Happy New Year, Chris Brown

Thanks to my buddy and seat license partner, Dale, for starting me on writing something again for this space.

Chris Brown died this week, age 45.

"Chris the Slacker" as he was known during his days as a Giant third baseman died Tuesday under mysterious circumstances. It seems the house in Houston where he had been staying (apparently an abandoned house with no furniture) burned in what police and fire officials suspect was arson. Brown was in the house at the time of the fire and died as a result of burns.

Brown, who played with Darryl Strawberry at Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles, came up through the Giants' system and played on the major league team in 1985 and 1986. He was a member of the All-Rookie team in 1985 and made the NL All-Star team in 1986. In 1987 the Giants traded him to San Diego, a deal that brought another troubled soul, Kevin Mitchell, to the Giants.

The "Slacker" title originated during Brown's time in SF. During the 1986 season, he complained of shoulder soreness, but an examination found no problem with the shoulder. Teammates and fans accused him of dogging it, and that reputation was with him the rest of his stay in SF.

The Slacker was a tremendous prospect who flamed out. Chris Brown's final season was 1989. He played 17 games for Detroit that season and was waived for good in May at the age of 27. This once can't miss prospect ended his major league career with only 449 games, 1,523 at bats, 38 homers and a .269 batting average. He ended up with almost twice as many errors (65) as homers.

From the perspective of Giants fans, the best thing about Brown was that he brought Kevin Mitchell to San Francisco. Mitch may have had his problems, but in 1989, the season Brown's carrer ended, he got us to a World Series. He was the 1989 MVP, and that season led the NL in homers (47), RBIs (125), slugging (.635), total bases (345) and extra base hits (87), as well as barehanded catches in the outfield (1). He was my all-time favorite Giant (Will Clark being a close second). On my desk at home I've got a Mitch bobblehead in a Sonoma Crushers uniform with the gold tooth!

The entire trade, by the way, was quite interesting - Brown, Mark Davis and Mark Grant went to San Diego for Mitch, Craig Lefferts and Dave Dravecky.

Mark Davis also was great in 1989, winning the Cy Young award as the closer for the Padres. He had 44 saves and an ERA of 1.85. He finished 6th in the MVP voting that season behind Mitchell, Clark, Pedro Guerrero, Ryne Sandberg and Howard Johnson (in the second of his three 30-30 seasons). He pitched until 1997, but had only 1 season after 1989 win an ERA under 5.

Dave Dravecky pitched his horrific last game in 1989. In mid-pitch his arm snapped in two after a return from cancer surgery. He only pitched in 2 games that season - the glorious, moving, inspiring, victorious comeback outing the week before, and that disasterous final outing. He remains a huge favorite in San Francisco despite and likely partly because of the absence of his left arm.

Craig Lefferts started the 1989 season as the Giants' closer, getting 20 saves, but the Giants made a mid-season deal that brought 1987 Cy Young winner Steve Bedrosian and the pennant to San Francisco. Bedrock was the closer through the end of the season and into the World Series (the earthquake series), in which he didn't get any saves as the Giants were shut out. The Giants dumped Lefferts at the end of the 89 season. The Bedrock deal, by the way, was Bedrock and a bum (Rick Parker) for Terry Mullholland (still pitching!), Dennis Cook and Charlie Hayes. There are some names from the past!

Mark Grant stuck around for a while, but was pretty much a bum.

Here's to Chris Brown, a part of the rich fabric of San Francisco baseball history, albeit more in his absence. So much potential. There is nothing in life worse than wasted potential.