Baseball a family affair for Eagleville's Mudcat Brewer and sons

When Smyrna High School and MTSU Hall of Famer Mudcat Brewer looks back on his storied baseball career, the loyal support and encouragement of his late father, Buford Brewer, is one of the first things that comes to mind.

Mudcat Brewer is passing that family tradition on to his two sons — Eagleville baseball players Blake and Nathan Brewer.

His approach is a little more hands on, however, being an assistant coach for the Eagles.

"I learned a lot of lessons from him," said Mudcat Brewer, of his father, a beloved Smyrna businessman who died in 1992 during Mudcat's sophomore season at MTSU. "He just loved the game. He wanted me to have fun with it. That was the most important thing, and that's what I try to do with (Blake and Nathan)."

Playing for your father is nothing new to many athletes. It has both its challenges and rewards.

"I've heard all of his stories," said Blake Brewer, with a laugh. "I'd say I've learned most of (hitting) from him. Growing up I never went to a hitting coach...he was always my hitting coach. It's not too different. He's still a coach, but I can go home and he be just dad to me.

"The only difference is when I'm out here, he sees all the dumb stuff I do off the field too."

Mudcat Brewer was known for his smooth left-handed swing during his playing days at Smyrna (1990 graduate) and MTSU (1994). He was later drafted by the Colorado Rockies, where he spent three years with the organization.

When he was inducted into the Blue Raider Hall of Fame in 2011, he was ranked in the top 10 in school history in nine offensive categories, including home runs (33), RBIs (159), hits (245), runs (163), doubles (51) and total bases (415).

His sons are doing a good job following in his footsteps. Blake, a senior centerfielder, has seven doubles, three triples and 18 RBIs in 90 at bats while going 11-for-12 in stolen bases thus far this year.

Nathan, a freshman outfielder, is batting .279 with two doubles and a triple in 43 at bats.

"They're amazing... I couldn't ask for anything more," said Nathan Brewer, on gaining valuable tutelage from his father and older brother. "They've taught me everything."

Blake and Nathan are left-handed hitters like their father.

"The approach I always took (in teaching his sons) is not so much about emulating my swing. But there are certain traits of a swing that I consider, and many other people consider, to be a good swing," Mudcat Brewer said. "It's those two or three things — a short swing, the hands, whatever — that I try to teach them, instead of 'Do it like me.'"

While the Brewer family tries to limit baseball talk away from the ball park, there's still no doubt they are a baseball family. A generational baseball family at that.

"I'm also blessed that I have a wife (Rose) that loves baseball," said Mudcat Brewer, who spent 11 years as an assistant at Blackman before coming to Eagleville four years ago. "She's not going to miss their games. Baseball is life at our house, but we try to put it on the backburner some when we're at home.

"It can be hard to separate being coach and dad. When you leave the field, you always have something you can say (about baseball), but you always have to be dad. It has its challenges, but what more could you ask for than to be able to do this.

"The only thing that would make it better is if my dad was here to watch."

Reach Cecil Joyce at cjoyce@dnj.com or 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Cecil_Joyce.