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==Baseball career== ==Baseball career==
Brown signed with the Dodgers after a 1943 tryout and spent the first four months of the 1944 season with ] of the Class B ]; while there, Brown collected 101 hits and a league-leading 11 ], and ] .297 before his recall to Brooklyn in August.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tommy Brown Minor Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=brown-011tho |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1944 Piedmont League Batting Leaders |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/leader.cgi?type=bat&id=20ee03a9&sort_by=SF |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> He appeared in 46 ] for the Dodgers through the end of that season.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Tommy Brown Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brownto02.shtml |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Brown signed with the Dodgers after a 1943 tryout and spent the first four months of the 1944 season with ] of the Class B ]; while there, Brown collected 101 hits and a league-leading 11 ], and ] .297 before his recall to Brooklyn in August.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Tommy Brown Minor Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=brown-011tho |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1944 Piedmont League Batting Leaders |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/leader.cgi?type=bat&id=20ee03a9&sort_by=SF |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> He appeared in 46 ] for the Dodgers through the end of that season.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Tommy Brown Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brownto02.shtml |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>


The next season, in a game against the ] on August 20, 1945, Brown became the youngest player in MLB history to hit a ], a record that still stands. He was 17 years and 257 days old at the time, and the solo home run was against ] in the bottom of the 7th inning in what turned out to be a blowout 11–1 Pirates victory, with Brown's solo shot representing the Dodgers' only run of the game.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Youngest Player To Hit A Home Run In A Game In MLB History |url=https://www.statmuse.com/e/m/9aWNIpsEt |access-date=July 13, 2024 |website=] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pittsburgh Pirates vs Brooklyn Dodgers Box Score: August 20, 1945 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BRO/BRO194508200.shtml |access-date=July 13, 2024 |website=] |language=en}}</ref> Five days later, on August 25, 1945, Brown hit another home run, this time off of ] pitcher ] in the first game of a ]. His home run was once again in the bottom of the 7th inning, and once again it was a solo shot; however, the Dodgers were victorious in this contest, winning 8-6.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tommy Brown Home Runs {{!}} Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/home_run.php?p=brownto02 |access-date=July 13, 2024 |website=] |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=New York Giants vs Brooklyn Dodgers Box Score: August 25, 1945 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BRO/BRO194508251.shtml |access-date=July 13, 2024 |website=] |language=en}}</ref> At 17 years and 262 days old, Brown became the second youngest player to hit a home run, behind only himself five days earlier.<ref name=":0" /> These were the only two home runs Brown hit in 1945, finishing with a .245/.267/.332 ] and 19 ] (RBI).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tommy Brown 1945 Stats |url=https://www.statmuse.com/e/m/le60zs4G5 |access-date=July 13, 2024 |website=] |language=en}}</ref> The next season, in a game against the ] on August 20, 1945, Brown became the youngest player in MLB history to hit a ], a record that still stands. He was 17 years and 257 days old at the time, and the solo home run was against ] in the bottom of the 7th inning in what turned out to be a blowout 11–1 Pirates victory, with Brown's solo shot representing the Dodgers' only run of the game.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Youngest Player To Hit A Home Run In A Game In MLB History |url=https://www.statmuse.com/e/m/9aWNIpsEt |access-date=July 13, 2024 |website=] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pittsburgh Pirates vs Brooklyn Dodgers Box Score: August 20, 1945 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BRO/BRO194508200.shtml |access-date=July 13, 2024 |website=] |language=en}}</ref> Five days later, on August 25, 1945, Brown hit another home run, this time off of ] pitcher ] in the first game of a ]. His home run was once again in the bottom of the 7th inning, and once again it was a solo shot; however, the Dodgers were victorious in this contest, winning 8-6.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tommy Brown Home Runs {{!}} Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/home_run.php?p=brownto02 |access-date=July 13, 2024 |website=] |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=New York Giants vs Brooklyn Dodgers Box Score: August 25, 1945 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BRO/BRO194508251.shtml |access-date=July 13, 2024 |website=] |language=en}}</ref> At 17 years and 262 days old, Brown became the second youngest player to hit a home run, behind only himself five days earlier.<ref name=":0" /> These were the only two home runs Brown hit in 1945, finishing with a .245/.267/.332 ] and 19 ] (RBI).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tommy Brown 1945 Stats |url=https://www.statmuse.com/e/m/le60zs4G5 |access-date=July 13, 2024 |website=] |language=en}}</ref>
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As a hitter, Brown batted over .300 twice in part-time duty (1949 and 1952).<ref name=":1" /> On September 18, 1950, against the Cubs at Ebbets Field, Brown hit three home runs and a single, with a base on balls, in five ]s, scoring three ] and collecting five RBI.<ref name=":2">{{cite web|url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1950/B09180BRO1950.htm|title=Chicago Cubs 9, Brooklyn Dodgers 7|date=September 18, 1950|publisher=]|work=retrosheet.org|accessdate=March 18, 2020}}</ref> The Dodgers, however, lost the game, 9–7.<ref name=":2" /> As a hitter, Brown batted over .300 twice in part-time duty (1949 and 1952).<ref name=":1" /> On September 18, 1950, against the Cubs at Ebbets Field, Brown hit three home runs and a single, with a base on balls, in five ]s, scoring three ] and collecting five RBI.<ref name=":2">{{cite web|url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1950/B09180BRO1950.htm|title=Chicago Cubs 9, Brooklyn Dodgers 7|date=September 18, 1950|publisher=]|work=retrosheet.org|accessdate=March 18, 2020}}</ref> The Dodgers, however, lost the game, 9–7.<ref name=":2" />


