American baseball player (born 1965)
Baseball player
James Kevin Brown
(born March 14, 1965) is an American former
professional baseball
right-handed
pitcher
who played in
Major League Baseball
(MLB) from 1986 to 2005 for the
Texas Rangers
,
Baltimore Orioles
,
Florida Marlins
,
San Diego Padres
,
Los Angeles Dodgers
, and
New York Yankees
. Brown led the
American League
in wins once and led the
National League
in
earned run average
twice. He was a six-time
MLB All-Star
and threw a
no-hitter
in 1997.
Amateur years
[
edit
]
Brown attended
Wilkinson County High School
in
Irwinton, Georgia
, and was a student and a letterman in
football
,
baseball
, and
tennis
. Brown played three years of college baseball at
Georgia Tech
for
their baseball team
.
Professional career
[
edit
]
Texas Rangers
[
edit
]
The
Texas Rangers
selected Brown in the first round, with the fourth pick overall, in the
1986 Major League Baseball draft
. Starting in
1989
, Brown was second in the Rangers' rotation behind ace
Nolan Ryan
and posted a 12?9 record with a 3.35 ERA and 104
strikeouts
in 1989 and a 12?10 record with a 3.60 ERA and 88 strikeouts in
1990
. By
1992
, Brown had improved his record with the Rangers to a 21?11 with 173 strikeouts and a 3.32 ERA, was tied for the league lead in victories and was the first since
Ferguson Jenkins
in
1974
to win 20 games in a Ranger uniform.
[1]
Baltimore Orioles
[
edit
]
Brown became a free agent following the strike settlement in
1994
and signed with the
Baltimore Orioles
for a season, posting a 10?9 record with 117 strikeouts and a 3.60 ERA.
[2]
Florida Marlins
[
edit
]
Following the
1995
season, Brown again became a
free agent
, signing with the
Florida Marlins
for $12.9 million over three years.
[3]
In his first season with the Marlins, Brown posted a 17?11 record with 159 strikeouts and an MLB best 1.89 ERA, finishing second in the
Cy Young Award
voting.
[4]
In
1997
, Brown threw a
one-hitter
against the
Los Angeles Dodgers
in his first appearance
[5]
and a
no-hitter
against the
San Francisco Giants
on June 10, 1997. The only base runner in the game for the Giants came via a
HBP
with two outs and two strikes in the eighth inning.
[6]
In the
1997 National League Championship Series
, Brown, while sick with the flu, pitched a
complete game
in Game Six to defeat the
Atlanta Braves
and reach the
World Series
.
[7]
Brown was the losing pitcher in both his starts against the
Cleveland Indians
.
[8]
San Diego Padres
[
edit
]
Following the disassembly of the Marlins' championship team, Brown was traded to the
San Diego Padres
for
Derrek Lee
and prospects, where he pitched one season.
[9]
He posted an 18?7 record with a career-high 257 strikeouts and a 2.38 ERA, finishing third in the Cy Young Award voting.
Masterful during the
National League Division Series
against the
Houston Astros
,
[10]
San Diego won both of Brown's starts by a 2?1 score.
[11]
As the Game 1 starter opposing
Randy Johnson
, he allowed no runs in eight innings and struck out 16 Astros, a career-high, and second to that point in MLB playoff history only to
Bob Gibson
's 17-strikeout performance in the
1968 World Series
.
[12]
He helped lead the Padres to the
World Series
with a three-hit shutout against the Braves in the NLCS,
[13]
though he did blow a
save
in Game 5 during a rare
relief
appearance.
[14]
Brown was ultimately the losing pitcher in Game Four as the
New York Yankees
swept the Padres in the 1998 World Series.
[15]
Los Angeles Dodgers
[
edit
]
Following the
1998
season, Brown again became a free agent. He signed a lucrative contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers for 7 years/$105 million
USD
, becoming the first $100 million man in baseball. Enrique Rojas of
ESPN Deportes
called the contract "one of the worst deals ever from a team's point of view" because Brown averaged only nine wins per season and was frequently injured during the seven years of the deal. That contract was once listed as the 82nd largest
in the history of sports
, tied with
NBA
Star
Juwan Howard
.
