Running Down a Dream

Emory University’s Steve Bralver was named Most Valuable Player of the Division III University Athletic Association after hitting .375 with seven homers and 61 RBIs this year, but went undrafted in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft.  Instead of giving up on his dream of being a major leaguer, Bralver is embarking on a journey to the Midwest where he’ll be trying out for a handful of teams, hoping to catch someone’s eye.  He’s also agreed to blog about his experience here at Seamheads.com.

Let’s take a moment and get to know Steve a little better:

Player:	Steve Bralver (pronounced BRAWL-vur)
Position:	1B/OF
Bats/Throws:	R/R
Height:	6′ 2″
Weight:	195 lbs
DOB:	February 21, 1986
Arm Strength:	Top Velocity 85 MPH
Batting Tendency:	AVG./Gap Power

College Statistics
Year	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBA	SLG
2007	36	127	26	45	4	33	1	.354	.400	.535
2008	36	110	19	29	4	20	6	.264	.374	.445
2009	42	168	31	63	7	61	7	.375	.418	.601
Totals	114	405	76	137	15	114	14	.338	.400	.538

Highlights

• Named 2009 UAA Conference MVP
• Named 2009 First Team All-Conference
• Named 2007 First Team All-Conference
• Named 2007 All-NCAA Tournament Team
• 61 RBIs in 2009 was second most in Emory University history
• Owns fifth-highest career slugging percentage in Emory University history
• Owns fifth-highest career home run total in Emory University history
• Five single season marks among top five in Emory University history
• Batted .400 with a homer and six RBIs in the 2007 Division III World Series
• Drove in six runs against Rhodes College in 2009, falling one RBI short of the school record, then tied the record with a seven-RBI game later in the season

Scouting Report

Bralver is a strong, young player who has a chance to get even stronger. His 6-2, 185 lb. frame is very projectable. Bralver’s best tool is his bat. He generates good bat speed with a compact, wristy swing that has some lift and loft potential in it.  We saw Bralver mostly at first base, where he did a very good job picking low throws out of the dirt. We’d like to see him more in the outfield, where his athleticism and average arm strength would be more of a factor. His hitting ability should attract a lot of interest.

Q & A

Mike Lynch: I grew up in the shadow of Fenway Park, dreaming about one day playing left field for the Boston Red Sox. Was playing major league baseball a childhood dream for you as well, or was it something that only appealed to you as you got older?

Steve Bralver: I used to have this recurring dream that I was playing in a big league game and hit a line drive just left of the shortstop into center field for a base hit.

ML: You rooted for the Dodgers and Angels growing up and Eric Karros was your favorite player. Did that have anything to do with you becoming a first baseman or is that just coincidence?

SB: When I was about 7 or 8, I went to a baseball camp and Eric Karros came and took batting practice while everyone watched. He was L.A.’s first baseman, a rookie of the year, a UCLA grad, always had 30 HRS a year, he was L.A.’s guy. I was most impressed with the line drives he hit over the right field fence. As I got older, I started to play first base. Lots of similarities between his game and mine started to show up. I have a very similar swing, I make excellent plays at first, naturally I was a fan.

ML: You had a very good career at Westlake High School, which earned you a scholarship to the University of Hawaii, but you transferred to Emory University in Atlanta after two seasons with U of H. Why did you transfer and why did you choose Emory?

SB: I never got a chance to play at Hawaii. This happens at so many colleges with so many players. Coaches over-recruit. I was the first guy they signed that summer to play first base. When I got there in the fall, there were five new first basemen, all of whom where J.C. transfers. They recruited 25 players that season and I believe 19 of those recruits did not return the next year. I was one of those few who stayed on, but after another year there, it was apparent that they recruit as many players as they can with little intention of being honest about what you’re in for. I hated it. I felt lied to, college wasn’t fun, baseball wasn’t fun. My parents agreed to let me transfer but I had to go to a school where I could get a degree with some real merit, so I went to Emory.

ML: Your career at Emory was impressive. You batted .338 with 15 homers and 114 RBIs in 114 games over three years; helped lead the Eagles to a 43-10 record and a Division III College World Series appearance in 2007; were named to the World Series all-tournament team that year; then earned a First Team All Conference nod as well as UAA Conference MVP this year. Prior to your senior season at Emory, you led the Hawaiian Collegiate Summer League in hitting at .396. At what point did you realize you had major league potential?

