Well, hey guys, thanks of course for tuning into
the Dan Time podcast, bringing you weekly guests
from what I call around the Daniverse. Today's
guest is, it's a really big deal for me. I was
born in Chicago, always had an interest in Chicago
area sports. Always had an interest as you know
in baseball and the great thing about this podcast
is being able to tell somebody's story get somebody's
name on your radar and You know, I had a guest
I think it was Dan Harrison that said there's
Dan's doing great things out there and So there's
always more to discover But today's a really
big deal to bring Windy City Thunderbolts right
-handed pitcher Dan Brown to the show. Dan, how's
it going today? I'm doing good. Thank you for
having me. It's a pleasure. Well, thanks for
being here, Dan. The Thunderbolts. This is the
second Frontier League team that we've highlighted.
The Tri -City Valley Cats being the first one
with Dan Beebe. If you guys remember a few months
back, it was maybe the end of last year. But
Wendy City plays out of the Frontier League and
Dan is a standout from the pace setters. Division
two hometown East Northport, New York Attended
John Glenn High School Dan, I guess I could start
anywhere, but I'm kind of curious Did you play
other sports growing up was baseball kind of
the early? passion of How did it all start? Yeah,
baseball is definitely the early passion. It
was definitely my my main sport like throughout
my youth And like going into high school and
stuff like that I did also play basketball though,
but nothing ever really serious. Like mostly
just, you know, pick up games with friends and
rec league and stuff like that. In high school,
did you have a, this is kind of a question I
thought I might drop later in the episode, but
is there a baseball memory, whether it was little
league, you know, 12 U or some game or some moment
on the mound that you just still think about?
where you pumped your fist and it was a big victory
or just a big inning. Is there something from
your baseball past that nobody has ever seen
in a box score and you haven't talked about?
Yeah, I mean, in high school, I think it was
probably my junior year of high school when that's
really when I started to have the success that
I really want to have on the baseball field.
And there is a one -star, it was against a school
that was way bigger than mine. My school, a little
bit of background, my school was pretty small.
Our graduating class was around 170 kids, and
we were playing a school that was way bigger
than us. I think I threw six shutout innings
against them, and I just remember that really
instilled a... Confidence that I didn't really
have before You know pitching against a big school
with you know, some some college commits and
stuff like that I I had like a newfound confidence
after that game for sure Dan how cool is it when
you're when you're rolling like that your three
or four innings in Do you see the coaches not
just the players on the other side? But the coaches
in the dugout taking notice of like who's this
guy? What's happening here? Yeah Yeah, no for
sure. I mean the year before that I was that
was like my first year on varsity my sophomore
year and it didn't really go like as as well
as I hoped it would but the next year, you know,
I was like since it was a pretty small school
I was able to you know, get an opportunity to
start and I kind of ran with it and and my coaches,
you know, they showed all the support they could
and trying to Developed me to be the best player
I could and I definitely saw that they were they
were proud of before it looking ahead and I always
jump around on the timeline, but your journey
to pace and The experience there. I think 2023
you're in the bullpen 2024 You're a starter your
final season there at pace named any 10 Southwest
Division pitcher of the year You earned all a
first team all any 10 honors. You're also a two
time any 10 honor roll member. Tell me about,
cause I know that with Wendy city or you've been
pitching out of the bullpen, how is it on a particularly
a pitcher? You know, that assignment might change
each year depending on the organization or the
level. How have you handled that? I'm lucky because
in college I, I had like a lot of experience
in different roles. Like before my senior year
in college, I was out of the bullpen. Like you
said, I had done some long relief stuff, some
middle relief, so I've closed games. I've done
pretty much everything out of the bullpen. So
that transition into professional baseball, that
made it a lot easier because I've had that experience
in multiple roles in college. So the transition
wasn't as hard as it would seem. Here's a cool
stat line. from the 2023 season, which I guess
waking up that morning, you didn't know that
this is what was going to happen that day. But
April 7th, 2023 at Adelphi, you come out of the
bullpen for seven and two thirds innings of work,
which is more than the average starter nowadays
would go well, well beyond. You fan eight hitters,
get the win. Tell me about that day, what you
remember from it. Yeah, that was definitely one
of the most One of my best pitching performances
in college for sure. It was an extra inning game.
