SethSpeaks:
Coming from Minnesota, a high school
baseball season is usually
delayed by snow and then a lot of games
are played in about six weeks. What is high school baseball
like in Florida? I mean, Baseball America always has six to
ten Florida teams in their Top 25 lists.
Chris Brown:
High school baseball in Florida is
like College baseball most in the northern states. I
think that is why the transition to college ball is
easier for the high school players from Florida.
Baseball is a year round sport down here and it takes a
year round commitment to keep up with players your age.
SethSpeaks:
Tell us a little about your early
baseball days, Little League and other youth teams. What do you remember
about those days?
Chris
Brown:
All I really remember was never
really being on that good of a team. I always seemed to
end up on the team of leftovers, and I think that made
it fun.
SethSpeaks:
At what point did you start saying, not
only is this fun, but I'm
pretty good at this baseball thing?
Chris
Brown:
I never really thought that too
much. Wherever I played there was always someone
better. They may not have been a better hitter but all
around players, there was always someone better. I
mean, Boof (Bonser) played for our rival high school for our 4
years, Casey Kotchman was always the best first baseman,
etc.
SethSpeaks:
I have plenty of memories from my four
years of high school
baseball. Do you have a couple that stick
out in your mind?
Chris
Brown:
My first game of my senior year I hit
a go ahead 3 run home run off Boof only to have him hit
a go ahead 3 run homer an inning later.
SethSpeaks:
As your senior season began and
progressed, were you recruited by
colleges or even pro scouts?
Chris
Brown:
I never really got recruited at all.
The only school that was really interested in me was
Duke and I didn’t make it through admissions (they
required a 3.3 GPA and a 980 SAT; I had a 3.1 GPA and a
1280 SAT, apparently they can’t bend with the GPA)
SethSpeaks:
Your first two years of college, you
played at two schools before
going to
Florida Gulf Coast University for your
final two collegiate seasons. Tell us a little bit about
your college experiences.
Chris
Brown:
College baseball was a lot tougher
than I had expected. The actual playing baseball was
the same, but it was very difficult to balance classes
with all the hours of practice, travel and games. Other
than that it was the most fun I had playing baseball
until signing with the Twins.
SethSpeaks:
You had a couple of monster statistical
seasons your last two
years. Did you think that you might get
drafted since your numbers would certainly indicate that
someone should draft you?
Chris
Brown:
Me and my teammates all thought I had
a definite chance, but apparently it wasn’t to be.
Going to a first year program probably didn’t help, but
I had tried the big school and it definitely didn’t fit
me. If I had to do it again I would still go to FGCU,
but I would have my coaches push a little for me to get
drafted.
SethSpeaks:
When you weren't drafted, what was going
through your mind? Was
there any thought of calling your
baseball days done?
Chris
Brown:
I had thoughts of quitting that
instant. My dad convinced me otherwise and we went to
the tryout in Ft. Myers. I owe a lot of what has
happened in the last two years to him.
SethSpeaks:
If you weren't playing pro baseball, what
would you be doing?
Chris
Brown:
I would probably still be in school.
I have 4 pre pharmacy classes left, then a good 3 years
of pharmacy school. If I could make this baseball thing
work I wouldn’t mind putting the schooling off for a
while.
SethSpeaks:
You decided to go to a tryout with the
Twins. First, tell us what
happens at a tryout? What are the scouts
trying to find out?
Chris
Brown:
The tryouts are really basic. We ran
the 60, made some throws, fielded some at our position
then took BP. In the afternoon they invited back enough
people to field a couple teams and play a game. I
figured no one would get taken from that tryout, but Joe Vavra called me that night.
SethSpeaks:
They obviously saw something that they
liked and signed you. How
did it feel to sign that first contract
and officially become a pro ball player?
Chris
Brown:
Until I get married and the birth of
a first child that day will stand as the best day of my
life (followed closely by the game I hit for the cycle
in this year).
SethSpeaks:
You went and played in the Gulf Coast
League for the rest of the
summer of 2004 and did fairly well. Tell
us a little about what happens in the GCL. Is it just games,
or is it primarily instructional?
Chris
Brown:
It is a little of both. You always
want to win, but the minor leagues, especially the GCL,
are to develop players and get them to the bigs. A day
down there consisted of fundamentals every morning until
noon and a game at 1. A long day down there in that
heat.
SethSpeaks:
So the Twins gave you an opportunity.
What was your first
offseason like? Did you go to
instructional league? Did you work out like crazy? I imagine
the mindset would simply be to prove to the Twins that it
was worth it to sign you?
Chris
Brown:
That offseason was spent trying to
prove every scout that ever saw me play wrong. I know I
am pretty good at this game and I think I deserved to
get drafted. I just want to make sure the Twins have no
reason to release me and prove them to be the smartest
organization in baseball.
