Cubs of Yore: Roosevelt Brown

Nickname: Rosie

Played for The Cub: 1999-2002

Random Write-Up: Golly, never did someone look the part more than Rosie Brown. Originally drafted in the 20th Round by the Atlanta Braves in 1993, Rosie never really did much of anything for some really bad Cub teams. Rosie showed a lot of promise coming up in the minors. His numbers were quite impressive, even boasting a 26 game hitting streak in 1999 in AAA Iowa. When it came to the bigtime, though, Rosie couldn't cut it. A .251 career hitter in 4 seasons for The Cub may sound quasi-respectful, but considering he hit just .211 with 3 homers and 50 strikeouts in his last season, the only one in which he received substantial playing time (111 games, 204 AB), it's not hard to see why he couldn't stick around.

What the hell?: After things didn't work out too well for Rosie at the Major League level, he went and tried his trade in the Far East. Turns out Rosie actually did quite well, playing along side some former and future MLB'ers that went by the names of Fukudome, Jojima, Iguchi, Tuffy Rhodes (51 HRs!!), Irabu, and Matsui. Rosie gave it one last hurrah in 2005, playing a season for the White Sox AAA affiliate, Charlotte Knights.

Did You Know?: Sometimes the apple falls far from the tree. Roosevelt is actually a cousin of Ellis Burks, former Red Stocking and Rockie great. Apparently, Rosie didn't get the same DNA of Ellis. And for that matter, he didn't get the same athletic prowess of his namesake (but no relation), Roosevelt Brown of the New York football Giants fame. Ultimately (and sadly), Rosie was just another Brooks Kieschnick David Kelton Mike Harkey Hee Sop Choi Cub who put up great numbers in the minors, but fizzled out in The Big Show. Still, I'll be damned if he didn't look like a big leaguer