So I think I came in and in like the sixth or
seventh inning and then it ends up going into
extra innings. And you know, my coach just had
a lot of confidence in me that day and he just
kind of rode me out the rest of the game. But
I was definitely in like a flow state, if you
will, the entire game. I was, you know, I just
felt great. Here's another one Dan in summer
league ball. I think this is 2023 with the and
correct me if I get anything wrong here the Nassau
Collegians June 18th at Valor you pitch five
no -hit innings eight strikeouts obviously you
remember that but tell Explain for the listeners
in that league and what's going on and the parameters
there. Are you five innings in sinking? Might
get to go the distance which would be seven innings
or do you know that? Hey, I've got a limit here
and I'm I'd love to get the complete game No
hitter, but how does it work in that situation?
Yeah, I think it depends on pitch count also.
It's a summer league so Not to say that it's
not taken seriously But you know, they also want
to make sure that guys are healthy when they
go back to their school in the fall So they're
definitely pitch count was was an issue. I was
probably around like 90 pitches if I had to guess
so I wasn't necessarily mad that I was taking
out I would have loved to finish the game obviously
and and you know get a bit for a no -hitter,
but you know if the situation was what it was
Again bouncing around some more because I really
want to I'm chomping at the bit to talk about
Your firstly first season in professional ball
with Wendy City and I broke it down here Dan
I got deep into the Game by game month by month
numbers here because I like to stick up for the
relief pitcher I did this with Dan Winkler Dan
in July from July to August of Your first season
with Windy City you lowered your ERA 72 points
from 386 to 314 You were called on you know some
other situations some long innings July 7th three
shutout innings at Washington for strikeouts
Tell me a little bit about this first season
how you felt about it and what's your you know,
what your goals are for 2025 Yeah, I mean it
was it was definitely an adjustment for sure
going from the division two competition to professional
baseball It can be a big jump for sure but I
think I did like have a have a rocky start when
I first got there, but once I I settled in and
found my groove and established some confidence
in the league. I think I definitely have the
capability to be a very good relief pitcher in
the league. And then going into this year, there's
been some talk of me competing to be a starter
this year, but that's up for determination during
the first couple of weeks of spring training
and stuff. So yeah, I mean I'm definitely looking
to you know, be able to attack hitters consistently
walk less guys Strike out as many guys I can
and have some successes here You get a lot of
strikeouts. I had the ratio written down here
Just averaging just under two strikeouts per
inning What's your can you talk about your pitch
arsenal? Are you to seem fastball cut fastball?
Change up what kind of pitches do you like to
go out there with? Yeah, so so last year I was
During the professional season. I was mainly
this fastball slider I was throwing a four scene,
but it has like a lot of run in on righty So
it kind of plays more like a two -team And then
I threw like a big, you know breaking sweeper
And that was the only two pitches I was throwing
I think a lot of, I get a lot of strikeouts mainly
because of my deception. I throw from a pretty
low arm slot that can be, you know, tough on
hitters, especially right -handed hitters. And
then going into this season, I also added a cutter
to just kind of have something between the fastball
and the big breaking sweeper, just to, you know,
have the, have hitters kind of have to make like
one more swing decisions in there. So yeah, and
then I also have a change up too, but I I don't
throw it that often as the other three pitches
Another kind of footnote that I noticed is you're
the youngest pitcher on the staff Last season
at 21 years old Yeah, is that something that
that you really notice or think about or are
you just going about your business? I mean I
have noticed it for sure But I you can't really
like think about it, you know, especially like
when you're out there competing, you know that
you're on the same level playing field when when
there's another when there's a batter in the
box. So, you know, you can't really think about
that. Just go out there and compete and just
try and get guys out. I want to drop real quick
the website for the Thunderbolts WC Thunderbolts
dot com. First game is for this season is May
8th at Schaumburg. Another thing I noticed, Dan,
is that You guys might play a three game series,
but maybe regionally if it's in the Chicagoland
area with some somebody like Schomburg or Joliet
that you'll play like home at or home away home
kind of a Sequence. Yeah. Yeah That's something
you don't see in a lot of other leagues Yeah,
no, it's uh It's it's not too bad. Honestly,
like it sounds worse than it is just because
both Joliet and Schomburg are really close. I
think it's like Around like a 30 minute bus ride.
So it's not too bad of a trip at all. So I honestly
don't really mind it Now what are some things
that you like to do? Just say when you wake up
in the morning, is there a routine that you have
to stick with? Are you a coffee guy? Are there
breakfast spots that you like to go to there?
You guys are about 30 minutes south of Chicago
Yeah, I mean My morning routine isn't, it's not
like a crazy one. I'm not really a caffeine guy
at all. I don't, I don't really like have energy
drinks or coffee or anything like that, but I
will go to this one diner. That's like around
the corner from, from the apartment where I sat.
