In The Dugout – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 21, 2003
Most kids in high school have a vision a becoming a doctor, a lawyer or a fireman. The same held true for Kyle Brown, who up until his senior year decided he did not want to be a an orthopedic surgeon, but instead wanted to go into communications.
“My neighbor, who is a director at ESPN, brought me along to watch Ohio State play Purdue. I sat in the television truck and said ‘Man, that’s cool how they do that’ and ever since then I fell in love with it,” Brown said
Brown, a 6-foot-2-inch right-handed pitcher from Washington Court House, Ohio, a small town about halfway between Columbus and Cincinnati, has been working with ABC and ESPN when they televise games at Ohio State since his freshman year. He said that the experience that he has gained and the people he has met have been very valuable.
Brown recalled the first time he met ESPN broadcaster Dick Vitale.
“When Dick Vitale came into town I was pretty much his chauffeur for the day,” Brown said. “You listen to him on TV and think ‘This guy most drink Red Bull by the gallon,’ but off the air he is one of the most laid back, nicest guys in the world.”
According to Brown, sports were pretty big in Washington Court House. Brown was a member of the basketball team and played quarterback and defensive back for the football team. Brown was a three time all-state, all-district and all-league selection and was highly recruited to play football at major Division I schools.
After a stellar senior year in baseball that included all-state, all-district and all-league honors, Brown decided to play baseball at Ohio State.
“I always liked Ohio State and I was always a Buckeye,” Brown said. “I thought about playing football in college and realized I didn’t really enjoy football practice. I was getting my head smashed in everyday and there was no real guarantee that I was going to play the first two or three years.” In Brown’s first year as a Buckeye he finished the season with a record of 4-0 and a .341 ERA. Since his freshman season, Brown, who now is one of four captains, said that he has matured over the years through his work ethic and the examples he sets.
“The biggest thing is going out there and being confident with yourself,” Brown said. “As a freshman, you’re used to being above everybody. You could just throw the ball by people and get them out based on ability. If you make the smallest mistake on this level, hitters are going to crush the ball and make you pay.”
As Brown’s time as a Buckeye is slowly winding away, he said that he hopes the underclassmen understand the ability of hard work and dedication.
“The best thing I can tell the underclassmen is trust their ability,” Brown said. “Ability is what got you here and it is not necessarily going to keep you here, but if you combine your ability with hard work and keep your grades up your going to be fine.”