Brown's big-league career came to an end September 25, 1953, as a member of the Cubs; he had played in 494 games during all or parts of nine ] (NL) seasons, and was 25 years of age. Brown's 309 MLB hits included 39 doubles, seven triples, and 31 homers. He hit .241 lifetime with 159 runs batted in. Brown appeared as a ] in the ] and went hitless in two ], as Brooklyn fell to the ] in five games. He played ] through 1959, including with the ], before retiring.<ref name = Goldstein/> Brown's big-league career came to an end September 25, 1953, as a member of the Cubs; he had played in 494 games during all or parts of nine ] (NL) seasons, and was 25 years of age. Brown's 309 MLB hits included 39 doubles, seven triples, and 31 homers. He hit .241 lifetime with 159 runs batted in.<ref name=":1" /> Brown appeared as a ] in the ] and went hitless in two ], as Brooklyn fell to the ] in five games.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1949 World Series by Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/ws/yr1949ws.shtml |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=www.baseball-almanac.com}}</ref> He played ] through 1959, including with the ], before retiring.<ref name = Goldstein/><ref name=":3" />


==Later life== ==Later life==

Revision as of 18:59, 19 January 2025

American baseball player (1927–2025)

Baseball player
Tommy Brown
Brown circa 1953
Utility player
Born: (1927-12-06)December 6, 1927
New York City, U.S.
Died: January 15, 2025(2025-01-15) (aged 97)
Altamonte Springs, Florida, U.S.
Batted: RightThrew: Right
MLB debut
August 3, 1944, for the Brooklyn Dodgers
Last MLB appearance
September 25, 1953, for the Chicago Cubs
MLB statistics
Batting average.241
Home runs31
Run batted in159
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams

Thomas Michael Brown (December 6, 1927 – January 15, 2025) was an American professional baseball player. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with his hometown Brooklyn Dodgers at 16 years and 241 days old, starting at shortstop at Ebbets Field against the Chicago Cubs, on August 3, 1944, during the World War II manpower shortage. Brown thus became the youngest non-pitcher to ever play in a major league game, and the second-youngest overall after Joe Nuxhall, who was 15 years and 316 days old when he first appeared as a hurler for the Cincinnati Reds on June 10, 1944. In Brown's debut game, he collected his first big-league hit, a double off the Cubs' Bob Chipman, and in the field handled three chances, with one error, as the Dodgers fell, 6–2. Nicknamed "Buckshot", Brown threw and batted right-handed, stood 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall, and weighed 170 pounds (77 kg).

Background

Born in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, in 1927, Brown dropped out of school when he was twelve years old and started working with his uncle, a dockworker.

Baseball career

Brown signed with the Dodgers after a 1943 tryout and spent the first four months of the 1944 season with Newport News of the Class B Piedmont League; while there, Brown collected 101 hits and a league-leading 11 triples, and batted .297 before his recall to Brooklyn in August. He appeared in 46 games for the Dodgers through the end of that season.

