Athlete 1985 - 1987
Millions who have thrown, caught or hit a baseball dream of a professional career, having their own baseball card, playing for the New York Yankees and becoming a World Series hero.
Scott Brosius, a 2002 inductee in the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame, has lived that dream.
After his junior year at Linfield, Brosius, a 20th round draft pick with the Oakland Athletics organization, signed with the A's in 1987. He played for Athletics' teams in Medford, Ore.; Huntsville, Ala.; and Tacoma, Wash., before joining Oakland in 1991. He was with Oakland through the 1997 season, then traded to the Yankees, for whom he played, 1998-2001.
His career highlights include playing in the 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 World Series for the Yankees, winning three of them; being voted 1998 World Series MVP after batting .471 with two home runs and six RBIs in four games, being the 1998 All-Star game third baseman and 1999 Gold Glove winner. Career totals: .257 batting average, 141 home runs, 531 RBIs in 1,146 games.
On Nov. 27, 2001, in the Linfield athletic complex upper gym, he announced his professional baseball retirement. "It was a personal decision, not related to baseball, but due to the fact that families are meant to be together," he said. "I wanted to leave on my own terms and walk away with no regrets."
Thanks to the decision, McMinnville is now the full-time home for the Brosius family, Scott, wife Jennifer Moore Brosius (Linfield Class of 1989); and their three children. During the Yankee years, the family lived both in New York and McMinnville.
Born in Hillsboro, the son of the late Jenni Montee and the late Maury Brosius started in the sport playing Little League in Vancouver, Wash.
After starring in baseball he also played football and basketball -- at Rex Putnam High School in Milwaukie, Ore., he hoped to receive a NCAA Division I university scholarship. That was not in the cards. His Putnam coach, Larry Hermo, Linfield Class of 1959, and Linfield baseball coach Scott Carnahan encouraged him to play for the Wildcats, then a NAIA member.
In three seasons for Linfield, he batted .332, had 14 home runs and 77 RBIs. Carnahan converted him at Linfield from pitcher and outfielder, which he played at Putnam, to third base his freshman year. In his final (junior, 1987) season, he batted .348 and set Linfield single-season records for most at-bats, most hits and most RBIs. In that season, he fell one short of Linfield records in runs scored, home runs and doubles. He was a NAIA all-Area, and all-District, All-Northwest Conference and NAIA All-American honorable mention selection in 1987.
"Some of my greatest experiences involve Linfield. It's where my baseball career started to become a reality," he said. "Almost all of the important relationships in my life, including meeting Jennifer, started at Linfield." The 1985 baseball season, in which the Wildcats finished with a 16-22 win-loss record, is one of memories for Brosius. " We were one game away from playing in the NAIA World Series. We were so close. If we didn't have one bad break in the last game (an 8-6 loss to Vanguard University, in the NAIA Area 1 playoffs) we would have done it. That season we started with 13 consecutive losses. We came home from our spring baseball trip, shaved our heads, and went on a winning streak and had the conference title (11-4 win-loss record) locked up before the final weekend. That was an awesome turnaround." Brosius said.
A member of the college's Class of 1988, Brosius earned his Linfield business degree in 2001. "Jennifer and I wanted to show our children how important it is to finish what you start," he said. "I started working on my degree in 1984, but it was delayed because of pro baseball. Now I'm among many people truly proud to be Linfield graduates."
Brosius says he wouldn't be where he is without Linfield. "Any support I've needed, I've received from Scott Carnahan and Linfield. I help out the college where it's needed."
