And that’s at least part of the problem in setbacks for him and his family, Brown said.

Last month, when his brother, Michael Brown, went undrafted and his cousin, J.J. Brown, wasn’t drafted until the later rounds, Roosevelt Brown said that reminded him of the time he didn’t make the state all-star game in 1993.

Michael “didn’t get a fair shake” at Mississippi State, Roosevelt Brown said of his brother, who was drafted last year but didn’t start most of his senior season.

J.J., a 26th-round choice of the Kansas City Royals and a Hinds football signee, wasn’t academically eligible to play at a four-year college because “he didn’t get guidance in his schoolwork” when he was younger, Roosevelt Brown said.

Roosevelt Brown said he planned to keep his grudge for a while.

“I won’t give them any of my money for a long time,” he said, recalling a trip home in the fall, when he got the heave-ho from the sideline during the VHS-Warren Central football game. “I didn’t appreciate that.”

Learning to deal with letdowns helped him with his attitude adjustment, he said.

“They’re not disappointments they’re lessons,” Brown said. “That’s how you have to look at it. That’s how I became a better person and a better player.”

Brown has had more “lessons” than ever to deal with this year.

Still, he smiles when he talks about his future with the Cubs.

“I’m like stock to them,” he said.

And not because he has a blue chip on his shoulder.

“Because I’m cheap right now, and they know it,” he said, adding that he’ll be arbitration-eligible after next year. “Why would they keep me if they didn’t want me? They know there are other teams out there that want me.”

When he starts to get down, he looks to players like Brian Giles and Richie Sexson as inspiration. Both of them sat for years before becoming stars.

“You can’t rush it,” Brown said after calling his wife, Ronita, and telling her to go ahead and take the car home.

That patience doesn’t, however, always extend beyond the field.

Brown refuses to pose for any pictures and, after asking a reporter for a ride home, he leaves with pitcher Kerry Wood while the reporter is getting his car.

“He said he was starving, he had to go,” a parking attendant said.

Brown, reached on his cell phone later, said he would talk more on Monday, an off day. He didn’t return messages.

“What the future holds, I can’t tell,” he said Sunday.

He was talking about his career, as well as that evening’s plans. Even though it’s Father’s Day, he’s letting Roosevelt Jr., 5, and Rosaria, 2, choose the movie the family will go see after dinner. It’s between “Spiderman” and “Star Wars”.

“Every day they’re here is their day,” he said, referring to his children.

But his family isn’t what inspires him on the field.

“My dreams drive me,” he said. “I’ve been doing this since I was 3.”

And now he’s helping a 5-year-old get into the swing of things.

“He shows some skills for his age,” Brown said with a smile. “He loves it.

He’ll have it better than me, though. I’ll put him in situations to succeed.”

Brown said it doesn’t matter to him if R.J. doesn’t carry on the impressive family tradition, which also includes cousins Ellis Burks (Cleveland DH), Michael Carter (ex-Cubs minor-leaguer) and Mark Smith (Cleveland Browns DT).

“I’ll be prouder of him if he makes it to Harvard,” Brown said.