Dermal “Dee” Brown was a multi-sport high school star in New York, but dedicated himself to baseball and after being drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 1996, the Bo Jackson talk only grew.
Showcasing the intoxicating combination of power and speed, Brown played parts of eight seasons in the big leagues before heading overseas playing two years in Japan.
In our newest Card Back Q&A, we flip over a few of his cards and talk about those lofty comparisons, choosing baseball over football and what he would want listed on his card back.
Tony Reid–Your first trading card was a 1996 Best minor league issue. The very first words on the back of the card were ‘Compared by many to a young Bo Jackson…’ so right out of the gate it was on with the lofty comparisons and expectations. What did you feel in that timeframe to be compared to Bo, Deion Sanders and the two sport stars of the era?
Dee Brown-I quickly understood the comparison to Bo. Bo was my guy. I would hear all of these stories about him before I even signed with the Royals. Hey, Bo ran a 4.2. I was a 4.5 runner. That was one. God bless his soul, I first met Buck O’Neill, the Negro League great, the day I signed with the Royals. He would tell me about the sound of the ball off Bo’s bat. He would tell me all of these Bo stories. I’m a good player but I ain’t that. Bo was crazy.
I played against Bo late in his career. I had the chance to meet him for, like, five seconds. I was so mad at my boy, longtime Royals second baseman and Coach Frank White, Frank was my coach at the time. Frank knew how much I loved Bo Jackson. He played with Bo with the Royals. We were playing against the White Sox. I was in the hole. As whoever was up hit the ball, I was about to walk on deck. Frank called me over. I’m about to hit! What? He told me to come over real fast. I went down and Bo, who was retired the time, was down in the tunnel a little bit just talking to Frank. He wanted to introduce me to Bo. I was like ‘Man, Bo! What’s up?’ Damn, Frank out of all the times to get to meet Bo. I’m about to go hit. Bo told me he might be around after the game. He said he would holler at me. He said he was watching me. He told me to go get my knock real fast. I gave him a dap and a hug. I don’t know what I did. I probably (made an) out. I was hoping to see him after the game but he wasn’t there. That was the only time I got a chance to meet Bo, that two seconds as I was about to go on deck.
TR-The back of your 1997 Bowman rookie card mentioned how you turned down a football scholarship to the University of Maryland. What ultimately made you choose baseball over football?
DB-It still came down to the last minute. I was supposed to report August 5th to Maryland. It was after I was drafted and the negotiations weren’t going well. The Royals were daring me to go play football. It went down to the last minute. Tears and everything were shed. Those first three or four years with the long bus rides and those struggles in the minor leagues. That first year you are in the Gulf Coast League with no fans. It’s hot. My friends, my boys, were asking if I was loving it. I was like ‘not really’. (One friend who was playing college football) told me they just finished playing Georgia Tech. There were 65,000 fans going crazy. Meanwhile, I’m in the instructional league. There are cows in the background. No fans. Then he’d tell me they are playing Clemson next week. He said he’d call me. Don’t even call me. Those were the days where it was like, man. My knees hurt but I couldn’t imagine where I would be football, wise. Everybody is good in high school. I don’t know if I would make it to the NFL. I like to think so. The first three or four years in the minors I would wonder ‘can I go back? Should I go back?’ Especially when you are struggling. Football is still my favorite sport. I watch it religiously. I am not mad about choosing baseball. After knowing my NFL friends and how their bodies are, I know I made the right decision.
TR-If you could write the script for the back of one of your trading cards, what is the one stat or fact you would want fans and collectors to know?
DB-That is a great question. Wow. I can’t say longevity because in my mind I wish I played 20 years in the big leagues. I would love this long list of stats. I was the typical up and down guy. If you asked me anything I can change I wish I could have better numbers. I know that defeats what you asked me but I can’t give you a positive spin on my numbers. I remember George Brett told me after seeing my first GCL rookie stats where I went 1 for 20, he said ‘Well Brownie, you will have to play 15 plus years to get those damn numbers off the back of your card.’ Thanks, George. That’s how he was. He was just cold with it. I don’t know if he saw my card or what. Years later, I look back and in my mind, major league stat wise, they are the numbers, they are the truth but in my heart and in my mind I was a better hitter than those numbers show. That’s where I am at.
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