The Burlington Free Press from Burlington, Vermont • Page 51

Brown: Aggressive Right From Start r-JxL said. "I'd rather be called that than a lot of other things I can think of. Actually, it's a compliment. It means people realize that I come to play." Brown batted .299 with 18 homers and 83 RBIs last year for Cedar Rapids. His offensive style has been compared with former Vermont outfielder Tracy Jones, now an outfielder with Cincinnati.

"There are a lot of similarities between the two," said Chief Bender, Cincinnati's vice president for player development. "They've both fought their way through the system. Marty can play both third and first and where he'll end up, I don't know. "He has good line drive power and he's very aggressive, just like Tracy. Neither one is a sprinter, but they both can steal a base because they get good jumps and slide hard." Improving his defense is a high priority for Brown this season.

He played third base on a regular basis for the first time in his career last year and experienced intermittent problems. He has stayed after practice several times this spring to work with Runnells on improving his defense. Runnells was a middle infielder as a player and was always among the best fielders in the league. He won the Silver Glove as the best defensive second baseman in the Class AAA American Association in 1985. "I think he's going to be good for me, because he knows so much about fielding," Brown said.

"I wasn't pleased with what I did in the field this year. I've been working down here, but I still have made a few mistakes, but that doesn't matter, because (spring training) is just for that, to learn and work." By KEVIN IOLE Free Preu Sports Writer TAMPA, Fla. Whenever anyone in baseball speaks of Marty Brown, the word "aggressive" is bound to be among the first several uttered. Brown plays baseball the way Richard Petty drives a race car: full speed ahead. He does it nine innings a game, 140 games a year.

Yet, the hard-nosed 24-year-old from Rolla, was almost embarrassed when discussing how he came upon his style. "I've always been this way," he said. "When I was a kid, I really liked Pete Rose. He always played hard and I respected that. That's the way I want to play." A third and first baseman, Brown does not have blazing speed.

But he still stole 58 bases last year for Class A Cedar Rapids. A stopwatch could never be a true indicator of the talents of Marty Brown. "He's such an aggressive player and is such a dilligent worker," Vermont Manager Tom Runnells said. "Marty is never satisfied. He always wants to work on his weaknesses.

That's why he stole so many bases. He doesn't run like Eric Davis or Vince Coleman, but he studied the pitchers and knows when to run. "Plus, he's so aggressive. So very aggressive." Aggressive. It is a tag which Marty Brown will wear throughout his baseball career.

Players are often labeled, sometimes unjustly. Some are deemed utility players, some good-field, no-hit players and some who are regarded as strictly DH types. Marty Brown will forever be known as an aggressive player. It is not something which bothers him. "It's good, I don't mind," he Photo by CLIFF McBRIDE Third baseman Marty Brown is known for his intense, aggressive style of play.

He is expected to be one of the offensive leaders of the Reds. 71 Home Game Game will be televised on Green Mountain Public Access Channel SEPTEMBER AUGUST JULY I 1 1 1 ISUNlMONlTUESlWEDlTHU I FRI I SAT I SUN iMON TUES WED THU FRI SAT I SUN IMON ITUES WED ITHU I FRI I SAT 1 1 2 3 4 5 PIT PIT 7:45 7:45 7 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "20 21 22 23 24 25 2b 27 28 29 30 I 2 3 4 ALB ALB ALB GF 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:00 6 7 9 10 II GF GF GF GF GF GF PITi 7KX) 7t00 7:00 7:30 7:30 7:30 fcOO 12 13 14 15 16 17 IS PIT PIT NB NB ALB ALB 3:00 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 ALB ALB GF GF GF HAR HAR 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:05 7:05 24 27 24 29 30 31 HAR HAR REA REA HAR HAR MS 7:05 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 HAR 7:30 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 HAR REA REA NB NB WIL WIL 3:00 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 9 10 II 12 13 14 15 WIL WIL GF GF GF ALB ALB 1:00 7:30 7:00 7:00 7M 7:30 7:30 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 WIL WIL WIL WIL GF GF GF 1:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 GF PIT PIT PIT PIT ALB ALB :00 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 30 31 PIT PIT 1:30 7:45 1 Vermont Reds, Friday, April 10, 1987Pag 7.