The Salt Lake Buzz will have plenty of young, talented players take to Franklin Quest Field this season, but Bernardo Brito isn't one of them.
That's not to say Brito isn't talented - he's just not young, at least by minor league baseball standards. Brito, an outfielder who was reassigned by the Minnesota Twins to their minor league camp Tuesday, is beginning his 14th professional season at the ripe old age of 30. If tradition holds, Brito is destined to become a crowd favorite for Buzz fans."They'll love him in Salt Lake," Buzz pitching coach Gorman Heimueller said of Brito from spring training in Fort Myers, Fla. "There's no question with the high altitude there he'll thrill the fans with some long home runs."
Brito is one of several players sent down by the Twins Tuesday who will wind up on the Buzz roster. Others include shortstop Denny Hocking, catcher Mike Durant and pitchers Greg Brummett and Dave Stevens. Outfielder J.T. Bruett was also reassigned to the minors and will likely end up in Salt Lake.
Brito spent five seasons at the AAA level in Portland, where he hit 20 or more homers every year. Last season he was batting .339 with 20 homers and 72 RBI for the Beavers when he was called up by the Twins July 7. His first trip to the majors was late in 1992 after he had played 12 seasons (1,216 games) with 229 homers and 765 RBI in the minor leagues. His first major-league home run came last season and was his 250th as a pro.
The latest moves leaves the Twins with 27 players on their roster. They will have to be pared down to 25 prior to opening day April 5.
Brummett, who was a combined 4-4 in the majors with the Giants and Twins last year, will be a starter for the Buzz. The right-hander has a good sinkerball and outstanding control. Stevens is a projected closer for the Buzz.
Hocking had an outstanding spring after a late-season call-up by the Twins last season. He will be the everyday shortstop, while Durant will be the No. 1 catcher for the Buzz when the season begins. Bruett split time between AAA Portland and the majors in each of the past two seasons. He had a .322 batting average for the Beavers last year and is a lifetime .250 hitter in the majors in 73 games.