Brant Brown

Brant Brown was the kind of player who at 10 years old seemed cool.

Later analysis has since concluded this was far from the truth.  But still, Brown is one of those childhood favorites who continue to stick in your mind, against better judgment.

Brant Brown played for the Cubs, the team I probably watched most frequently growing up, in the late 90's.  And he was that type of player that just seemed like a good player to root for - he had a cool name (gotta love alliteration), and could hit for decent power.  Brown came to Pittsburgh for Jon Lieber, and it looked like a perfect match.  One of my favorite hitters in exchange for what amounted to a spare piece in a rotation that was shaping up pretty well.

But like to many things in recent Pirate history, the trade was a flop.  Lieber went on to have a long and productive career pitching for contenders as a back of the rotation starter.  Brown spent one year in Pittsburgh, striking out in over 30% of his plate appearances and hitting in the .230's before being shipped to the Marlins for equally forgettable Bruce Aven.

Still, there's a little part of my brain, devoid of logic or reason, that gets a little excited when I come across a new Brown card.