Jeremy Scott Brown (born October 25, 1979) is an American former professional baseball catcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Oakland Athletics in 2006.

Jeremy Brown
Catcher
Born: (1979-10-25) October 25, 1979 (age 45)
Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 3, 2006, for the Oakland Athletics
Last MLB appearance
October 1, 2006, for the Oakland Athletics
MLB statistics
Batting average.300
Runs batted in0
Home Runs0
Teams

Career

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Brown played for Hueytown High School in Hueytown, Alabama, and went on to the University of Alabama, where he played for the Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team. At Alabama, he won the Johnny Bench Award as the nation's top collegiate catcher.

Brown was selected in the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft in the first round (35th selection overall) by the Athletics, at the behest of Billy Beane and Paul DePodesta, over the strong objections of the scouting department.[1][2] He is most remembered for a minor-league game in 2002 where he, planning for a double, slipped and fell while rounding first base. While scrambling to get back to base, he was notified that he had in fact hit a home run.[3] The play was re-enacted in the 2011 film Moneyball.[2]

Though spending the majority of his time with the Oakland's Double-A Midland RockHounds and Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, "Badge" (short for "Badger," a nickname for his ample body hair)[1] had a .379 OBP over his first four years. Brown made his Major League debut on September 3, 2006, against the Baltimore Orioles. He had three hits in ten AB, including two doubles, and a .364 OBP in the Major Leagues for the 2006 season.

Brown was designated for assignment by the Athletics on May 23, 2007[4] and subsequently outrighted to the minors.[5]

On February 15, 2008, Brown announced his retirement.[6] Brown was the team's third-ranked catcher behind Kurt Suzuki and Rob Bowen and was unlikely to make the major league roster.[7]

After a brief time working in coal mines, Brown returned to college and obtained his masters in education at the University of West Alabama. He previously coached at Bessemer Academy where he led his team to the finals of the state playoffs in 2021. Brown later became the head baseball coach at Grissom High School in Huntsville, Alabama.[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b Lewis, Michael D. (2003). Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. New York: W. W. Norton. ISBN 0-393-05765-8.
  2. ^ a b "2002 'Moneyball' draft class in review – ESPN". Espn.go.com. September 24, 2011. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  3. ^ "Beane Counter". CNN. May 12, 2003. Archived from the original on January 2, 2014.
  4. ^ Slusser, Susan; Shea, John (May 23, 2007). "Kotsay's return trouble-free, so far". Sfgate.com. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  5. ^ "The Sports Network – Major League Baseball".[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "Catcher Jeremy Brown announces retirement" (Press release). Oakland.athletics.mlb.com. February 15, 2008. Archived from the original on February 20, 2008. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  7. ^ Ratto, Ray (February 16, 2008). "'Moneyball' leading man apparently retires at 28". Sfgate.com. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  8. ^ Taylor, Drew (August 30, 2022). "How Jeremy Brown went from 'Moneyball' to the Alabama coal mines and back to the baseball diamond". WIAT. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
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