his future with the Cubs was limited as Mark Grace was in the middle of his run as Cubs' first baseman. Brown learned the outfielder, and played left and even center field during the 1998 season. That season was Brown's best, as he hit .291 with 14 home runs, 48 RBI and an .849 OPS. His performance at the plate was overshadowed by the defensive play that made him infamous.
On September 23, 1998, Brown dropped a routine fly ball in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, the bases loaded and his team leading by two runs. The winning run scored easily on the play, and the Cubs stayed tied for the lead in the Wild Card race when they could have led by a game with three to go. The radio call of this play by Cubs radio announcers Pat Hughes and Ron Santo has been replayed numerous times, as Santo let out a gutteral "No!" as Brown misplayed the fly ball. Coincidentally, the error came 90 years to the day of Fred Merkle's baserunning mistake, which led to the Cubs ultimately winning the National League pennant and, to date, their last World Series title.
After the dropped fly ball, Brown only saw three more at-bats in the regular season and just one at-bat during the National League Division Series. During the offseason, general manager Ed Lynch dealt him to Pittsburgh for right-hander Jon Lieber, who became the Cubs ace. Brown's career rapidly descended after the trade. He bounced around the league, playing with multiple teams in the Pittsburgh Pirates, Florida Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers organizations. He returned to the Cubs in 2000, where he played his final major league game on August 29, 2000.
The last Brown has seen of professional baseball was in 2003 with the Schaumburg Flyers, an independent Northern League team.
Statistically, Brown has drawn comparisons to former utility baseball player Chuck Essegian.
Major Transactions
- On December 14, 1998, Brown was sent by the Cubs to the Pirates for pitcher Jon Lieber.
- On December 13, 1999, Brown was sent by the Pirates to the Marlins for outfielder Bruce Aven.
- On June 9, 2000, Brown was sent to the Rangers from the Marlins for Chuck Smith. On that same day, he was sent to the Cubs from the Rangers for Dave Martinez.
Facts
- On June 18, 1996, Brown hit three home runs in four at-bats, filling in for Mark Grace of the Cubs.
- On June 22, 1996, Brown collected five hits in one game, including a 2-run home run in the 16th inning.
- On May 9, 1999, Brown hit a 3 run inside-the-park home run.
- On June 9, 1999, Brown collected 5 hits.
- Brown's uniform, except for a part of his final season (where it was 35), was always 37.
- Brown currently resides in Bakersfield, California.
- (Speaking about Brown): "He's such a good athlete, he can do things out there (in the outfield) an ordinary guy can't do." - Coach Billy Williams
External links
| 1998 National League Wild Card Chicago Cubs Starting Lineup: 1. Lance Johnson CF | 2. Mickey Morandini 2B | 3. Sammy Sosa RF | 4. Mark Grace 1B | 5. Henry Rodriguez LF | 6. Gary Gaetti 3B | 7. Jose Hernandez SS | 8. Scott Servais/Tyler Houston C Starting Pitchers: Kevin Tapani | Kerry Wood | Steve Trachsel | Mark Clark | Jeremi Gonzalez/Mike Morgan |
