Jeff Brohm has made a name for himself as a football coach and player. But, there was a day when he was a promising baseball prospect.
“I love the game of baseball,” said Brohm this week. “I love sports.”
That love of baseball makes this week’s Purdue game vs. Northwestern in Chicago's Wrigley Field that much more special for a baseball aficionado like Brohm.
“Baseball to me is a game with a lot of history and tradition,” said Brohm. “Obviously, Wrigley Field is as iconic as anywhere. For me, playing at Wrigley is awesome. I know for our players it is, as well. I love baseball. Putting a football field in a baseball stadium is unique. I know our fans will like watching football in that manner.”
With the famed ivy-covered brick outfield walls as a backdrop, Purdue (6-4 overall; 4-3 Big Ten) will try to enhance its postseason resume vs. the slumping Wildcats (3-7; 1-6) on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET. Northwestern has had good recent fortune vs. Purdue, going 8-2 vs. the Boilermakers in the last 10 meetings.
“We've got an opponent that we haven't had very good success with here recently, that does a really good job of not beating themselves, playing disciplined football, sound defense, they're big and physical up front, run the football, control possessions and make the other team beat them,” said Brohm.
Wrigley Field is a venue Brohm has been to before. As Purdue coach, he threw out the first pitch at a Cubs game in July 2018. He also was an assistant on the 2010 Illinois staff led by Ron Zook that played Northwestern in Wrigley Field in 2010.
Brohm never made it to 1060 West Addison Street as a player. But, the Boilermaker coach was a professional baseball player some 30 years ago.
Brohm was selected in the seventh round of the 1989 MLB draft by the Montreal Expos. Instead of signing with the Expos out of Trinity High in Louisville, Ky., Brohm accepted a scholarship to play quarterback for his hometown Louisville Cardinals.
Story continues below photo
But in the summer of 1990, Brohm got the baseball itch and held a tryout. He was picked by Cleveland in the fourth round of the MLB draft. Drafted as a shortstop who could play the outfield, the 6-1, 205-pound Brohm subsequently played minor league baseball in the Cleveland system, toiling with Rookie League Burlington in 1990 and at Class A Watertown in 1991 before finally giving up his baseball dream. Among his minor league teammates: Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome.
Brohm’s final pro baseball stats: 51 games, .214 batting average, four home runs, 18 RBI with 10 steals.
“Baseball is a unique game,” said Brohm. “You have to have great hand-eye coordination. You may not be the best athlete overall, but you have to have the hand-eye coordination skills. Takes a lot of practice and repetition like golf.”
Brohm stuck with football, where he went on to enjoy a stellar career at Louisville (1989-93) before a seven-year career in the NFL.
“I was fortunate enough to play for a little while with a lot of great players and coaches. Would love to do it again. But it's long gone. I'm coaching now. Coaching's a lot more work than playing actually.”
Now, Brohm gets to be a head coach in the “Friendly Confines.”
“I love the game of baseball,” said Brohm. “I know we're looking forward to playing at Wrigley.”
Membership Info: Sign up for GoldandBlack.com now | Why join? | Questions?
Follow GoldandBlack.com: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
More: Gold and Black Illustrated/Gold and Black Express | Subscribe to our podcast
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2021. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited.
