Dee Brown turns 23 Tuesday and he knows what the perfect gift would be.
"My biggest birthday present ever would be finding out I made the team," Brown said. "It's right there. On Saturday, I want to be on that plane to New York."
Brown, the Kansas City Royals' 1996 first-round draft pick, is making it difficult for the club not to keep him on the Opening Day roster.
Brown, who had three hits Saturday for his club-leading seventh multi-hit game, is hitting .352. He has had a hit in 11 of his past 14 games and has hit over .400 in his past eight games.
"He's put himself in a position to make this team," Royals general manager Allard Baird said. "He's done everything we've asked him to."
Brown asked Baird in February what he had to do to make the team.
"We wanted him to play solid defense," Baird said. "He's done that. We wanted him to play the game hard. He's done that. We wanted him to use all parts of the field when he's hitting, go deeper in the count and not be afraid to walk. He's done that.
"He's had an outstanding camp and eventually will end up in the big leagues as a strong everyday player."
Brown believes he is ready to play in the majors.
"I don't know how I was on the depth chart coming in, but I felt it was my job to lose," Brown said. "I came in playing with that in mind."
The Royals starting outfield is set with Mark Quinn, Carlos Beltran and Jermaine Dye. Four players are competing for two backup outfield spots: draft pick Endy Chavez, veterans Raul Ibanez and Jon Nunnally and Brown.
Manager Tony Muser said he will not keep Brown unless he can find him a minimum of 350 at-bats. That would be possible by using Brown as the designated hitter and spelling the corner outfielders.
"Brown has had a fine spring, but we've got six days left," Muser said. "Brown can't go in the tank the next week. He's like a fireman, still on call. Brown needs another good week. He hasn't played his way off this ball team. If he makes this club, he's going to be heavily involved. It would not be fair to keep him as a pinch hitter. That would not be conducive to his development."
Brown, who is considered the Royals best position player prospect, hit .269 with 23 home runs and 70 RBIs last season with Class AAA Omaha. He has been called up the past three Septembers and has only a .113 average, 6-for-53.
"I've never had a spring like this," Brown said. "What I'm doing now I feel like I can do in the big leagues. I'm not saying I'll hit .300 or will dominate, but if I get into a flow, playing most days, I'm going to produce and put up decent numbers.
"I tried to do too much last year with Omaha. If we were down by one run, I'd swing at balls in the dirt, trying to make something happen even though they might be trying to pitch around me.
"I know I don't have to do too much here when we've got Mike Sweeney, Jermaine Dye, Joe Randa, Carlos Beltran and Mark Quinn."
No comments
Commenting is turned off for this story.