Jim Brown (brownji02)
From BR Bullpen
This page is for Jim Brown, major league player in 1915-1916. For other players with similar names, click here
James Donaldson Brown
(Don or Mouse)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 178 lb.
- Debut September 13, 1915
- Final Game September 22, 1916
- Born March 31, 1891 in Laurel, MD USA
- Died October 22, 1944 in Bradwood, OR USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Jim Brown played in the majors in 1915 for the St. Louis Cardinals and in 1916 for the Philadelphia Athletics. Most of his at-bats were in 1916.
Brown was born in Laurel, MD and was playing for Topeka in 1915 when he came to the Cardinals on a conditional deal for one game. He went 1 for 2 for the Cardinals, managed by Miller Huggins. He made his debut on September 13, while a youngster named Rogers Hornsby had made his debut three days earlier.
In 1916 Brown played for the A's in 14 games, hitting one home run. His .238 batting average was close to the team average of .242 and his sluging percentage of .405 was much higher than the team slugging of .313.
Later Jim played several seasons for Shreveport and Galveston. However, for a long time, little further was known about his life, including his death date, a rare occurrence for such a relatively recent player. It was known that he had worked in the motion picture business in Hollywood, CA after his retirement from the game, and that he had divorced in 1940. In 2010, a death certificate was found for him through a genealogy website. He had died in Oregon, which explains why no death record had been found in California, and was apparently working on a film shoot at the time, although its exact nature is unknown. He is listed on his death certificate as a carpenter for motion pictures and as an habitual resident of Hollywood who had been in Oregon for two months when he passed away.
He is not to be confused with Jim Brown, Jim Brown or Jimmy Brown.
[edit] Further Reading
- "James Brown Found", in Bill Carle, ed.: Biographical Research Committee Report, SABR, May/June, 2010, p. 1.
