Spring Training begins in less than a month and the Brewers will have no shortage of fresh faces at their Arizona compound. To help fans get acclimated with this year's crop of newcomers to the organization, the Daily Brew will be publishing a series of player profiles over the next several weeks. This is the sixth installment in the Newcomer Breakdown series, which will cover major leaguers as well as selected minor leaguers; the first five profiles covered Jerome Gamble, Derrick Turnbow, Justin Lehr, Julio Santana, and Jose Capellan.

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Any discussion of Sam Narron inevitably begins with his family. Named after his grandfather, the first of eight members of the Narron clan to play professional baseball, he is the latest in a long line of Narron ballplayers from the tobacco fields of North Carolina. His father, Rooster, played for the Mets and advanced as far as Triple-A. His second cousin, Jerry, played in the big leagues for eight seasons and managed the Rangers in 2001 and 2002. His uncle, Johnny, coached in the Brewers' minor league system. And that's just scratching the surface of his baseball-playing relatives.

A product of Eastern Wayne High School in Goldsboro, North Carolina, Narron was recruited by East Carolina University, the alma mater of (among others) his cousin Jerry. Narron saw himself as a first-baseman as well as a pitcher, a fantasy the Pirates didn't bother dispelling, but the southpaw was destined exclusively for the mound.

"That's how they get pitchers in college," he explained, smiling. "'Yeah, we'll let you hit. C'mon in! We'll let you swing in the fall.' I never saw a bat."

A standout hurler at ECU, Narron helped the Pirates reach the NCAA tournament in each of his three seasons. As a freshman, he won six games and was named North Carolina's College Player of the Year and First Team All-East Region. As a sophomore, he set a new East Carolina mark for wins by compiling a 12-1 record and again was named to the First Team All-East Region. As a junior, he went 8-3 with a 2.98 ERA, was named to the All-Conference USA Team, and was honored as the Conference USA Baseball Scholar Athlete of the Year.

The fourth member of his family to letter in baseball at ECU, Narron was selected by Texas in the 15th round (442nd Overall) of the 2002 June Amateur Draft. He was assigned to the organization's Appalachian League affiliate in Pulaski, a town of just under 10,000 southwest of Blacksburg, where he alternated between starting and relieving. In 14 games spanning 70 innings, the 21-year old went 6-1 with a 3.88 ERA and an impressive 50:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

"He's got a great understanding of what our program is - throwing strikes and pitching ahead," Pulaski manager Pedro Lopez said. "Sam is into the game every night. If he's not pitching, he's in the dugout or in the stands keeping notes, getting prepared for his next outing."

Known as much for his intelligence as for his talent on the diamond, Narron left Pulaski a few weeks early and returned to East Carolina where he finished his degree in biology and graduated magna cum laude.

Done with the classroom and back on the mound in 2003, Narron moved up two levels and spent the season with Stockton in the High-A California League. Again splitting time between the rotation and the relief corps, Narron went 10-4 with a 3.48 ERA and a 75:19 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 103 and a third innings.

Despite the solid performance in the hitter friendly Cal League, Narron received the most attention for a screaming line drive he was unable to avoid. He split his lip, lost a tooth, and had his jaw wired shut for three days, but Narron was back on the mound after barely a month.

"He has no fear," Rangers' Assistant GM Grady Fuson said. "It's not even in the back of his mind. He's rebounding great. You don't see that a lot."

When asked about whether he could overcome the fear associated with the incident, Narron unleashed his famous wit.

"What do you expect me to do," he cracked. "Curl up on the mound in the fetal position and suck my thumb?"

Narron opened the 2004 campaign with Frisco of the Double-A Texas League. For the first time in his life, Narron and his 6-foot-7 frame felt right at home. Joined on the mound by 6-foot-10 Chris Young, 6-foot-7 Kameron Loe, 6-foot-6 Ryan Dittfurth, and 6-foot-5 Travis Hughes and Billy Sylvester, Narron and the Frisco hurlers resembled a basketball team more than a pitching staff.