I'll go, go there a lot. They have some really
good breakfast there. So now when you're not
pitching and let's say it's just the middle of
the off season, what do you like to do? What's
something that people maybe wouldn't suspect
it? You know that Dan Brown likes to do when
he's just hanging out Yeah, I mean I'm a pretty
basic guy. I mean I just You know, I enjoy fitness
a lot. I enjoy taking care of my body. I think
I've gotten really into that like especially
You know and like the last couple years of college
and now going it's a professional. I think it's
it's really important It's taking care of your
body just especially like being a baseball player
and you know and a relief pitcher like having
a Be ready to perform every day. So I uh, I enjoy
taking care of my body and you know going to
the gym Eating right all that so Well said yeah,
especially at any age but I could see with pictures
and maybe we maybe we saw this more 20 or 30
years ago or you'd see guys that look like they're
If you saw them in an airport, you maybe wouldn't
even know that they're an athlete But some of
that has changed I mean, you know, greg maddox
is like that example It's not like out of shape,
but just you would you just wouldn't know with
some guys but um I can see where that's important
to you. I also noticed that on your pace profile
listed at 63 175 When wendy city, I think 64
190. Have you added some mass some muscle? Yeah.
Yeah, I definitely have I definitely since like
I got to college also like when I was first getting
into college I think I was like around like 63
150 pounds so And now I'm probably around like
six, four, 205. So I gained like around 50 pounds
in that time span. And it was, it was honestly
like really necessary just to, you know, keep
my body healthy and, and moving the way I want
and just becoming stronger. Also there was, it
was a, it was definitely necessary. Now tell
me about Ozinga field. What'd you like about
the home park there? Yeah, I mean I don't think
I like I really love the field I love the the
mound the mound is really good quality and then
I feel like this is a pretty unpopular opinion,
but I enjoy playing on like a pristine turf fields
more than a Really good dirt field like there's
some really good dirt fields in our league like
Schomburg and and Evansville and feels like that
But I would much rather play on a nice turf mound
for sure And then also the fans the fans are
great They you know that they you know show out
at every game and they show their support really
well So that's always nice, too Yeah, I could
see where the fans appreciate probably a little
easier to get in and out I mean, I love Wrigley
Field. It's been a long time but going to sporting
events in Chicago but depending on people's budget
or what what have you just the The game experience
for the kids sometimes it is fun To get home
and you haven't spent a couple hundred dollars
Yeah Yeah, now it's a they they really do have
a great ballpark experience They make they have
a bunch of promo nights a bunch of different
days during the week. So they make The experience
for the fans enjoyable for sure. I know the ultimate
goal is to get to the big leagues I saw Tyler
Laporte sign with the Braves organization Did
you have a chance to to get to know Tyler when
he was there last season? Yeah, he's great. He's
great for sure. He's definitely a different personality
than I'm used to. He's from Louisiana and I'm
from Long Island, so I don't really get to see
a lot of southerners, but he's awesome, man.
He's a really good guy. Another thing with the
pitcher, Dan, I wanted to ask about this. When
you go out there and the box score doesn't always
show or the average fan doesn't know what you're
walking into. how many when you walk out there
or you're called upon and there's runners on
the corners nobody out bases loaded one out and
you're walking into i guess a dirty inning and
you get out of the inning but a couple runs scratch
across one or both are not charged to you how
do relief pitchers feel about the unearned run
and the earned run and and how that impacts your
stats um i'm i'm personally not a huge stats
guy i i try not to look at my stats until like
the end of the year but at the end of the day
i think what what you want to do is you just
want to put your team in the best position to
win then you know you just at the end of the
day it's just getting guys out and just trying
to simplify the game like if you come into a
dirty inning just you know have a plan for attacking
a header like whether it's you know trying to
get a ground ball or or having it be a strikeout
situation whatever it takes to you know um have
have your team have the best possible chance
to win i think that's that's the mindset to have
dan i love what you just said there not paying
attention to the stats giving your guys a chance
to win and i bet that sometimes some of those
outings where you have surrender to run Also
want to point out Dan you do not give up the
long ball very much I wanted to throw that out
there, but also just your Your demeanor on the
mound maybe something That you're doing out there
that kind of your guys are taking notice on the
field They go back up there to hit and have a
little bit extra enthusiasm or her energy. I
guess that has to play into it Yeah, I mean on
the mound like you're whether it's like a good
or bad pitch or a good or bad situation. I always
try and keep an even keel demeanor, showing that
you can't let your opponent or the situation
that you're in get on your skin. And just staying
cool and collected on the mound is really important
for me. Well, Dan, how about just some family
stuff? Do you have brothers and sisters? When
you're back home in Long Island, what's it like
around the Brown household? Yeah, I mean I I
have a sister have a younger sister her name
is Juliana and I live with both my parents during
the offseason also which is which is nice But
yeah Brown Household is is a pretty normal. I'd
say I mean You know nothing Nothing too too crazy
happens around here And how proud were your parents
when you're just going through the ranks, you
know from high school? to college to Windy City.
