Bruce: The Next J.B.?

[Jason]

[b][size=4]Bruce: The next J.B.?[/size]
[size=3]Bruce has some big shoes to fill[/size]
BY JOHN ERARDI | JERARDI@ENQUIRER.COM[/b]

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The first thing you notice, because you're sitting behind and between the Reds' Jay Bruce and Ryan Freel as they sign autographs on the team caravan here, is the signature.

Jay B----.

That's what Jay Bruce's signature looks like.

Jay B----.

It's "Jay B" with a line extended outward from it, the way a Dr. Jay Bruce might sign a prescription.

If you get a "Jay B----," you'll know who it is.

Jay Bruce, 20, figures to make his big-league debut sometime this season.

It could be "The Year of the Jay" in Cincinnati. But it's a different "Jay Bee" one thinks of when one sees Bruce's signature. Yes, that J.B.

The young Johnny Bench had a similar scribble until Sparky Anderson straightened him out:

"Sign it so they can read it," the Reds' manager told J.B.

It's going to be worth some money someday.

[b]BRUCE HAS "IT"[/b]

A Reds public relations person recommends to the sports writer that he do the Bruce interview while Bruce signs autographs. It provides a rare window for character study. You can't fake it in this setting. Either you like it or you don't; either you've got it or you don't.

Bruce likes it, and he's got it.

He's a people person, warm and friendly, and he keeps the long line moving with his easy manner.

"How are you?" he asks a youngster. "Comin' to some games this year or what?"

"Yes," says the fan, beaming to be engaged in conversation.

"Awesome," says Bruce.

Some things about him are striking. His handshake is a vice grip; his upper body is extremely thick. He's confident, mature beyond his years. It's almost as though he knows what's coming.

He talks about his hometown, his family, his girlfriend. ("We've been together over three years," he says. "She's from Beaumont. Great girl.") He talks about his music. (A favorite is Lil Wayne, a hip hop artist and rapper, but Bruce recently got into '80s music.) He talks about his hobbies. (He likes hunting and fishing, but "I'm not a diehard anything," he says. "I like spending time with my family, hanging out, really.")

Bruce is a jeans-and-V-neck kind of guy, although on this day the V-neck has been replaced by a Reds jersey, "Bruce, 9" on the back.

He begins at the beginning.

[b]F. ROBBY FROM SAME TOWN[/b]

"Beaumont, Texas, where I was born, is a short drive from Lake Charles, La., and about an hour and 10 minutes northeast of Houston ..."

Beaumont?

Sounds familiar. Yep. If Bruce makes Reds fans forget about another Reds star who was born in Beaumont and broke into the bigs at age 20, he really will have accomplished something.

Frank Robinson, one of the toughest hombres to ever play the game, was born in the same town.

"Everyone thinks of football when they think of sports in Texas, but it's a great baseball state," Bruce explains. "The only other sport I played growing up was soccer. The only sport I played in high school was baseball. For the most part, in Texas, guys who play baseball are just baseball players. Same with football players. That's what makes a guy like Adam Dunn so special for a guy from Texas, because he was so good at both."

Bruce points out that he has learned a lot so far in pro ball, even though he was drafted only two years ago, in June 2005. The journey began with Reds scout Brian Wilson, who soon thereafter died of a heart condition.

"He's one of the greatest people I've ever met in my life," Bruce says. "He gave me a lot of good advice on how to carry myself as a pro, and I've always tried to apply it. Every level I've been to (in pro ball), I try to take everything I can out of it. Just listen to everyone and get something from everyone I meet."

"I hope your hand isn't cramping up too much with all this signing," says a man Bruce's age.

"No, it'll be fine, no problem," says Bruce, grinning.


[b]BRUCE CATCHES A FEW BREAKS[/b]

If Bruce's easy, confident manner is any indication, he will continue to force the Reds' hand.

That's what he did last season, as he moved from Single-A to Double-A to Triple-A in one year.