SethSpeaks:
What were you thoughts or goals heading
into the 2005 season?
Chris
Brown:
I would like to increase the power a
little more, up the average and cut down on my
strikeouts. With cutting down on the strikeouts, both
of those other things will increase, so that is my main
priority.
SethSpeaks:
Because of the injury to Johnny Woodard,
you got a chance to play
for Beloit and certainly made the best of
it. Were you surprised to go to Beloit?
Chris
Brown:
I was hoping to get sent there in the
first place, but when I wasn’t I just worked hard to get
the chance to go. When Woody got hurt I wanted to prove
I belonged there and hopefully I did that.
SethSpeaks:
Beloit in April has to be a little
different climactically for a
guy from Florida. Any thoughts on that,
or was it just part of the job?
Chris
Brown:
No comment. No sport should ever be
played in weather like that. You have to take it with a
grain of salt though. Everyone has to deal with it and
you can’t feel sorry for yourself. You just try to work
through it and get to the warmer months with somewhat
respectable numbers.
SethSpeaks:
You put up really strong power numbers
for Beloit (19 doubles, 5
triples, 11 homers, .452 SLG%). Would you say that power, or
extra-base
hits are your game? How would you
describe yourself as a hitter?
Chris
Brown:
I think I am a gap to gap guy and
when you let yourself spray the ball around you can be
positioned that well on defense and holes open up. As
for the home runs I have been waiting for a year like
that for a while. Sometimes you just need a couple and
they start coming in bunches.
SethSpeaks:
Looking at your numbers, the strikeout
rate is really the only
thing that I can see that you may want to
improve upon as you move up the ladder. Would you agree?
And, if so, how can a hitter work on that? Cage time? Or is
it just getting more and more at bats?
Chris
Brown:
It’s a little of everything. I still
have somewhere around 500 minor league at-bats. That
really isn’t that much time for an adjustment. For many
guys that is one season. I think and hope that
strikeout total should decrease as I get used to
pitching and sequences used by different organizations
and different pitchers.
SethSpeaks:
So overall, what are the one of two
things from the 2005 season
that you are most proud of, or happy
with?
Chris
Brown:
The increase in my power number
definitely. That is what I worked on in the offseason
and the fact that I succeeded is very satisfying.
SethSpeaks:
Likewise, are there parts of your game
that you're really working
on in the offseason?
Chris
Brown:
Mainly the strikeout numbers. I am
also going to work more at 3b and a little in the OF.
SethSpeaks:
You've primarily played 1B and done some
DHing. Have you ever
played other positions?
Chris
Brown:
I played third whenever Winfree got
an off day. I played third my senior year, I just don’t
have much time over there and like everything else take
a little adjusting.
SethSpeaks:
In some of our e-mails, you have
mentioned that Joe Vavra has
helped you out tremendously. Obviously,
the Twins recently rewarded him by making him their new
major league hitting coach. So, can you tell us a little bit
about Joe Vavra, what he has done for the organization and
specifically for you, and what you think he are his strong
suits and if he can help the Twins offense.
Chris
Brown:
The man just loves baseball. He
studies every player he watches no matter who they play
for. He knows hitting and he learns everyone’s swings
and what makes them work. He will not try to change
your swing he will just adjust what you have to offer.
Some coaches try to make everyone hit the same, but Joe
will work with you to find out what works best for you
as a hitter.
SethSpeaks:
Who are some of the others throughout
your baseball-playing life
who have really helped you to get to
where you are as a player?
Chris
Brown:
My dad has helped tremendously. He
knows my swing inside out, so if something is wrong I
can send him a video and he can tell me what is going
on. My high school coach was really the first guy to
tell me I had what it takes so I owe a lot of my
confidence to him.
SethSpeaks:
Growing up in Florida, who were your
favorite teams and players? I
suppose you were just hitting junior high when the Marlins
and then the
Devil Rays came into existence.
Chris
Brown:
Growing up I was a Cubs fan. My
grandmother is from up there and she and I would watch
whatever games we could on WGN. When I figured out
Fred McGriff was my favorite player it became whatever team
he played for.
SethSpeaks:
Did you or your family get to many major
league games, or spring
training games?
Chris
Brown:
I only went to a handful of spring
training games growing up and really only went to a
dozen or so D-Rays games until the past couple years
when I started frequenting games.
SethSpeaks:
Looking at the 2005 Beloit team, you made
the playoffs and nearly
advanced to the second round. Kevin Boles was your manager.
He was now promoted to
Ft. Myers to
manage the Miracle. Can you tell us a little
about Mr. Boles, his managerial style,
etc.?