SB: You left out that I had one really poor year at Emory. I don’t like to talk about that year. It was embarrassing. I had a lot on my plate, I wasn’t getting along with anybody, and as a result, my focus was bad. But I knew that wasn’t like me. I went home and then I tore up the Hawaii Summer League. It was that summer when I realized that I can only concentrate on one thing to be successful at it, and I gave baseball that nod. I put up numbers that no one ever believed I could except myself. It wasn’t a fluke because I did it again at Emory six months later. I’ve always known I’ve had MLB potential, but what took so long was for me was to learn how to harness that power and focus to be great.

ML: You played your final college game on April 28 and went 3-for-4 with a walk, a run, and an RBI in a 6-3 upset over Division II North Georgia College and State University. Talk about the emotions you felt knowing it was your last college game and how it felt to end your collegiate career with an outstanding performance.

SB: [North Georgia College] is a good team. Say what you want, DII baseball has great players. Our World Series team in 2007 lost only 10 games but we got the crap kicked out of us by them. Last year, they out hit us and out pitched us. No one thought we had a chance against them, especially since we had been on a drought the last few weeks. But I was seeing the ball really well that day, I made a mental adjustment at the plate, and I didn’t care who was throwing what, I was better than those pitchers. Guess what, so were the other seniors that day. We rallied a couple of times, and the next thing we knew it, we were on top in the bottom of the ninth. You wanna know about my emotions knowing it was my last college game? I was excited. I felt that it was time to play ball at the next level. And yet, I couldn’t believe that five years of college ball where done. But I was really excited, for the team win, for my good game, and for the future.

ML: You went undrafted in this year’s MLB amateur draft, mainly because scouts were concerned about the level of competition you faced in Division III ball. Was there ever any indication that you would be drafted or did teams make it clear that they want you to prove yourself in an independent league before signing you to a professional contract?

SB: I had limited interest from a few teams. Then that interest seemed to dwindle. But I had to believe I would get drafted. With the numbers I put up in the past year, and the fact that I know how to hit, I had to believe it. What I care about most is getting a chance, I don’t care how, where or with whom; the money means zero to me. I want to play baseball because that’s what I love to do.

ML: You have tryouts scheduled with a handful of teams over the next few weeks. Can you divulge which teams you’re trying out for?

SB: Teams in the Frontier League. Independent ball is a still professional baseball as far as I’m concerned.

ML: You mentioned on the Emory University web site that you have no pre-game rituals, but your in-game ritual is to eat a king-size Snickers bar after the third inning of each game. If you do make it to the majors, will you contact the people at Mars, Inc. to see if you can get an endorsement deal or will you just wait until a cameraman catches you eating a Snickers during a game and hope Mars, Inc. contacts you?

SB: Nope. The “power of the Snick” is done. I let it go once I started doing P90X (that infomercial that gets you ripped in 90 days). That’s when I learned about diet. I’d rather be a spokesman for something that improves your life than something unhealthy.

ML: If, God forbid, things don’t work out for you in baseball, what’s your fallback plan?

SB: Producing commercials or television shows.

Steve’s Journal Entry: July 1, 2009

“After 500 + phone calls to the same 12 teams, I finally got through to some people who had the power to consider giving me a look.  Then what I consistently heard was ‘we’re full, sorry’ and yet they continued to sign new players everyday. I have the luxury of living on a small island in the middle of the Pacific—Oahu—a real paradise, but this works against me in my quest to get a roster spot on a team because I can’t just drive down the street to the nearest tryout or pro team.

“But with enough persistence, talking to the same people, they finally acted and put me in touch with some names and said, ‘come show us what you’ve got.’ I quickly realized that if I could put a few workouts together, I might have a road trip ahead of me.

“And with a little blessing, three teams who all happen to be at home and are within three hours of each other all happen to be centered around a small town in southern Illinois called Sparta where my girlfriend lives.

“A call to the agent, a call to the girlfriend, a mileage ticket, and I’m on my way.”

Editor’s Note: Steve arrived in St. Louis yesterday morning and is currently in Sparta.

Follow Steve on Twitter.