Hal Brown facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hal Brown |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: December 11, 1924 Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| Died: December 17, 2015 (aged 91) Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 19, 1951, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 16, 1964, for the Houston Colt .45s | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 85–92 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.81 | ||
| Strikeouts | 710 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
Hector Harold Brown (born December 11, 1924 – died December 17, 2015) was an American professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 14 seasons.
He played for the Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Houston Colt .45s. Hal Brown was known for throwing a special pitch called a knuckleball. He was very good at controlling where his pitches went.
Brown played as both a starting pitcher (who begins the game) and a relief pitcher (who comes in later). He spent eight seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. He was so good with the Orioles that he was added to their Hall of Fame in 1991. Before playing baseball, he served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.
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Hal Brown's Baseball Journey
Hal Brown was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. His parents gave him the nickname "Skinny" even though he was a bit chubby as a child! During his baseball career, he was about 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 180 pounds.
He started his Major League Baseball career with the Chicago White Sox on April 19, 1951. He was 26 years old at the time. After two years with the White Sox, he moved to the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox were the team that first signed him to a professional contract in 1946.
Playing for the Red Sox and Orioles
In 1953, Brown had a great year with the Red Sox. He won 11 games and lost only 6 in 25 starts. He joined the Baltimore Orioles in July 1955. From 1956 to 1959, he won 34 games for the Orioles.
In 1960, he had one of his best seasons. He won 12 games and lost 5, with a very low ERA of 3.06. An ERA shows how many runs a pitcher allows per game. The Orioles were a strong team that year, finishing second in their league. The next year, 1961, he continued to play well, winning 10 games.
Time with the Yankees and Colt .45s
In September 1962, Hal Brown was traded to the New York Yankees. The Yankees were on their way to the 1962 World Series. He played in two games for them late in the season. However, he was not able to play in the World Series.
At the start of the 1963 season, the Houston Colt .45s bought him. This was the third time that Paul Richards, who was a general manager for Houston, had brought Brown to his team. Richards had managed Brown before in Seattle.
In 1963, Brown had a tough time winning games with Houston. Even though he pitched very well and rarely walked batters, his team didn't score many runs for him. He finished with a 5–11 record. In 1964, which was his last season in MLB, he finished with a 3–15 record.
Career Highlights and Stats
Over his 14-season career in Major League Baseball, Hal Brown played in 358 games. He started 211 of those games. He completed 47 games, meaning he pitched the entire game himself. He also had 13 shutouts, where the other team scored no runs.
Brown had an overall record of 85 wins and 92 losses. His career ERA was 3.81. He pitched a total of 1,680 innings. He was known for his excellent control, allowing only 389 walks while getting 710 strikeouts. This means he rarely gave free bases to batters.
Achievements and Recognition
- He led the American League twice in how few walks he allowed per nine innings (1.76 in 1959 and 1.25 in 1960).
- He also led the American League in WHIP (Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched) in 1960, with a score of 1.113. A lower WHIP means fewer batters reach base.
- He was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame.
