Hope still drives ex-phenoms

Three former first-rounders aim to restart careers derailed by injuries with the Rays.

By DAVE SCHEIBER
Published March 1, 2005

[Times photos: Michael Rondou] Brian Buchanan, a '94 first-rounder, hit 27 homers at Triple A in 2000 but has peaked at 11 in the bigs and was slowed last season by a strained oblique.

Brandon Larson, the 14th pick in '97, has dominated in the minors but has been injured each of the past three seasons.

ST. PETERSBURG - Their journey to the big leagues began on a path paved with big dreams.

They had every reason to imagine the possibilities, to picture themselves making a mark as consistent contributors in the majors sooner rather than later.

But for outfielders Brian Buchanan and Dee Brown and infielder Brandon Larson, all first-round picks from the 1990s, sooner has passed and later is somewhere on the baseball horizon.

For each player, the road to the pros has taken some unexpected, frustrating turns along the way to their new, and they hope lasting, surroundings with Tampa Bay. They are in camp as nonroster invitees, not much-hyped newcomers with the clubs that had been thrilled to sign them.

It's not that the three haven't had their moments in the majors. All, in fact, have displayed the ability that made them all-everythings in high school or college and stars in the minors.

Buchanan, drafted in 1994 by the New York Yankees, has six pinch-hit home runs, and only 10 active players have hit more.

Brown, selected by the Royals out of high school in 1996, played most of the 2001 season with Kansas City, batting .245 with seven homers, 19 doubles and 40 RBIs in 380 at-bats.

Larson, taken by Cincinnati 14th overall in 1997, batted .275 (14-for-51 with four homers) when the Reds brought him up from Louisville during the 2002 season.

But for the most part, their careers haven't jelled due to a combination of injuries, inconsistency and bad breaks. Still, they believe they can help the Rays compete in 2005 if they get the chance.

Buchanan, at 31, has learned patience since his days as an All-American at Virginia, where he had a school-record .838 slugging percentage in 1994.

"It's just a matter of moving up in the system," said the 6-4, 230-pounder from Fairfax, Va. "A lot depends on what's going on ahead of you. When you're coming up, you want to play well at every level and force the front office to give you a shot."

Buchanan had a bad break out of the box, suffering a compound ankle dislocation in Class A in 1995 and missing extensive action. "It was tough; it's not how you want to start your career," he said.

His first shot in the majors came with Minnesota in 2000, in the midst of his seventh season in the minors and third strong season with Triple-A Salt Lake. He batted .278, .297 and .297 there, hitting 27 homers with 103 RBIs in 2000. He spent the 2001 season with the Twins, batting .274 (54-for-197, and tagging the Rays with his third career four-hit game).

Minnesota dealt Buchanan to San Diego in July 2002, and he finished the season batting a combined .269 with 11 homers and 10 doubles in 92 games.

In 2003, he batted .263 with San Diego in 115 games with 10 doubles and eight homers. But last year, Buchanan missed 22 games with a strained oblique and struggled at the plate. He bounced from the Padres to Portland to the Mets. The Rays signed him Jan.19.

"It can get frustrating, but that's part of being in the business, having to wait your turn," he said.

Brown's story is not that different. At Marlboro Central High in Newburgh, N.Y., he was named a first-team All-American by Baseball America , ranked 13th among the magazine's top 100 draft prospects.

He had a phenomenal '99 season with Double-A Wichita (.353 with 14 doubles, three triples and 12 homers in 65 games), then hit 23 homers and stole 20 bases with Triple-A Omaha in 2000. After a few quick trips to the Royals, Brown earned a spot on the opening-day roster in 2001 (getting his first big-league homer against the Rays), but he lost his timing after injuring his hamstring in June.

Brown again made the team in '03, belting his first grand slam and getting four hits in a game against the White Sox. But a wrist injury put him on the disabled list. Last year, he had a nine-game hitting streak, another grand slam and his first two-homer game. But Brown also injured his ribs and was reassigned to Wichita for rehab.

"I've kept getting derailed by injuries in the big leagues," said Brown, 26, a muscular 6-foot, 225-pounder. "And if you can't stay on the field, you get put on the back burner. I just got out of the loop. In 2000, I was one of the top prospects in the minors. But with the injuries, I just never could get it going.

"I can't lie; I went through a lot over there. And I know over here, they'll look at my track record and say the numbers aren't that great. But the way I feel is that I've gotten drafted all over again. They don't know what kind of player they're getting. I just feel like '05 will be a big year for me. The major-league world hasn't seen the best of Dee Brown yet."

Larson, 28 and a native of San Antonio, Texas, was a first-team All-American at LSU in 1997, setting school and SEC records with 40 homers and 118 RBIs. He was SEC player of the year as well and earned the College World Series MVP Award (batting .368 with three homers) after leading the Tigers to their second straight national title.

Larson hurt his knee in '98 in Class A and had reconstructive surgery. But in 2000, Larson was a Double-A All-Star with 20 homers for Chattanooga, and he hit 25 in 2002 for Louisville as the Reds' minor-leaguer of the year.

Larson homered in his first plate appearance against Randy Johnson in '02 but went on the DL a day later with a broken toe. He had three stints with the Reds in 2003 but struggled to find his groove and was out two months with a shoulder injury. Last year, Larson missed 80 games with a turf toe and a strained quadriceps and hamstring.

"I had gotten off to a great start, but then it was one problem after the next," said the 6-foot, 210-pound third baseman. Still, Larson feels at home here, having played in the minors with an array of Rays regulars. "I like the guys on this team," he said. "And I like Florida."

He'd like to stay for a while, too, so staying healthy is a key. "You just try to do what you can at the right time," he said. "That's what this game is all about. Do your job, and if you put up the numbers, eventually people are going to notice."

[Last modified March 1, 2005, 01:11:12]