"Like they say, 'You've got to catch a break,' " Bruce says. "When Dewayne Wise got hurt, that gave me a chance (in Louisville). I made the most of it. Dewayne's my friend. He's going to be a good player for a long time.

"But I think moving up fast helped me deal with some adversity, having to adapt to my new surroundings."

Yes, Bruce sounds ready.

He says it was "comforting" to find that baseball "was still baseball" even at Triple-A Louisville.

"I was successful there; I did well," he says. "It just kind of made me realize that I belonged. I felt like, 'I can do this.' That was pretty cool."

He credits his parents for "raising me right." His father, Joe, is a master plumber. Jay has a 31-year-old sister, Amy, who has three children. His other sister, Kellan, is 25. She's mentally disabled.

"She's kind of like my little sister," Bruce says. "She's socially on her level, but as far as learning and speech, she has difficulty. She's great. The smallest things excite her. She's so pleased with the most simple things. She really puts things in perspective for me and makes me realize how blessed I am. She's very proud of me."

"Can you write 'To Eric' on that?" a mother asks.

"Sure," says Bruce, smiling.


[b]COMPARED TO JUNIOR GRIFFEY[/b]

Last summer, when Triple-A manager Rick Sweet compared Bruce to Ken Griffey Jr. - Sweet managed Griffey as a young player - how did that make Bruce feel? It's mighty high praise for a kid.

"Man, I take it as the biggest compliment," Bruce says. "It's an honor, the utmost honor, to have that said about you. Griffey, if he hadn't gotten hurt, would have been the absolute best, bar none, player to ever step on the field. Growing up, he was my idol. Now that I've gotten to talk to him, I consider him a friend. That's awesome for me."

Bruce, who is a left-handed batter like Griffey, says he batted "just like him in Little League."

"I'm still pretty straight up - my elbow's up in the back like his," Bruce says. "But you can't teach what he has. I've got the biggest shoes ever to fill. I'll never even begin to be able to say, 'I have what Ken Griffey Jr. has.' "

Bruce loved the fact that manager Sweet kept pushing him to be better.

"He didn't let me get away with anything - he expected great things out of me," Bruce says. "He expected me to try to overachieve, to raise my game beyond what I was doing."

Like Griffey, Bruce feels he was born to play the game.

"I've felt that at every step of the way," he says. "I know I'm fortunate; I don't take anything for granted. What I love is the game - I love everything about it. I love going to the park every day; I love the fun that I have. I love the fans when they come out. There's nothing better than a full house."

"That's a pretty hat," Bruce says to a young girl about her pink-colored Reds cap.

"Thanks!" she says.


[b]FIRST WALKOFF HOME RUN[/b]

"I'd never before hit a walkoff anything before - until last season," says Bruce, referring to a hit that ends the game. "It happened in Chattanooga, Double-A, the game before I was called up to Triple-A. I was 4-for-5, with four doubles. The last of them was off the left-center-field wall, to end the game. That was very, very exciting for me."

Bruce is wide-eyed.

He remembers as a kid how exhilarated he felt - how in awe he was - when he hit the ball a long way.

He still feels that way. Yes, he wonders what the big leagues will be like. "I've talked to Joey Votto, who's one of my best friends," Bruce says. "Joey says, 'It's everything you imagine - it's awesome.' "

Bruce has gotten to experience some of Greater Cincinnati life, and hopes to experience more - soon.

"I know it's a baseball town," he says. "I think it's about to explode. I feel like we're turning it around. I feel like ownership is heading us in the right direction. Look at this crowd out here today. It's awesome."

[The Scales]

[quote name='Jason' post='631136' date='Feb 9 2008, 10:43 AM'][b][size=4]Bruce: The next J.B.?[/size]
[size=3]Bruce has some big shoes to fill[/size]
BY JOHN ERARDI | JERARDI@ENQUIRER.COM[/b]

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The first thing you notice, because you're sitting behind and between the Reds' Jay Bruce and Ryan Freel as they sign autographs on the team caravan here, is the signature.

Jay B----.