The next season, in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 20, 1945, Brown became the youngest player in MLB history to hit a home run, a record that still stands. He was 17 years and 257 days old at the time, and the solo home run was against Preacher Roe in the bottom of the 7th inning in what turned out to be a blowout 11–1 Pirates victory, with Brown's solo shot representing the Dodgers' only run of the game. Five days later, on August 25, 1945, Brown hit another home run, this time off of New York Giants pitcher Adrián Zabala in the first game of a doubleheader. His home run was once again in the bottom of the 7th inning, and once again it was a solo shot; however, the Dodgers were victorious in this contest, winning 8-6. At 17 years and 262 days old, Brown became the second youngest player to hit a home run, behind only himself five days earlier. These were the only two home runs Brown hit in 1945, finishing with a .245/.267/.332 slash line and 19 runs batted in (RBI).

Brown spent 1946 in the United States Army, then in 1947, the second postwar season, returned to a Dodgers team with a set lineup that included Baseball Hall of Fame shortstop Pee Wee Reese. He became a utility man for the remainder of his MLB career, appearing in 166 games as a shortstop, 94 as an outfielder, 50 as a third baseman, 24 as a second baseman, and 21 as a first baseman. The Dodgers traded Brown to the Philadelphia Phillies in June 1951, and the Phils sold his contract to the Chicago Cubs a little more than a year later.

As a hitter, Brown batted over .300 twice in part-time duty (1949 and 1952). On September 18, 1950, against the Cubs at Ebbets Field, Brown hit three home runs and a single, with a base on balls, in five plate appearances, scoring three runs and collecting five RBI. The Dodgers, however, lost the game, 9–7.

Brown's big-league career came to an end September 25, 1953, as a member of the Cubs; he had played in 494 games during all or parts of nine National League (NL) seasons, and was 25 years of age. Brown's 309 MLB hits included 39 doubles, seven triples, and 31 homers. He hit .241 lifetime with 159 runs batted in. Brown appeared as a pinch hitter in the 1949 World Series and went hitless in two at bats, as Brooklyn fell to the New York Yankees in five games. He played minor league baseball through 1959, including with the Nashville Vols, before retiring.

Later life

After his playing days ended, Brown lived in Brentwood, Tennessee, where he worked at a Ford plant until his retirement in 1993. In retirement, he lived in Brentwood and Altamonte Springs, Florida.

Personal life and death

Brown was married to his wife, Ellen, and had two children. He died from complications of a fall at a rehabilitation facility in Altamonte Springs on January 15, 2025, at the age of 97. At the time of his death, Brown was one of four major league players still living who played during the 1940s decade (the others being Bobby Shantz, Bill Greason, and Ron Teasley), the last living player who played before 1948, and the last player who played during World War II.

References

  1. Rogers III, C. Paul. "Tommy Brown". SABR.org. SABR. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  2. "Chicago Cubs 6, Brooklyn Dodgers 2 (1)". retrosheet.org. Retrosheet. August 3, 1944. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  3. ^ Goldstein, Richard (January 16, 2025). "Tommy Brown, a Teenage Talent for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Dies at 97". The New York Times. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  4. ^ "Tommy Brown Minor Leagues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  5. "1944 Piedmont League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  6. ^ "Tommy Brown Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  7. ^ "Youngest Player To Hit A Home Run In A Game In MLB History". StatMuse. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  8. "Pittsburgh Pirates vs Brooklyn Dodgers Box Score: August 20, 1945". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  9. "Tommy Brown Home Runs | Baseball Almanac". Baseball-Almanac.com. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  10. "New York Giants vs Brooklyn Dodgers Box Score: August 25, 1945". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  11. "Tommy Brown 1945 Stats". StatMuse. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  12. "Brown, last living member of '47 Dodgers, dies". ESPN.com. January 17, 2025. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  13. "Tommy Brown Trades and Transactions by Baseball Almanac". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  14. ^ "Chicago Cubs 9, Brooklyn Dodgers 7". retrosheet.org. Retrosheet. September 18, 1950. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  15. "1949 World Series by Baseball Almanac". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  16. Traughber, Bill. "Tommy Brown Recalls His Career". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  17. Andres, Partrick (January 15, 2025). "Tommy Brown, Last Living Member of 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers, Dies at 97". SI. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  18. "THE OLDEST LIVING MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS". Baseball Alamanac. Retrieved May 29, 2024.

External links

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