Baseball is the one sport that most likely everyone has
played at one point in their lives. Players in the major leagues sometimes have
kids, or relatives, who go on to play at the big league level as well — Ken
Griffey Sr. & Jr., Cecil & Prince Fielder, Felipe & Moises Alou and
the list goes on. Rarely it seems brothers making it to the major leagues –
Roberto & Sandy Alomar, Brett & Aaron Boone, etc., but that list may
soon have another pair of names added to it.

Tonight in Toledo, OH, Tigers AAA outfield prospect Jeff Frazier went up
against his younger brother, Todd, for the first time in their minor league
careers as the Mudhens played host to the Cincinnati Reds’ AAA Louisville Bats.

Toledo won the contest 6-3. Jeff went 2-for-4 with 2 doubles, 2 runs and 1 RBI.
On the other side, his younger brother went 1-for-4 and hit his first home run
in just his second game at AAA. The four game series kicked off tonight and
ends on Wednesday.

The Frazier family is from New Jersey and they live, eat and breathe baseball.
Jeff and Todd’s older brother, Charlie, played in the Florida Marlins system
and reached AA. Jeff is the middle child and Todd, a 2008 first round
supplemental pick, helped Toms River East capture a Little League World Series
title in 1998. Both went on to play at Rutgers, where Todd broke Jeff’s home
run record.

“I remember when we were young, myself and Jeff would play whatever sport
we could play, but we would never let Todd play because we’d say he’s too
little,” Charlie said. “My dad would take the ball away from us and
say, “Hey, you’re only getting the ball back if you let Todd play”
and I think that made Todd a little better because we’d always be beating up on
each other.”

Jeff, 27, is having a solid season in the Tigers’ farm system hitting a
combined .306 with 33 doubles, 12 home runs and 64 RBI between AA Erie and AAA
Toledo. Todd, 23, is ranked as the Reds’ no. 2 prospect in the farm system and led AA Southern League with 56 extra base hits
cranking 40 doubles and 14 home runs while hitting at a .290 clip — all before
his promotion just 2 days ago and being placed at second base (after beginning
his pro career at shortstop, then third base, followed by left field where he
has been playing all season).

“Us as brothers all being able to play a high level of baseball is good
family fun competition, but it has also helped us get to this stage,” Jeff
said.

The two are just a phone call away from the majors and may soon get their
chance once rosters expand to 40 on September 1.