Gates Brown
From BR Bullpen
William James Brown
- Bats Left, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11", Weight 220 lb.
- Debut June 19, 1963
- Final Game September 26, 1975
- Born May 2, 1939 in Crestline, OH USA
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[edit] Biographical Information
Gates "Gator" Brown hit a pinch home run in his first major league at-bat and became known as a pinch-hitter deluxe. His 16 career pinch home runs are tied for fourth all-time, trailing Cliff Johnson (20), Jerry Lynch (18) and John Vander Wal. Through 2000, Gates was 10th all-time in career pinch-hits (107) and his .462 pinch-hit average in 1968 was third among players with 35+ PH AB; only Ed Kranepool (1974, .486) and Frenchy Bordagaray (1938, .465) were higher. Although seldom used as a regular, Brown was a great fan-favorite during his 13 year Tiger career. Once stated to this writer that during the 1968 World Series, he was secretly eating two hot dogs on the bench when Mayo Smith suddenly and unexpectedly called him to pinch hit with one stuffed in his jersey. After getting a base hit, the catsup from the hot dog bled through his jersey as he stood on base. After retiring following the 1975 season, he was a Detroit Tigers coach from 1978 to 1984. In 1989, he became manager of the Orlando Juice of the Senior Professional Baseball Association. He coaches at Tiger Fantasy Camp in Lakeland, FLand is treated royaly.
[edit] Notable Achievement
- Won a World Series with the Detroit Tigers in 1968
[edit] Further Reading
- Thomas Boswell: "Smoky's Children", in Why Time Begins on Opening Day, Penguin Books, New York, 1984, pp. 201-206.
