Conrad hopes for another major league chance

By Chris Vivlamore

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Weren’t you Brooks Conrad?

For 20 sublime days he spent with the Atlanta Braves earlier this month, Conrad merely hit .344 with a double, two triples, two home runs and eight RBIs — in just 32 at-bats. The first of those homers came in his first at-bat, a three-run shot that led to a win over Washington. His work at second base flawless.

Then he was gone, recycled back to Class AAA Gwinnett one week ago.

But Conrad left one compelling question behind: one-hit wonder or genuine article? His stint with the Braves came after nearly nine seasons of minor-league baseball. While his time in the big leagues was short, he hopes it won’t be his last.

“Obviously, I would have liked to stay up there but hopefully I played well enough where they will give me a second chance sometime this season,” said Conrad, who was called up when Kelly Johnson went on the disabled list with a sore wrist on July 3.

“Obviously, I got some pitches to hit and I made the most of those pitches. That’s what baseball is all about. Pitching is obviously tougher [in the majors] and that’s why you have to make the most of those pitches.”

He has been a prospect for nearly a decade. Conrad was drafted by Houston in 2001 out of Arizona State and spent seven seasons in the Astros farm system. He signed with Oakland as a minor league free agent after the 2007 season. There, he finally got his first taste of the major leagues, albeit on an even shorter stint than the Braves. He played six games for the A’s last July, hitting .158 (3-for-19) with two RBIs.

Unimpressed, Oakland let him go last fall, which enabled the Braves to sign him to a one-year minor league deal. After spending most of spring training with the Braves’ major league camp, the 29-year-old was sent to Gwinnett. He would start his fourth straight year at Class AAA.

When the call came, he didn’t initially understand it. The G-Braves were in Norfolk and Conrad was due to lead off the second inning when Manager Dave Brundage asked a very strange question.

“The manager came up and said, ‘Do you want to hit?’ and I said ‘What do you mean, do I want to hit? I’m leading off this inning,’ ” Conrad said. “He said ‘No, you’re not going to hit, you’re going to the big leagues.’ I said ‘OK, I won’t hit.’ It was a pretty cool deal. It was unexpected.”

The conversation was almost as rewarding to Brundage.

“The game means so much to him,” he said. “To be able to tell a Brooks Conrad that, for all the time he spent in the minors, it’s something that they remember for the rest of their life. And certainly I do too. I remember every single one of them, every single player that I’ve ever told they are going to the big leagues. It’s special for me and yet a huge reward for them.”

Life in the minors has grown more difficult for Conrad of late. He was married in 2004 and his wife, Jesse, a nurse, had been able to join Conrad at his various minor-league stops and find work. But that was until the children came. Now, his wife and children join him for the season but come the fall, they return to Arizona. That’s where Jesse goes back to work and Mr. Baseball becomes Mr. Mom. Conrad will again spend the winter watching his two-year-old son and new four-month-old daughter.

“Big time, I’m Mr. Mom,” Conrad said. “I cook the dinners, watch the kids and make up for a lot of lost time.”

Conrad has hit .313 (5-for-16) with a home run and four RBIs since returning to Gwinnett. And his work continues for another chance at the big time.

“Everybody said I did a pretty good job while I was up [with the Braves] so hopefully I opened some eyes,” Conrad said. “I’ve been playing all these years for an opportunity to play in the big leagues. My mind-set the whole time was to try to continue to get better and help the team win wherever I am at and hope someone notices. That’s what I’ve been doing this whole time and hopefully I’ll get a chance to stick.”