Questioning Authority with Tom Brookens

Tom Brookens has become a hot coaching commodity in the Detroit Tigers' system. After guiding the West Michigan Whitecaps to their second Midwest League championship in a row and third in the past four years, the Tigers promoted the fourth overall pick in the 1975 First-Year Player Draft to the Double-A Erie SeaWolves of the Eastern League.

The 54-year-old Pennsylvania native spent the first five years of his 16-year playing career in Detroit's system, making stops at Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Evansville before his Major League debut in 1979. Brookens primarily manned third base for Detroit, occasionally spelling Alan Trammell at shortstop and Lou Whitaker at second base, and was part of the team that beat the San Diego Padres in the 1984 World Series. Brookens called it a career in 1990 after final seasons with the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Indians. Brookens hit .246 with 71 home runs, 40 triples, 175 doubles and 431 RBIs over his 12 seasons in the Majors.

Minorleaguebaseball.com: What do you remember most about your first time around in the Minor Leagues?

Tom Brookens: The one thing you never forget is your first game. For me, that was back in 1975 when I was playing for Montgomery in the Southern League. I remember it was against Savannah down at their place in Georgia. I grounded out to first in my first at-bat. Things like that you never forget.

MiLB.com: Are things drastically different in the Minors from when you were a player?

TB: If you're talking about between the lines, I would have to say no. The game, essentially, is the same as it was. The Minor Leagues have made leaps and bounds over the years, though. It's not just all about player development any more, surviving on shoe-string budgets, playing in old stadiums, really tough bus rides and having small crowds. Now you see a lot more people in the stands and much better facilities. Not just for the players, but the buildings are more family-friendly too.

MiLB.com: What is your favorite story to tell from your playing days in the Minors?

TB: You see this all the time where the old coach or manager tells a story that's so "out there" that the players think the whole thing is made up. I get that a lot with this story. I'm not sure what the year was, but when I was playing in the Southern League, our bus drove into Charlotte, N.C. to play the Orioles' affiliate there. The only thing was that when we pulled into the hotel, we found out that the thing had burned down over a week ago! I take one look and tell my teammates: 'We better play pretty good this week. This team's so hot, they're burning everything up!' Nowadays, you'd never have a situation like that because everyone would know about that the day it happened, but back then, there was no way to communicate it.

MiLB.com: How have your former big-league teammates reacted to you being a coach? Did it surprise them?

TB: I don't think any of them were very surprised. If you asked me if I would have been surprised if any of my teammates got into coaching, I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't have been and the same could probably be said for them about me. When you're in the game for as long as I have, it gets to you. It gets in your blood.

MiLB.com: Do many of your players know that you were once a Major Leaguer and even won a World Series?

TB: A lot of them have at least an idea about my past since they can look up pretty much anything on their computers. Plus, when I get to Erie, I'll probably see a couple of kids I had back at West Michigan.

MiLB.com: How much do you learn from your players? Do they keep you up-to-date with what's going on in pop culture?

TB: Oh, I'm always learning from them. They're in the clubhouse playing their music and video games. I come in and ask what the name of the band is, they tell me, and I scratch my head trying to figure out what that is. I have three daughters (all in their mid-20s), so they kind of prepare me for dealing with guys of the same age. Still, I'm the old geezer in the clubhouse and in the front of the bus. Back when I played and listened to my tape cassette player and headphones, my managers took a look at me and shook their heads, wondering what kind of crap I was listening to with these new-fangled things.

MiLB.com: How do the fans react to you? Do many of them remember you from your playing days?

TB: Yes, quite a few of them do. This was especially true last year in Grand Rapids (West Michigan). I played 10 years with Detroit, and (West Michigan) is right in the Tigers' backyard. Now as I go to Erie, I suspect it's more in Pittsburgh's fan base, but I've always been greeted nicely by the fans.

MiLB.com: What cities do you enjoy visiting the most?

TB: The neat thing about being in the Minor Leagues is that you're able to visit these neat little towns and cities that in almost any other situation, you'd never have a chance to see. When I first started in the New York-Penn League, it took me all over the Northeast, then I went to the Midwest League last year. Now I'm in the Eastern League, and I'm sure there are going to be some nice places to see around there too.

MiLB.com: What's the toughest part of the job?

TB: Without a doubt, the toughest thing is having to call in a player and tell him that he's been released. That's something I never liked doing and never will like doing. Sometimes they can see it coming: they aren't playing too much any more, they're not performing well on the field. But other times, it comes right out of the blue. It's something that you really have to prepare yourself to do, and it's part of the job I wish I didn't have to do.

MiLB.com: Do you have your own bobblehead? Do you like it?

TB: Why yes, I do! I really liked it when they came out with one of me a few years ago. Heck, once you got your own bobblehead, that's the pinnacle of your career. I was ready to announce my retirement (and) the day before I was going to do it, I was talking with one of my friends. He said: 'Tom, the new thing now is getting your own Fathead (poster). You know you've really made it when you get your own Fathead.' So I don't think I'm going to stop until I get my very own Fathead!