[16]
In Brown's first season in Los Angeles, he posted an 18?9 record with 221 strikeouts and a 3.00 ERA. After leading the NL in ERA during an injury-plagued
2000
season, his performance began to dwindle as Brown was hampered by injuries and poor run support. In
2003
, Brown rebounded, producing a respectable 14?9 record with 185 strikeouts and a 2.39 ERA.
[17]
New York Yankees
[
edit
]
On December 11, 2003, Brown was traded to the
New York Yankees
as part of a deal that sent
Jeff Weaver
,
Yhency Brazoban
,
Brandon Weeden
, and $2.6 million in cash to Los Angeles.
[18]
In 2004, he posted a 10?6 record with a 4.09 ERA, but experienced health problems throughout the season.
[19]
Toward the end of the season, he punched a concrete column in frustration, breaking his hand.
[20]
He returned to the rotation near the end of September but failed to get out of the first inning in a start at
Fenway Park
.
[21]
During that season's playoffs, Brown pitched well in the
Division Series
, but then lasted only two innings in his first start of the
2004 American League Championship Series
(ALCS) against the
Red Sox
.
[22]
However, it was Brown's performance in Game 7 of the ALCS (with the Yankees trying to avoid being the first team in baseball history to lose a series they led three games to none) that he is perhaps most negatively remembered for in New York: Brown lasted less than two innings while being charged with five earned runs, including a two-run
homer
to
David Ortiz
in the first inning. He left with the bases loaded in the second inning (allowing
Johnny Damon
to subsequently hit the first pitch from
Javier Vasquez
for a grand slam).
[23]
Brown attempted to come back in
2005
but missed several games during the season due to injury. He went 4?7 with a 6.50 ERA.
[24]
On February 20,
2006
, Brown announced his retirement.
[25]
Mitchell Report
[
edit
]
The
Mitchell Report
named Brown as one of a group of
Los Angeles Dodgers
implicated in steroid use. The report documents allegations by
Kirk Radomski
that he sold Brown
human growth hormone
and
Deca-Durabolin
over a period of two or three years beginning in either 2000 or 2001. Radomski claims he was introduced to Brown by
Paul Lo Duca
. Radomski's claims were supported by an Express Mail receipt dated June 7, 2004, addressed to Brown. The report also contains notes from a meeting of Dodgers executives in 2003 during which they question the medication Brown takes and include a note stating "Steroids speculated by GM". Brown declined to meet with the Mitchell investigators.
[26]
Bill Plaschke states that by 2003 "it was obvious to me...(and) Dodger management that...(he was) probably on steroids. We would even talk about it while watching their bulging, straining bodies from the dugout during batting practice. But the players would admit nothing, so there was nothing I could write."
[27]
Brown's temper tantrums, Plaschke notes, may have in fact been "
roid rage
."
Pitching assessment
[
edit
]
Brown was a pitcher who had the rare talent of relying both on movement and velocity. His main pitch was a sinking
fastball
that averaged 91?96 mph, with tremendous tailing, downward movement. He could spot it to either side of the plate. Batters facing him generally pounded this pitch into the ground or missed it entirely. He complemented this pitch with a sharp
slider
in the high 80s and a solid
split fingered fastball
he used against left-handed hitters or for another look.
[28]
Over his career, Brown won 211 games and finished his career with a 127 ERA+ (27% better than the league-wide
earned run average
). Only seven pitchers have won between 200 and 220 games with an ERA+ between 120 and 135.
[29]
Of those seven,
Stan Coveleski
(215 wins, 128 ERA+),
John Smoltz
(213/125),
Don Drysdale
(209/121), and
Hal Newhouser
(207/130) are in the
Baseball Hall of Fame
. Only
Curt Schilling
,
Eddie Cicotte
(209/123) of
Black Sox infamy
and Brown have been excluded.
