By Jonathan O'Konis, Minor League Baseball Editor

Cubs prospect Brandon Sing was recently named the Florida State League player of the month for the month of June, and with good reason. He currently leads the league in homeruns, RBI, slugging percentage, extra base and runs scored. He's second in the league with a .411 OBP. As impressive as that is, it's even more impressive when you realize that Sing missed almost half of the 2003 season due to a serious bout of Mononucleosis (commonly referred to as "mono") that caused him to lose 25 pounds during the season. I recently had the opportunity to speak to Brandon about being named to the Florida State All-Star team and his long battle to get back on the playing field.

THE SPORTSNETWORK: What is the highlight of your career so far, whether it be amateur or professional?

BRANDON SING: I'd have to say that it's probably in amateur. When I was 10 and 11 I got to play in the Pan American games. When I was 10 I got to go to Argentina. When I was 11 I got to go to Mexico. So that was pretty much the start of everything else. I think that was probably the highlight. Ten years old and I had never got to fly yet, and my first chance to fly was to fly down to Argentina.

THE SPORTSNETWORK: What was that experience like for you?

BRANDON SING: I can remember it like it was yesterday. It was awesome. The only thing that was weird was being in a different country...all their culture and trying to understand what they were talking about and the language and everything. It was weird. It was a great experience. I got to go down there and we ended up losing the bronze medal game. That was heartbreaking. But everything besides that was a great experience.

THE SPORTSNETWORK: What round were you drafted in?

BRANDON SING: I was drafted in the 20th round.

THE SPORTSNETWORK: What was it like for you to be drafted by the Cubs?

BRANDON SING: It was a dream come true. I'm from Joliet, right outside of Chicago. I was a die-hard Cubs fan since I was a little kid. My dad is the same way. I was brought up being a Cubs fan. So that day when Jim Hendry called me up, I was psyched. I was thrilled to death. The last couple of years I actually got to play in some big-league games for them in spring training. I just have to take that one more step where I can play for them some day.

THE SPORTSNETWORK: Did you learn anything from going to spring training with the major league team?

BRANDON SING: Just how much more relaxed it is. Not going in there and trying to pressure myself. Just going in there and going up there it's a more relaxed atmosphere. When you go up there they all know their business. They take it day-by-day. They know what they have to do and they go and do it. There's nothing around where they get distracted. They know what they have to do and they do it.

THE SPORTSNETWORK: Any players stick out at you while you were up there?

BRANDON SING: (Sammy) Sosa. Kerry Wood. (Mark) Prior all those guys. You walk past them and you're like 'Wow.' I mean they're standing next to you but... It's kind of cool. Right before I signed, I got to go up there and take batting practice. That was fun. I met Sosa there. He gave me a couple bats and a pair of cleats, stuff like that.

THE SPORTSNETWORK: Any tips from Sosa?

BRANDON SING: Nothing really. He just told me to just go in and have fun. He was like once you sign just go in and have fun. Don't really worry about anything. Just take care of business like I was saying.

THE SPORTSNETWORK: What type of hitter would you describe yourself as?

BRANDON SING: Power guy. I need to drive in runs. I need to hit the ball into the gaps and homeruns. I know I'm going to strike out, but I'm also going to walk. I've become more of a patient hitter. Years before I was always hitting a home run early in the count when I was ahead. Now it's if I'm behind or if I'm ahead, I can hit a home run at any time. Because I'm more patient and more relaxed in the box. I know I can hit with two strikes and I know I can even walk. I've been doing a pretty good job. I feel that getting into the box just telling myself that I'm better then the pitcher out there. That I can handle myself against anyone.

THE SPORTSNETWORK: Is patience something the Cubs organization has been preaching to you? Have they asked you to change?

BRANDON SING: That's something I got told my first year here. They wanted me to cut down on my strikeouts, which was kind of hard for me to do being a big guy. Now I kind of understand the strike zone and stuff like that. Now I'm walking more. I understand the strike zone more. That's what the team was trying to tell me, walk more and try to minimize the strikeouts. Still, to take the aggressive hacks that I have been. But still be patient. Swing at a pitch I can hit. Something I can drive. Nothing that's a ball and something I shouldn't be swinging at.

THE SPORTSNETWORK: This is your third season in the FSL. What has changed for you this season?

BRANDON SING: I just think I've matured a little more. My first year down here I was a little young. Just 21 years old. I just tried to learn the ropes a little more every year. Try to move up every year. Last year I was down here for about a month and I got sick, so I can't really say I was down here for two years. I got mono. I'm going from trying to mature more as a hitter and getting older, and just trying to take things day-by-day.

THE SPORTSNETWORK: How hard was it for you to come back from mono last year?

BRANDON SING: Jeez.....It was horrible. It took me about three months to actually finally start to do something after I was diagnosed with it. For two and a half weeks I couldn't eat anything and I ended up losing 25 pounds. After about a month and a half, I could finally start doing a little conditioning here and there. I didn't get cleared by the Cubs doctor until three months later. Finally from there it was...pretty much hell. Going through what I went through. I started getting sick and I told our trainer that I wasn't feeling too good. He said, 'Alright, we'll let you go back home.' We thought it was strep throat at first. It wasn't getting any better. Two weeks later I went to the hospital and they took some blood. They said, 'Alright you have mono.' I was like, 'Wow.' They were like, 'Well your season's done. You might as well go home and rest.' After that I was like, 'Okay, I have mono. Deal with it.' So I had to try work my butt off in the off season to come back. The work from the off season is paying off now.

THE SPORTSNETWORK: What is it like for you after having gone through all that to be named to the Florida State All-Stars?

BRANDON SING: It's kind of weird. Being down here last year and the year before, two years ago I had pretty decent year. Last year being here just for a month and seeing what it was like again to come back down here. This year to start off the way I have and to be named an All-Star. That's one thing I wanted to do. When I signed my contract with Cubs that's one thing I wanted to do to become an All-Star. After everything that happened last year, to come in here this year and do what I did and become an All-Star it feels good.

THE SPORTSNETWORK: What players did you watch while you were growing up?

BRANDON SING: Andre Dawson, Ryne Sandberg, and Mark Grace. They were probably the top three. All Cub players while I was growing up. The other one would be Cal Ripken Jr.

THE SPORTSNETWORK: Which first baseman, currently in the majors, reminds you the most of yourself?

BRANDON SING: Richie Sexson. I love watching that guy hit. He can spread it all over the field. That's one thing that I've learned as well. Going the other way and not thinking that I have to pull the ball all the time. Watching him and talking to Richie Zisk, our hitting coach down here, he just keeps drilling it into my head that you can hit the ball the other way. When I was younger I just got away from that and tried to pull everything. Guys start pitching you outside and that's not going to happen. It's a learning curve. You have to take what they give you.

THE SPORTSNETWORK: If you could speak to any player from baseball history who would it be and what would you say?

BRANDON SING: I think it would be Ted Williams. I would ask what his philosophy of hitting was. Even though he wrote a book (The Science of Hitting) I'd really just like to sit down and talk to him and see what he would talk about.