During the last few weeks, several "old school" MLB bloggers have mocked the early retirement of catcher Jeremy Brown. Brown was a controversial figure in the book Moneyball...as traditional baseball wisdom projected him as "undraftable".
Today, I scanned career statistics for all players picked in the bottom 1/3rd of the first round MLB's 2002 draft. So far, only three from that group (draft positions #26-#41) have made an MLB appearance. While Brown (#35) is among that trio, only Mark Teahen (#39), also drafted by Oakland, is an established big leaguer.
The bloggers missed the point. Except for the amplified scrutiny faced in the minors, Brown's retirement isn't Moneyball related. During 500+ minor league games, he was arguably among the most successful players from his draft range. J. Brown's retirement simply confirms the long odds for any post-#25 draft pick.
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