That's what Jay Bruce's signature looks like.

Jay B----.

It's "Jay B" with a line extended outward from it, the way a Dr. Jay Bruce might sign a prescription.

If you get a "Jay B----," you'll know who it is.

Jay Bruce, 20, figures to make his big-league debut sometime this season.

It could be "The Year of the Jay" in Cincinnati. But it's a different "Jay Bee" one thinks of when one sees Bruce's signature. Yes, that J.B.

The young Johnny Bench had a similar scribble until Sparky Anderson straightened him out:

"Sign it so they can read it," the Reds' manager told J.B.

It's going to be worth some money someday.

[b]BRUCE HAS "IT"[/b]

A Reds public relations person recommends to the sports writer that he do the Bruce interview while Bruce signs autographs. It provides a rare window for character study. You can't fake it in this setting. Either you like it or you don't; either you've got it or you don't.

Bruce likes it, and he's got it.

He's a people person, warm and friendly, and he keeps the long line moving with his easy manner.

"How are you?" he asks a youngster. "Comin' to some games this year or what?"

"Yes," says the fan, beaming to be engaged in conversation.

"Awesome," says Bruce.

Some things about him are striking. His handshake is a vice grip; his upper body is extremely thick. He's confident, mature beyond his years. It's almost as though he knows what's coming.

He talks about his hometown, his family, his girlfriend. ("We've been together over three years," he says. "She's from Beaumont. Great girl.") He talks about his music. (A favorite is Lil Wayne, a hip hop artist and rapper, but Bruce recently got into '80s music.) He talks about his hobbies. (He likes hunting and fishing, but "I'm not a diehard anything," he says. "I like spending time with my family, hanging out, really.")

Bruce is a jeans-and-V-neck kind of guy, although on this day the V-neck has been replaced by a Reds jersey, "Bruce, 9" on the back.

He begins at the beginning.

[b]F. ROBBY FROM SAME TOWN[/b]

"Beaumont, Texas, where I was born, is a short drive from Lake Charles, La., and about an hour and 10 minutes northeast of Houston ..."

Beaumont?

Sounds familiar. Yep. If Bruce makes Reds fans forget about another Reds star who was born in Beaumont and broke into the bigs at age 20, he really will have accomplished something.

Frank Robinson, one of the toughest hombres to ever play the game, was born in the same town.

"Everyone thinks of football when they think of sports in Texas, but it's a great baseball state," Bruce explains. "The only other sport I played growing up was soccer. The only sport I played in high school was baseball. For the most part, in Texas, guys who play baseball are just baseball players. Same with football players. That's what makes a guy like Adam Dunn so special for a guy from Texas, because he was so good at both."

Bruce points out that he has learned a lot so far in pro ball, even though he was drafted only two years ago, in June 2005. The journey began with Reds scout Brian Wilson, who soon thereafter died of a heart condition.

"He's one of the greatest people I've ever met in my life," Bruce says. "He gave me a lot of good advice on how to carry myself as a pro, and I've always tried to apply it. Every level I've been to (in pro ball), I try to take everything I can out of it. Just listen to everyone and get something from everyone I meet."

"I hope your hand isn't cramping up too much with all this signing," says a man Bruce's age.

"No, it'll be fine, no problem," says Bruce, grinning.


[b]BRUCE CATCHES A FEW BREAKS[/b]

If Bruce's easy, confident manner is any indication, he will continue to force the Reds' hand.

That's what he did last season, as he moved from Single-A to Double-A to Triple-A in one year.

"Like they say, 'You've got to catch a break,' " Bruce says. "When Dewayne Wise got hurt, that gave me a chance (in Louisville). I made the most of it. Dewayne's my friend. He's going to be a good player for a long time.

"But I think moving up fast helped me deal with some adversity, having to adapt to my new surroundings."

Yes, Bruce sounds ready.

He says it was "comforting" to find that baseball "was still baseball" even at Triple-A Louisville.

"I was successful there; I did well," he says. "It just kind of made me realize that I belonged. I felt like, 'I can do this.' That was pretty cool."

