Brown Planning To Roam The Green At PNC Park
Pirates Outfielder Has Had Long Climb To Top Of Lineup
By John E. Sacco

Big league teams do not expect much of a return, if any at all, on 48th round draft choices.

In baseball, first round picks are anything but sure things.

Adrian Brown was not a first round choice and is far from being a sure thing.

But the Pirates 27-year-old center fielder and leadoff hitter has worked his way into a major league lineup.

That is not bad for a guy who was a 48th-round selection in June, 1992 and who the organization thought for a long time would not be such an important contributor. Until the second half of last season, Brown was considered nothing more than a fourth or fifth outfielder - capable of helping a team mostly with late-inning defense.

But he kept working and improving. Soon, people in the organization started to take notice. Brown earned a spot in the starting lineup and despite a hamstring injury, put together as good a season - probably better -- than anyone thought possible.

As the Pirates played out the string during an eighth consecutive losing season, Brown played his way into the hearts of his teammates, the coaching staff and fans. He started 48 of the final 52 games of 2000 in center field and batted .311 in that span, leaving him with a .315 average for the year. As a leadoff hitter, he scored 49 runs in 54 games and had an acceptable .368 on-base percentage.

After being sidelined for much of July with the hamstring strain, Brown came off the disabled list and shined. He was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dismal season.

That was not enough to prompt new manager Lloyd McClendon to proclaim him a starter prior to spring training as he had with three others including left fielder Brian Giles, catcher Jason Kendall and right fielder Derek Bell.

"I came to spring training ready to win a job," Brown said. "My confidence just keeps getting better and better. It builds confidence the more I play.

"I was just getting started (last season). I wanted to keep it going. Time went by so fast because we were playing every day and I was having fun."

Fun is hitting better than .300 and playing well enough over an extended period to merit strong consideration for a starting position. The Pirates have lacked stability in center field for some time now - in many ways, the position has become a revolving door. The Pirates opening day starting center fielders since Andy Van Slyke left after 1994 have been Jacob Brumfield (1995), Mike Kingery (1996), Jermaine Allensworth (1997-98), Brant Brown (1999) and Chad Hermansen last season.

"If Adrian can continue to do what he did last year, particularly in the second half, it really solidifies things at the top of the order and in the middle of the outfield," McClendon said.

Brown has produced far more than some of the organization's highly touted prospects of the past few years. He is one of a number of players who owner Kevin McClatchy thinks can expedite a turnaround of the Pirates fortunes.

"Some of the veteran players have to have better years," McClatchy said. "A player like Aramis Ramirez has to continue to improve. We just have to have guys who already are here get better. Look at Adrian Brown. He's grown a lot. He's going to continue to get better."

The switch-hitting Brown hit predominantly left-handed last season with 256 at bats versus right-handed pitchers and 56 at bats against lefties. He batted .305 against righties with 23 extra-base hits, 24 runs batted in and drew 25 walks. His on-base percentage was .365.

Against left-handers, he hit .365 with just two extra-base hits and four RBI. His on-base percentage was .411.

Brown thinks his observation of others during parts of four seasons with the Pirates helped him understand the job of a reserve player and prepared him for everyday duty.

"Working hard is the key," Brown said. "I looked at others. I was a role player. I watched how other guys went about staying ready. I stayed in the batting cage and stayed loose at all times. As a role player, you don't get as many at-bats. I just paid attention to some of the older guys and went from there."

Where the Pirates would like Brown to go from here is from potential starting outfielder to everyday center fielder capable of getting on base close to 40 percent of the time and utilizing his speed and base running skills to become a consistent and versatile offensive threat.

He is a much different hitter than in 1997, when he was constantly fooled by breaking and off-speed pitches. He hits the ball on the ground more regularly and is working to improve his bunting skills. Brown still doesn't walk as much as one would like from a leadoff hitter, but he is an outstanding base runner many in the organization believe is capable of stealing more bases than he has so far.

He swiped 14 bases in 15 attempts last season and is one of the few Pirates to run the bases well during the past few seasons. He is committed to improving his stolen base total and to becoming a pest to opposing pitchers.

"It's all about the green light to go on my own," Brown said. "You have to get on to steal bases. I feel I can steal a lot of bases."

McClendon is certain to be more aggressive with Brown than former manager Gene Lamont. He'd very much like Brown to wreak havoc on the basepaths and allow the likes of Kendall, Giles, Bell and others to drive him home.

Brown's strength, though, is his defense, and he should provide the Pirates with solid defensive play in center. The team has been woeful defensively the past few seasons. Brown's talent, providing his hamstring is sound, could go a long way toward making the defense better.

Brown's speed and abilities will be challenged in PNC Park. He will need to cover a lot of ground with the new park's dimensions of 389 feet in the left field alley, 410 in left-center, 399 in straightaway center and 375 in the right-field alley.

"I had to go check it out over the winter," Brown said of the Bucs new home. "There will be a lot of room to roam around. A guy with my speed likes a big outfield. Getting onto grass will be good for me."