Atlanta Braves

The Wild Career of Former Atlanta Braves INF Brooks Conrad

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Whenever Atlanta Braves fans hear the name “Brooks Conrad” they typically cringe. However, Conrad’s time in Atlanta should not be remembered for a poor defensive performance in the Division Series of 2010.

Former Atlanta Braves infielder Brooks Conrad earned an unfair spot in baseball history because of one forgettable night on October 10, 2010. Sometimes called “Atlanta’s Bill Buckner,” Conrad had three defensive errors in a critical game three of the 2010 NLDS against the San Francisco Giants. His performance cost the Braves the game, and the Giants clinched the series the following night.

Brooks Conrad went from being a fan-favorite to the most hated man in Braves Country at the end of the 2010 season. It is unfortunate that he is remembered this way, but it is important that fans understand that there is more to a player than just one game or one play. With that being said, let’s take a look at the baseball journey of Brooks “Raw Dog” Conrad.

Humble Beginnings

Brooks Conrad played college baseball at Arizona State University for three years before going pro. The Houston Astros selected Brooks Conrad in the 8th round (236th overall) of the 2001 MLB Draft. He spent seven seasons in the Astros organization played at AAA Round Rock from 2005-2007.

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After becoming a minor league free agent at the end of the 2007 season, Conrad signed a deal with the Oakland Athletics organization. Oakland called him up on July 21 to start at third base against the Tampa Bay Rays, but he was designated for assignment just three weeks later on August 12 after batting .158 with nine strikeouts in 19 plate appearances.

The Atlanta Braves signed Conrad to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training in November 2008. Conrad failed to make the opening day roster and was assigned to AAA Gwinnett. During his time at Gwinnett, “Raw Dog” batted .269 with 12 HR and 64 RBI in 110 games played.

Welcome to Atlanta

The Braves purchased the contract of Brooks Conrad on July 3, 2009, to replace an injured Kelly Johnson. Atlanta was on the road playing a series against the Nationals, and Conrad got an opportunity the same night his contract was purchased. Conrad drilled a pinch-hit 3-run home run off of Nationals reliever Jesus Colome, which led to a 9-8 Braves victory and an extension of Atlanta’s season-high win streak. He played 29 more games with Atlanta that season in a limited role.

Brooks Conrad made the most of his opportunity in spring training of 2010 and made the Braves’ opening day roster. Manager Bobby Cox saw the value in having Conrad on the team because he could play both corner infield spots, where Atlanta had aging players in Troy Glaus and Chipper Jones. In his 2010 season, Conrad batted .250 with 8 HR and 33 RBI in 103 games played.

Besides being a contributor off of the bench and being versatile in the infield, Brooks Conrad quickly became a fan-favorite in Atlanta. Perhaps the moment that propelled him to reaching the height of his popularity was his walk-off grand slam against the Cincinnati Reds on May 20, 2010. The Braves were down 9-3 in the bottom of the 9th inning, but Atlanta rallied to score three runs to make it a 9-6 ballgame. With one out and the bases loaded, Conrad hit a walk-off grand slam off of Cincinnati’s Francisco Cordero to cap one of the most unbelievable comeback wins in Braves history.

A Night to Forget

The Atlanta Braves entered game three of the 2010 NLDS with their confidence being higher than ever. Atlanta had recently tied the series 1-1 thanks to a game-winning home run by OF Rick Ankiel that splashed into McCovey Cove. The Braves had veteran pitcher Tim Hudson starting game three, so Atlanta remained optimistic as the series moved to Georgia.

Game three of the NLDS would be a night that Brooks Conrad wants to erase from history. Brooks Conrad committed three defensive errors that night – a division series error record. Conrad’s first two errors of the game were arguably nullified thanks to an epic two-run home run by Eric Hinske. However, Conrad’s final error in the top of the ninth inning would cost the Braves the game and the series.

Moving Forward

Despite his defensive meltdown in the 2010 NLDS, Brooks Conrad remained a Brave for the 2011 season. He batted .223 with 4 HR and 13 RBI in 103 at bats. Conrad became a free agent at the end of the season, and it was clear that his time in Atlanta was finished.

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In January 2012, Conrad signed a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers with an invitation to spring training. He made the opening day roster as a backup infielder, but floated back and forth between Milwaukee and AAA Nashville over the first 2 1/2 months of the season. Conrad’s .075 batting average in 25 games played with the big club led to Milwaukee placing the infielder of waivers in mid-June of that season.

The Tampa Bay Rays claimed him off waivers on June 21 to replace an injured Evan Longoria. Three days later, Conrad went 2-3 with 4 RBI off of Phillies’ pitcher Cliff Lee to help Tampa Bay sweep Philadelphia on the road. However, he was DFA’d two weeks later when Evan Longoria returned from his injury.

Brooks Conrad has jumped from place to place ever since being released by Tampa Bay in 2012. In 2013 he played with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball Organization. In 2014 he was with San Diego’s AAA affiliate in El Paso, and he briefly was called up for a few games with the major league club. In 2015 he played 83 games with the Mets’ AAA affiliate in Las Vegas.

Conrad most recently played in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball with the Sugar Land Skeeters in 2016. The 36-year-old was released by the Skeeters on June 23 and is currently a free agent.

How Should His Career Be Remembered?

Famous American biologist Leroy Hood once said that “if you just focus on the smallest details, you never get the big picture right.” Therefore, if one is going to analyze the baseball career of a man, then they should not nullify all the highlights of his career because of one bad game.

Was Brooks Conrad’s defensive meltdown untimely? Yes. But bad days happen to everyone. Do not remember him for one bad game. Instead, remember him for all the good games. Remember him for entertaining Braves fans across the country. Remember him for his late-game heroics. And most importantly, remember him for playing the game the right way and having fun.

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