Our Fearless Leader just dubbed Jeremy Brown a "Triple-A catcher" in the look back at 2003's top prospects. Well, that's all he'll be, now that he's retiring...

The A's said Friday that Brown would not report to spring training after telling them Tuesday he planned to retire for personal reasons. In response, they agreed to terms with free agent catcher Matt LeCroy on a minor league deal to help fill the void of Brown's departure. He was due to arrive at spring training Saturday. The A's will leave open the opportunity for the 28-year-old Brown to come back to the organization if that's something he decides he wants down the road. "It's a shame. The kid could really hit. We certainly understand his family's more important at this point," Beane said. "It caught us a little by surprise. Things like this, personal issues, come up. ... It's absolutely an open door."

(as per: ESPN)

Brown retires with a .300/.364/.500 line in the majors. In five games, that is.

(When I said "bust", I meant in baseball terms. If he can get his family affairs in order and come back, good for him, but the family's gotta come first.)