Chris
Brown:
Bolesy is a very cerebral manager. He
will work matchups and outmanage anyone he faces. He is
going to be a very successful manager and I suppose he
learned from a pretty good one.
SethSpeaks:
Rudy Hernandez was the Snappers' hitting
coach. What is his
coaching style and how much help can the
hitting coach be throughout a game, a series, or over a
season?
Chris
Brown:
Rudy is very hands off and unless you
have a problem he won’t change anything. If you need
something he is there for you, but unless you are
struggling he really has nothing to say. THIS MAKES HIM
A VERY GOOD HITTING COACH. Hitting coaches sometimes
try to work on things at all times even when things are
going good.
SethSpeaks:
Can you tell us a little bit about the
left-side of the Beloit
infield this season. 3B David Winfree was
the Twins minor league hitter of the year, and SS Trevor Plouffe, although his numbers won't show it, did seem to
progress as the season went along. However, both struggled
defensively with more than 30 errors each. As a 1B, I am
sure that you have a unique perspective on this.
Chris
Brown:
Most of those errors were fielding
errors. I can’t remember that many throwing errors,
especially from Trevor. They are two very talented
young ballplayers and will go very far in the
organization. The only think I could notice was many of
those errors were caused be not being aggressive enough
to the ball. Sometimes young players have the tendency
to sit back and let the ball play them. As they move up
they will become better and better. They will be fine
players.
SethSpeaks:
Looking at the Beloit roster, there were
a number of hitters who,
like yourself, were not drafted, or if
they were drafted, it was far from the first round. But
offensively, you had a very strong team. You, Deacon Burns,
Jeremy Pickrel, Dwayne White, Landon Burt and
Mark Zamojc
all contributed mightily to the offense. Tell us about these
guys.
Chris
Brown:
Deacon is a big hitter in a small
package. He has very quick hands and has the ability to
hit the ball a long way. Pick is just a great athlete.
He can run, throw and hit. He has the ability to use all
fields and can make routine ground balls close plays.
Oh yeah, he can put on a display in BP. D-White is just
a good hitter. He hits the ball where it is pitched and
doesn’t try to do too much. He has a little pop that
will come around with more at bats. Landon is Tony Gwynn.
He is a singles machine and gets on base a ton. Z is
just a solid hitter. There really isn’t anything he
does great, he just does everything very well and is a
very sound hitter.
SethSpeaks:
The Twins do a good job of scouting
Australia. I also get a number
of readers from Down Under. Can you tell us a little bit
about Paul
Rutgers and Luke Hughes, please?
Chris
Brown:
Both of these guys are characters.
They are just fun to be around. When they step on the
field though they are some great competitors. Rutty is
a utility guy that can play every position and has some
pop in his bat. Hughesy is a very good second baseman
and a solid hitter. He can hit for power when you need
it and can put down the bun when necessary.
SethSpeaks:
Especially as the playoffs neared, your
pitching staff really turned it
on. Can you tell us a little about the
following pitchers:
SethSpeaks: Kyle Aselton moved into the rotation and was dominant. What is his pitching style?
Chris
Brown:
Kyle is a pitcher who is successful
by being effectively wild. You are never sure what you
are going to get when he goes out there but you know he
will find a way to get outs. He has above average stuff
with average command. He is a low to mid 90’s guy with a
plus slider. When he develops a changeup he will be
lights out.
SethSpeaks:
Kevin Slowey gave a quality start every
time out. What is it like
playing behind him, knowing he'll throw strikes and give
your team a
chance?
Chris
Brown:
Slowey is a lefty stuck in a righty’s
body. He has average velocity with good offspeed stuff,
but he will throw it where you tell him every time. As
a hitter this is tough because you really cannot sit on
one pitch. It is a pleasure to play behind him because
he gets the ball and goes, throws strikes, and lets the
hitter get himself out.
SethSpeaks:
Top pick Matt Garza came up and was up
and down, but had some
really good starts. Tell us about his
"stuff."
Chris
Brown:
I think he has the 2nd
best stuff out of the guys I played with this year (Jose Mijares being the best). He throws a hard fastball, a
hard slider, and a hard changeup that acts like a 2 seam
fastball. If he is on he is unhittable.
SethSpeaks:
Kyle Waldrop struggled throughout the
year, throwing a few good
starts into the mix, but I would think
that the organization should still be high on him especially
because of his control. Tell us what he has, but also what
you think he would need to do to take the next step?
Chris
Brown:
He really only had a couple starts
that I can remember that he got absolutely lit up.
Other than that he was dinked to death. I have never
seen someone with bad luck like him. He will be fine.
As long as his confidence can stay up he will be a very
good pitcher. He has a good fastball with great
movement, a good curveball and a very good changeup.
