Ollie Brown (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ollie Brown |
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Brown in 1973
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: February 11, 1944 Tuscaloosa, Alabama |
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| Died: April 16, 2015 (aged 71) Buena Park, California |
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| debut | |||
| September 10, 1965, for the San Francisco Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 27, 1977, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .265 | ||
| Home runs | 102 | ||
| Runs batted in | 454 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Ollie Lee "Downtown" Brown was a talented American baseball player. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). His career lasted from 1965 to 1977. Ollie started with the San Francisco Giants. He was also the very first player picked by the new San Diego Padres team in 1968.
Contents
Early Baseball Days
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Ollie Brown signed with the San Francisco Giants before the 1962 season. He played in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) first. In the minor leagues, he was both a starting pitcher and an outfielder.
On August 13, 1963, Ollie pitched an amazing game. He threw a no-hitter for the Decatur Commodores. This team was a "farm team" for the Giants. A no-hitter means the other team didn't get any hits!
Becoming a Top Prospect
In 1964, Ollie was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the California League. He played for the Fresno Giants that year. The Fresno Giants were champions with a great record.
That summer, Ollie became a highly watched player. He hit 40 home runs (HR). He also had 133 runs batted in (RBI). His batting average (BA) was .329, which is very good.
Playing in the Major Leagues
Moving Between Teams
Ollie Brown played for several teams during his MLB career. After the Giants and Padres, he played for the Oakland Athletics. He also played for the Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros.
Later, he joined the Philadelphia Phillies. He finished his career with the Phillies in 1977. He was part of a big trade in 1973. Nine players were traded between the Milwaukee Brewers and the California Angels.
Known for His Strong Arm
Ollie Brown was famous for his great defensive skills. He had a very strong throwing arm. Before games, he would entertain fans. He could throw a baseball from the far right field corner all the way to third base without it bouncing!
Career Highlights
In his 13 seasons, Ollie played 1221 games. He had a career batting average of .265. He hit 102 home runs and had 454 RBI. He also stole 30 bases.
Ollie was a good fielder too. He played all three outfield positions. His fielding percentage was .977, which means he made very few errors.
Family Connections
Ollie came from a family of athletes. His older brother, Willie Brown, was a football star. Willie played as a running back for the University of Southern California (USC). He later played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles.
Ollie's younger brother, Oscar Brown, also played baseball. Oscar was an outfielder for the Atlanta Braves.
Later Life
Ollie Brown passed away on April 16, 2015. He was 71 years old. He died at his home in Buena Park, California.
