Joe Brown (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Joseph E. "Joe" Brown was a pitcher
/utility player
in Major League Baseball
for the Chicago White Stockings
and Baltimore Orioles
.
It was relatively common in the 19th century for baseball teams to use a reserve fielder as a pitcher, and this appears to be true in Brown's case. He appeared in 15 games for the 1884 Cubs (debuting August 16), pitching in seven of those games, six as a starter. His mark that season was 4-2 with a 4.68 ERA
. He also played center field, right field, first baseman
, and catcher
for the Cubs that season, hitting .213 with 3 RBI
in 61 trips to the plate.
Brown found himself with the American Association
's Orioles in the 1886 season in a similar role for a brief period of time. He pitched in four games, completing and losing each one for a record of 0-4 and an ERA of 5.68. He also appeared in one game as a second baseman
. Brown was 3-for-19 at the plate in 1886 to finish his career with a batting average
of exactly .200 (16-for-80).
Brown died on June 28, 1888 in his birthplace of Warren, Pennsylvania
, aged just 29.
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
/utility player
Utility player
In sport, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently, a sort of jack of all trades. Sports in which the term is often used include association football , baseball, rugby, rugby league, water polo and softball....
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
for the Chicago White Stockings
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
and Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles (19th century)
The Baltimore Orioles were a 19th-century American Association and National League team from 1882 to 1899. The club, which featured numerous future Hall of Famers, finished in first place three consecutive years and won the Temple Cup championship in 1896 and 1897...
.
It was relatively common in the 19th century for baseball teams to use a reserve fielder as a pitcher, and this appears to be true in Brown's case. He appeared in 15 games for the 1884 Cubs (debuting August 16), pitching in seven of those games, six as a starter. His mark that season was 4-2 with a 4.68 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
. He also played center field, right field, first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
, and catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
for the Cubs that season, hitting .213 with 3 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 61 trips to the plate.
Brown found himself with the American Association
American Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
's Orioles in the 1886 season in a similar role for a brief period of time. He pitched in four games, completing and losing each one for a record of 0-4 and an ERA of 5.68. He also appeared in one game as a second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
. Brown was 3-for-19 at the plate in 1886 to finish his career with a batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of exactly .200 (16-for-80).
Brown died on June 28, 1888 in his birthplace of Warren, Pennsylvania
Warren, Pennsylvania
Warren is a city in Warren County, Pennsylvania, United States, located along the Allegheny River. The population was 9,710 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Warren County. It is home to the headquarters of the Allegheny National Forest and the Cornplanter State Forest...
, aged just 29.