Brunette Stronger Than Before

Justin Brunette, a 1993 graduate of Ocean View High, went 16 months without throwing a competitive pitch after Dr. Frank Jobe replaced a ligament in Brunette’s left elbow.

This “Tommy John surgery” can be counted as a success so far.

With Class-A Peoria in the Cardinals’ organization, Brunette has hit 91 mph on the radar gun. He only hit 87 when he played at San Diego State.

Brunette felt his arm go out during a short-season rookie game with New Jersey in 1997. He tried to throw a few weeks later, but struggled to hit 80 mph.

Today, more important than velocity is Brunette’s effectiveness.

He is 3-1 with two saves and a 1.90 earned-run average in 36 appearances. In 42 2/3 innings, he has struck out 42 and walked 16. Opponents are batting .203.

“If he continues to do what he’s done here, throwing like he is, I don’t see why he won’t be in a big league bullpen,” Manager Brian Rupp said of Brunette. “In the next couple of years, he can be in the high minor leagues knocking on the door.

“He’s been above and beyond what we were expecting. We knew the guy missed all last year, we really didn’t know what to expect.”

Brunette has been told that before the season ends, he will probably be promoted to the Cardinals’ higher Class-A team, in Potomac, Va.

“My main goal is to start off at double-A next year,” Brunette said, “because that’s when I think I’ll have a real shot of working my way up to St. Louis. My goals have kept changing.”

Rupp says Brunette’s fastball and slider are above average.

“He’s our only left-hander in the bullpen, but he has good enough stuff to get righties out,” Rupp said. “When the game’s on the line in the seventh or eighth inning, I know he’ll give us a darn good chance to win the game. He’s the best guy down there.”

That was noticed by other Midwest League coaches, who selected Brunette to the all-star game even though he is used in a setup role. He retired the only batter he faced in the game.

“Making the all-star team meant a lot to me,” Brunette said. “Coming out of spring training, I was looking to make any team, let alone an all-star team.

“After the surgery, I’d tell people about it, and they’d look at me like, ‘You’re done. Good luck, but nothing’s going to happen for you.’

“It’s like I had to prove something to everybody and myself.”

SMOKIN’ IN CAROLINA

Right fielder Aaron Rowand of the Winston-Salem Warthogs didn’t make the Class-A Carolina League all-star team, but at the break, he led the league in hits and was in the league’s top five in average, home runs, slugging and doubles.

And he hasn’t cooled off.

Last week, the former Cal State Fullerton player was named the league’s player of the month for June.

Vindication for an all-star snub?

You bet.

“I was a little disappointed, but there’s not much I could do about it,” Rowand said. “My numbers weren’t as good as they probably should have been when they voted. But they were by the all-star game.”

Rowand batted .320, with six home runs, 25 runs batted in and seven doubles in June.

Through 81 games he is hitting .306 with 16 home runs, 22 doubles, 55 runs scored and 57 runs batted in.

The Warthogs are averaging 4.6 runs per game, and Rowand is scoring or driving in more than two per game.

“His run production has been very high,” said Manager Jerry Terrell. “Our offensive production hasn’t been very good, and without Aaron, it would be virtually nil.”

Terrell, who played eight years in the major leagues, likes Rowand for several reason. For one, he swings hard. For another, he takes a line-drive swing, not a home run cut.

“I don’t think he’s going to be a home-run hitter, per se, the higher up he goes [through the organization],” Terrell said. “That’s fine, it will help him in the long run. He just tries to hit the ball hard.

“He’s learning that he has power to all fields. The more he sees he has the power to go the other way, the better off he’ll be.”

Rowand, who bats and throws right-handed, was a first-team All-Big West Conference selection as a junior at Fullerton before being selected by the Chicago White Sox with a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds (35th overall) in the 1998 amateur draft.

He credits his time with the Titans with helping him achieve the focus necessary to get through the mental grind of professional baseball.

“So far, I haven’t hit any major slumps,” Rowand said. “That’s the key to my success, just trying to be consistent, get my one hit per game, and every once in a while get two hits, and sometimes three. The trick is when you’re not going good to get that one hit per game.

“A lot of that had to do with Coach [George] Horton at Fullerton, who helped me mature as a hitter and a person. Him and [school sports psychologist] Ken Raviza.”