What's it like? Do you text with your dad? Do
they come to the games? How cool is that when
you just have that support? Yeah, it's really
important to me. It's awesome to have their support.
I text with my dad almost every day, I'd say.
Yeah, we're always talking baseball. Both my
parents will... You know visit in Illinois as
much as they can So that's it's just really nice
to have their support Well, maybe a couple more
silly questions here The old day and time question.
I don't sometimes I forget to ask it's not even
that interesting maybe to some people When did
you start going by Dan did did a friend start
calling you Dan or did you decide on your own?
Yeah, I think I decided on my own I was really
young probably like in, you know, elementary
school around there. I think I just, you know,
was tired of my mom and my friends calling me
the same thing. So I think my friends just started
calling me Dan. I love it. Any Dan spinoff name
that you will not answer to that you don't like?
No, not really. I mean, I've gotten pretty much
all of them. Daniel, Dan, Danny. Yeah, I'll answer
to any of them. I know they're talking to me.
So Are you familiar with the author Dan Brown?
Yes. Yes. I my dad actually my dad is also named
Dan Brown. So he He's you know gone through the
same things that I've gone through with with
the name Dan and and he has like a couple of
his books I'm pretty sure so yeah, I love it
Well another thing I maybe haven't said it on
other episodes, but I the concept of the show
it's not It's not Dan's seeking attention. It's
more that if you are Dan People place the attention
on you or it's always You shake the hand. Hey,
what's your name? I'm Dan. Oh Dan the man Dan
the man so Yeah Alright Dan, well this this has
been terrific anything that you like to plug
that you're interested in or Yeah, really anything
that you'd like to talk about that we haven't
covered No, I think we've we've covered a lot
of good stuff Thank you again for having me on
well anytime and I'll continue following your
career again Folks if you're in the Chicagoland
area check them out You've heard me talk about
the Frontier League It's a great product and
it's probably keep an eye out. There may be an
expansion team close to where you live as well
Dan who were I forgot to ask you this growing
up. Who was your favorite team? Was it a New
York area team? Yeah, I grew up a Mets fan. I
was at City Field, you know a good amount during
my you know coming up and stuff. So Yeah, definitely
definitely a Mets fan and my dad's also a huge
mess You think Juan Soto is the missing link
there? Yeah, I don't know. We'll see. I think
he's definitely one of the best overall players
in the sport. And I think that type of ability
is just invaluable. So I think we'll see. But
I think he'll definitely bolster that lineup
for sure. OK. If you got time, I got Two maybe
three favorites questions and I promise i'll
wrap it up here, but favorite ball player growing
up um i'd say Probably either david right as
a proposition player and jacob degrom is a pitcher
how about favorite sports memory and it could
be you know, it could be nfl could be nba Doesn't
have to be baseball, but you have a favorite
sports memory championship that you watched I
would say I went to David Wright's last game
at city fields. I think that was that's probably
my my best You know professional sports memory
nice and then when it comes to Baseball movies
or he one of those did do you nerd out on the
baseball movies? Yeah, I love I love a good baseball
movie My favorite is probably I probably have
to say the Sandlot. I think that's that's just
a classic Moneyball is also great to love that
money. I was I was hoping you were gonna say
the Sandlot Moneyball as well Yeah, now they're
both great. Love them Well, Dan once again, thanks
for making time making some Dan time today. This
has been fantastic And yeah, of course. Thank
you. Thank you for having me Absolutely. Well
you guys check them out You can follow, I don't
know if you're active on social media, Dan. Yeah,
I have an Instagram. If you want people to follow
or check out Dan Brown, I will list that in the
show notes. That is it for this episode of the
Dan Time podcast. Thanks for listening. Tell
a friend about it. Tell your dad about it. Tell
your uncle, Dan. If your name's not Dan, you
have a Dan in your life that you know will get
something out of this show. And I can't wait
for baseball season. and to follow Dan Brown
and the Thunderbolts. Thanks so much, Dan, and
we will see you guys next Sunday for another
episode of the Dan Time Podcast. All right, thanks,
man. Yeah, thank you so much.