1980 Profile: Bobby Brown

"Please excuse Bobby Brown if he seems confused. For you see, 1979 was literally an up and down year for this talented 26-year-old outfielder. But more than that, when he was down he was up, and when he was up he was down.
To further explain, during the 1979 season Bobby Brown enjoyed his best success in the minor leagues (when he was down he was up), and what should have been an enjoyable stay in the major leagues was not (when he was up he was down).
Bobby's roller coaster ride began in Toronto, where he went 0-for-10 before joining the Yankees' Columbus club via waivers. When recalled by the Yankees in June, Bobby was hitting .371. He didn't stay in New York very long, going back to Columbus where he posted numbers like .359 and 24-for-27 in steals. He went down and came back up two more times during the year.
His final numbers read like this: in Columbus, .349 with 25 steals; in New York, .250 with two steals. In Columbus, he was the International League's Co-MVP; in New York, he was just another face in the crowd.
Hopefully, some of that enormous talent shown at the minor league level last season will surface at a higher level in the '80s. Only time will tell for Bobby Brown."

-The New York Yankees Official 1980 Yearbook

"1979 was an up and down year for Bobby Brown- literally. Bobby started the season with Toronto, appearing in four games for the Jays and going 0-for-10. He was then acquired by the Yanks' Columbus club on a waiver claim and got hot as soon as he joined the Clippers. When his contract was purchased by the Yankees on June 20, he was batting .371 with six home runs and 28 RBIs in 46 games. He had 22 steals in 24 attempts.
Brown played in six games for the Yanks, batting .294 (5-17), and was sent back to Columbus on June 26 when the Yankees acquired Bobby Murcer from the Cubs. Brown continued to impress at Columbus, batting .359 with seven homers and 35 RBIs, 24-for-27 in steals, when he was called up to New York again on July 8 to replace Mickey Rivers, who was placed on the disabled list. Bobby went 3-for-6 against the Angels on July 14, appeared in seven more games for the Yanks, and was batting .256 when he was returned to Columbus on July 23 as Ed Figueroa came off the disabled list. He came back to the Yankees on August 3 after the Mickey Rivers trade to Texas. At this point, he was hitting .344 at Columbus with eight homers and 41 RBIs and was now 24-for-30 in steals. Bobby appeared in 11 more games and was batting .232, when on August 27 he was sent back to Columbus when the Yanks signed George Scott as a free agent. Brown finished the season with the Clippers, leading them to the International League championship. Bobby came back to New York after the Columbus season, appeared in six more games, and finished up in New York with a .250 average.
Brown batted .349 in his 70 games at Columbus with eight homers and 41 RBIs, and was named to the International League's All-Star team; he was the leading vote-getter among outfielders. He was named the league's co-MVP along with Pawtucket's Dave Stapleton and was named to the Topps-National Association AAA All-Star team.
Bobby started his career in the Baltimore organization and spent four years in the Birds' minor league system before being released after the 1975 season. Signed as a free agent by the Phillies in May of 1976, he joined their Peninsula club and won the Carolina League batting championship with a .349 average, and added 42 stolen bases. Bobby stole 36 bases at Oklahoma City in 1977 while batting .314 in his first appearance at the triple-A level.
Brown started the 1978 season at Oklahoma City and appeared in 50 games there before being traded to the Yankees along with Jay Johnstone in exchange for Rawly Eastwick on June 14. He was assigned to the Yanks' triple-A Tacoma club and appeared in 66 games there with a .310 average.
Bobby was drafted by the Mets off the Yankees' Tacoma roster at the 1978 Winter Meetings (December 4), went to spring training with the Mets, was released and signed with Toronto. The Yankees then reacquired him on a waiver claim by Columbus.
Bobby has stolen 187 bases over the last five seasons (37.4 per year).
Brown graduated from Northampton High in Norfolk, Virginia, where he played baseball and basketball. He led the baseball team to its first title in his senior year and was voted the team's Most Valuable Player. He signed his Baltimore contract following his graduation."

-New York Yankees 1980 Media Guide