Don Brown showed maturity, speed, leadership, saw 6 seasons

Don Brown's hitting picked up for the rookie Billings Mustangs in July 1986. His speed picked up too, The Billings Gazette wrote.

Brown's success didn't escape notice of his manager, Jeff Cox, who indicated he saw the young Brown as having a good chance to make it all the way to the majors, The Gazette wrote.

"He's doing well. He's more mature than most 18 year old players," Cox told The Gazette of Brown. "He has good leadership qualities. They don't come much better than Don Brown. He comes to play."

Brown ended up playing over a total of six seasons. He missed out on the majors, topping out at AA.

Brown's career began in 1985, taken by the Reds in the 15th round of the draft out of Vernon High School in Florida. (Brown appears to have been inadvertently been identified on this 1990 St. Lucie card as Kevin Brown - Discussion)

Brown started with the Reds in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He hit .187 over 43 games. He then moved to Billings for 1986. He hit .268 there over 54 games. He also stole 21 bases. He picked up two hits in a June game.

Brown split time in 1987 between single-A Cedar Rapids and single-A Tampa. He hit .239 between then, with 20 stolen bases. That April, he told The Cedar Rapids Gazette he expected to focus on stolen bases.

"My goal is to steal a lot of bases," Brown told The Gazette. "I want to steal at least 60 and I want to go higher."

Brown didn't make his goal that year, but he did steal 51 the next at single-A Greensboro, hitting .243, and 40 in 1989 between Cedar Rapids and AA Chattanooga. He hit .236 between Cedar Rapids and Chattanooga.

For 1990, the Reds traded Brown to the Reds, a deal headlined by John Franco and Randy Myers. Brown joined Franco heading to the Mets.

Brown played 22 games at high-A St. Lucie and another 15 at AA Jackson. He then moved to the Orioles at AA Hagerstown. He hit .155 between them, with 15 stolen bases to end his career.

• Billings Gazette, July 22, 1986: Brown keeps word
• Cedar Rapids Gazette, April 26, 1987: Bright future may await C.R. Reds trio

More: The 1990 St. Lucie Mets

1990 Minor League Tally 

Players/Coaches Featured:3,773
Made the Majors:1,276-33.8%
Never Made Majors:2,497-66.2%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:525
10+ Seasons in the Minors:313