SethSpeaks:
Eduardo Morlan came up and was good. I am
reading a number of
sources saying he could be as good as any
of those other 2004 top pitching prospects. What does he
throw?
Chris
Brown:
Right know I think he is a little
behind the others. His stuff is there but he is easily
shaken. When he gets more innings he could be the best
out of those picks. He throws a low 90’s fastball, a
very hard, sharp slider and a good changeup.
SethSpeaks:
Anthony Swarzak and Jay Rainville both
pitched great for Beloit
before moving up to Ft. Myers. Can you
tell us a little about each of them?
Chris
Brown:
these two were very similar pitchers
last year and two very different pitchers this year. As
Swarzak’s fastball goes, he goes. He is easily a
consistent 94-95 and has an above average 2 seamer,
power curveball, and change up. As Rainville’s velocity
dropped he became more reliant on his curveball and that
turned out to be a good thing. His 12 to 6 curveball is
probably one of the best I have seen. The velocity drop
between that and his fastball is so drastic that it is
almost impossible to sit on. Right now he may be a
little behind Swarzak.
SethSpeaks:
Jose Mijares - does he have the stuff to
match the numbers that
he put up through the season?
Chris
Brown:
As previously stated I think Jose has
the best “stuff” I saw this year. He is a mid to upper
90’s guy with a hard slider, a hard curveball, and he
works with Johan In the offseason so you can imagine the
changeup he has.
SethSpeaks:
Who are some of the guys in the bullpen
that did well or have
dominating stuff?
Chris
Brown:
David Schinskie has some of the best
stuff on the team. Many compare his stuff to Silva’s
but he can throw harder. Everyone in that pen knew
their role and understood what they had to do. It
wasn’t overpowering stuff, just good pitchers.
SethSpeaks:
OK, the Snappers are down by one run with
runners on 1st and 2nd
and two outs in the 9th inning. Aside
from yourself, which teammate would you have wanted at bat,
and why?
Chris
Brown:
Winfree always seemed to be up in
those situations this year so I might as well go with
him. He was put in those situations and produced all
year, as you could tell with his RBI count.
SethSpeaks:
Likewise, if you are in a deciding game
of a series, which
starting pitcher would you want to give
the ball to?
Chris
Brown:
I’d give it to Slowey. You know what
you are going to get from him everyday and out of the
starters we had, he has the most experience.
SethSpeaks:
Alright, so, what is keeping you busy
throughout this offseason?
Chris
Brown:
Working and working out. Just
hitting, throwing, lifting, etc. Nothing too hard yet.
I will get at it a little harder in the next month or
so.
SethSpeaks:
Do you already have goals or plans for
where you would like to be
in 2006?
Chris
Brown:
I would love to be in Ft. Myers. I
think I deserved the chance, but we’ll have to wait and
see what everyone else thinks.
SethSpeaks:
Have
you read the book Moneyball? What do you feel the role of
statistics and advanced statistics play
in the game?
Chris
Brown:
Moneyball is the main reason I
thought I would get drafted. I wish more teams would
take that approach. It is hard to develop a player by
trial and error in the minors. Four years of failure
can kill a career, while four years of success in
college can mature a player and get him ready for that
jump. I just think that for many the jump is too much
and more careers are killed that way.
SethSpeaks:
Finally, I am going to leave the last
spot open for you. Are there
any other things that you would like
Twins fans to know about yourself, or pro ball, or anything?
The floor is yours...
Chris
Brown:
Nope, I think this covered it. I
just want to that you for allowing me to do this. Not
many people know about us non drafted and late draft
picks. Thanks for noticing that we are playing too,
it’s not just the high draft picks a bonus babies.
Now, back to the primary
subject of today's posting... I am thrilled to post another
Question and Answer session, this one with with
Chris Brown.
Now, Chris is not one of the household names mentioned when people
determine their Top Twins Prospect lists. However, he is one of
those guys that has worked very hard. He is one of those guys that
put up big numbers in high school, and didn't get drafted. He went
to college and had a big junior year, and for some reason didn't get
drafted. He went back and improved again in his senior season, and
did not get drafted. At that point, he could have given up thoughts
of a career in baseball. But he wasn't quite ready to do that, so he
went to a Twins tryout camp, not expecting anything, but giving it
the time and effort. The Twins gave him a chance last year and he
did pretty well for the GCL Twins. Even in 2005, it took an injury
to Johnny Woodard at Beloit for Chris to get a shot with the
full-season Snappers squad this spring. But I think it is fair to
say that he made the most of that opportunity. He got a chance to
play and had a came through. In 87 games, the still-22 year old
Brown hit .265/.326/.452 with 19 doubles, 5 triples, 11 homers and
39 RBI.