Once again bouncing between the starting rotation and bullpen, Narron dominated the Texas League. The Rangers promoted him to Triple-A Oklahoma for a spot start at the end of May, at which point the left-hander was 5-0 with a league-best 2.13 ERA. Named to the Texas League All-Star Team, Narron was promoted for good in June and didn't lose his first game until July 9th. Occupying the locker next to Rick Helling's for much of his time with the RedHawks, Narron pitched brilliantly, going 8-2 with a 4.43 ERA in 17 games (16 starts) in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Needing pitching help at the big league level, the Rangers called on Narron for an emergency start in late July. When he toed the rubber at Arlington's Ameriquest Field against the Athletics, Narron became the 13th pitcher to start for Texas and the first Grady Fuson draft pick to reach the big leagues. Ironically, that milestone came mere hours after Fuson exited the organization.

"They're throwing me right into the fire, but that's OK," Narron said. "I'm sure I'll be a little nervous. If you're not nervous up here, there's probably something wrong."

Outfitted in a 1970s throwback uniform, his debut lasted just two and two-thirds innings. Victimized by a pair of Eric Byrnes' homers and a third by Erubiel Durazo, Narron surrendered four runs on five hits and four walks.

Optioned back to the RedHawks after the game, the youngster continued his solid pitching at Triple-A and finished the season strong.

"It's been a great year," reflected Narron, who went a combined 14-2 with a 3.72 ERA between Frisco and Oklahoma. "I was very fortunate this year starting in the bullpen in Double A and working my way up. It came up a little short for us in Oklahoma, but it's been a special year for sure."

Slated to pitch in the Ranger's Fall Instructional League, the team instead designated the 23-year old for assignment in order to make room on their 40-man roster in anticipation of a playoff run.

The Brewers claimed him off waivers a few days later and sent him to their own Instructional League.

"I'm looking forward to it. Anytime you get claimed, it means somebody wants you," Narron said about the change in scenery. "This is all positive for me. I had my first work out today and met some of the guys. I think we have a good group here. I'm here for them to get to know me, and I'm looking forward to it."

Despite his size (6-foot-7, 200 pounds), Narron is armed with only a mid-to-high-80s fastball and therefore relies more on location than stuff. His best pitch is an overhand curveball but his arsenal also includes a changeup and cutter.

"I'm not going to throw it by anyone," explained Narron, who uses his size to aid in a deceptive delivery. "Hitting is timing, and pitching disrupting timing."

"When he is finished pitching, he might have a career as slight-of-hand magician or covered wagon-era snake oil peddler," Frisco Manager Tim Ireland joked, referring to Narron's ability to get by with less-than-stellar stuff.

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Year  Level         G      IP    ERA    SO   BB    H   HR
=========================================================
2002  App/Rookie   14    70.0   3.88    50    8   78   10
2003  Cal/A+       26   103.1   3.48    75   19  107    8
2004  Texas/AA     13    53.1   2.36    27   10   56    6
      PCL/AAA      17   101.2   4.43    31   24  123   14
      NL/MLB        1     2.2  13.50     1    4    5    3
=========================================================
                     Career IP   H/9   SO/9   BB/9   HR/9
                     ====================================
                       331.0   10.03   5.00   1.77   1.11
                     ====================================

The Brewers will give Narron an outside chance to win a job in their bullpen this Spring but the more likely scenario would find him opening the season with Triple-A Nashville or Double-A Huntsville.

"Hopefully I will be in Triple A, but that's up to them. That's up in the air right now," he said last September.

Whether his eventual role is in the rotation or bullpen, Narron will need to continue displaying pinpoint control and a knack for inducing ground-balls.

"I have the same mindset for both," he explained. "My job is to throw strikes and keep the ball down."

If he does so, General Manager Doug Melvin will have found the latest in a long line of Rangers refugees that have contributed in Milwaukee.

"He could be a steal," Fuson commented before Narron's big league debut.

The Brewers sure hope so.

Notes and References:

• Thanks to Waymore Sports, The Baseball Cube, and East Carolina University for the statistical data used in this article.
• Roanoke Times & World News (Roanoke, VA), "Narron has more than familiar name going for him," Byline Aaron McFarling, August 16, 2002.
• The Dallas Morning News, "Stockton pitcher faces up to fears," Byline Todd Wills, July 19, 2003.
• The Dallas Morning News, "Left-hander crafts 4-0 start in rotation," Byline Todd Boyd, May 14, 2004.
• The Dallas Morning News, "It's a start," Byline Gerry Fraley, July 30, 2004.
• Goldsboro News-Argus, "Sam Narron Picked Up By Brewers," Byline Gabe Whisnant, September 26, 2004.

Bill Batterman is a writer for Brewerfan.net. You can get in touch with him by sending email to batman@brewerfan.net.