He credits his parents for "raising me right." His father, Joe, is a master plumber. Jay has a 31-year-old sister, Amy, who has three children. His other sister, Kellan, is 25. She's mentally disabled.

"She's kind of like my little sister," Bruce says. "She's socially on her level, but as far as learning and speech, she has difficulty. She's great. The smallest things excite her. She's so pleased with the most simple things. She really puts things in perspective for me and makes me realize how blessed I am. She's very proud of me."

"Can you write 'To Eric' on that?" a mother asks.

"Sure," says Bruce, smiling.


[b]COMPARED TO JUNIOR GRIFFEY[/b]

Last summer, when Triple-A manager Rick Sweet compared Bruce to Ken Griffey Jr. - Sweet managed Griffey as a young player - how did that make Bruce feel? It's mighty high praise for a kid.

"Man, I take it as the biggest compliment," Bruce says. "It's an honor, the utmost honor, to have that said about you. Griffey, if he hadn't gotten hurt, would have been the absolute best, bar none, player to ever step on the field. Growing up, he was my idol. Now that I've gotten to talk to him, I consider him a friend. That's awesome for me."

Bruce, who is a left-handed batter like Griffey, says he batted "just like him in Little League."

"I'm still pretty straight up - my elbow's up in the back like his," Bruce says. "But you can't teach what he has. I've got the biggest shoes ever to fill. I'll never even begin to be able to say, 'I have what Ken Griffey Jr. has.' "

Bruce loved the fact that manager Sweet kept pushing him to be better.

"He didn't let me get away with anything - he expected great things out of me," Bruce says. "He expected me to try to overachieve, to raise my game beyond what I was doing."

Like Griffey, Bruce feels he was born to play the game.

"I've felt that at every step of the way," he says. "I know I'm fortunate; I don't take anything for granted. What I love is the game - I love everything about it. I love going to the park every day; I love the fun that I have. I love the fans when they come out. There's nothing better than a full house."

"That's a pretty hat," Bruce says to a young girl about her pink-colored Reds cap.

"Thanks!" she says.


[b]FIRST WALKOFF HOME RUN[/b]

"I'd never before hit a walkoff anything before - until last season," says Bruce, referring to a hit that ends the game. "It happened in Chattanooga, Double-A, the game before I was called up to Triple-A. I was 4-for-5, with four doubles. The last of them was off the left-center-field wall, to end the game. That was very, very exciting for me."

Bruce is wide-eyed.

He remembers as a kid how exhilarated he felt - how in awe he was - when he hit the ball a long way.

He still feels that way. Yes, he wonders what the big leagues will be like. "I've talked to Joey Votto, who's one of my best friends," Bruce says. "Joey says, 'It's everything you imagine - it's awesome.' "

Bruce has gotten to experience some of Greater Cincinnati life, and hopes to experience more - soon.

"I know it's a baseball town," he says. "I think it's about to explode. I feel like we're turning it around. I feel like ownership is heading us in the right direction. Look at this crowd out here today. It's awesome."[/quote]




Crakas too white to be compared to Griffey Jr.

That said, I'm sure his popularity will spread, if he can rake like they say, like an ass herpe, especially among the many closeted racists in the queen city.

"WEE HAW ThANK WHITE HEAVEN!!! "

"We gots us a bonifide All star and He's the RIGHT COLOR!!!"


Wooo!!! THATS RIGHT!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!!"

[BengalBacker]

[quote name='The Scales' post='631197' date='Feb 9 2008, 09:01 PM']Crakas too white to be compared to Griffey Jr.

That said, I'm sure his popularity will spread, if he can rake like they say, like an ass herpe, especially among the many closeted racists in the queen city.

"WEE HAW ThANK WHITE HEAVEN!!! "

"We gots us a bonifide All star and He's the RIGHT COLOR!!!"


Wooo!!! THATS RIGHT!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!!"[/quote]


That might be the most racist thing ever posted on this board.

No ninja.