Personal life
[
edit
]
Brown resides in
Macon
, Georgia, with his wife, Candace, and four sons: Ridge, Grayson, Dawson, and Maclain. He is currently an assistant baseball coach at
Tattnall Square Academy
.
[30]
Since retiring, Brown has been involved in multiple handgun-related incidents. In August 2006, his neighbor reported that Brown pulled out a gun during a dispute over yard debris. No charges were filed.
[31]
In June 2018, Brown held two suspected mail thieves at gunpoint until police arrived.
[32]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Texas Rangers Top 10 Career Pitching Leaders"
.
- ^
"Orioles expected to sign pitchers Brown, Jones"
.
Baltimore Sun
. April 8, 1995
. Retrieved
November 13,
2023
.
- ^
"SPORTS PEOPLE: BASEBALL;Brown, Hill, Hanson Sign Large Contracts"
.
The New York Times
. December 23, 1995
. Retrieved
November 13,
2023
.
- ^
Smith, Claire (November 12, 1996).
"In Atlanta's Annual Ritual, Smoltz Gets the Cy Young"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
November 13,
2023
.
- ^
"Marlin Brown 1-hits Dodgers"
.
Tampa Bay Times
. Retrieved
November 14,
2023
.
- ^
"Brown Throws a No-Hitter, Nearly Meeting His Match"
.
The New York Times
. Associated Press. June 11, 1997.
ISSN
0362-4331
. Retrieved
November 14,
2023
.
- ^
writer, Steven Wine, Associated Press.
"Marlins are high-priced underdogs"
.
New Bedford Standard-Times
. Retrieved
November 14,
2023
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link
)
- ^
Olney, Buster (October 26, 1997).
"97 WORLD SERIES; Hard-Luck Outing Has Brown Frustrated"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
November 13,
2023
.
- ^
Olney, Buster (December 16, 1997).
"BASEBALL; Padres Get Brown at Marlins' Ongoing Fire Sale"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
November 13,
2023
.
- ^
Swydan, Paul (May 17, 2013).
"The 1998 Astros were pretty good at hitting"
.
Fangraphs
. Retrieved
February 16,
2016
.
- ^
Newhan, Ross (October 5, 1998).
"Once again, Biggio Bagwell and Bell are wannabes in playoffs"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
March 21,
2016
.
- ^
Newhan, Ross (September 30, 1998).
"Powerful Astros are shut down by a Brown out"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
March 21,
2016
.
- ^
"1998 NLCS recap"
.
MLB.com
. Retrieved
November 14,
2023
.
- ^
Archives, L. A. Times (October 13, 1998).
"San Diego Gets Aced Out by Tucker, 7-6"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
November 14,
2023
.
- ^
Olney, Buster (October 22, 1998).
"1998 WORLD SERIES: YANKEES VS. PADRES; Yanks Sweep Series and Assure Legacy"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
November 13,
2023
.
- ^
ESPN ? Pavano, Beltre haven't lived up to contracts ? MLB
- ^
Plaschke, Bill (December 14, 2007).
"A sullied part of Dodgers' history"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
December 14,
2007
.
- ^
Teaford, Elliott; Newhan, Ross (December 12, 2003).
"End of an Era as Dodgers Trade Brown to Yankees"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
November 14,
2023
.
- ^
"Brown leaves Yankees to have back checked"
.
New Bedford Standard-Times
. Retrieved
November 14,
2023
.
- ^
"BROWN BUMMER ? KEVIN BREAKS HAND PUNCHING WALL AS LOSS CUTS YANK LEAD"
. September 4, 2004
. Retrieved
November 14,
2023
.
- ^
Kepner, Tyler (September 27, 2004).
"Brown Suffers Rocky Return in Feisty Finale"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
November 13,
2004
.
- ^
sabr.
"October 16, 2004: Yankees obliterate Red Sox, 19-8, to take commanding lead in ALCS ? Society for American Baseball Research"
. Retrieved
November 14,
2023
.
- ^
"Red Sox 10-3 Yankees (Oct 20, 2004) Game Recap"
.
ESPN
. Retrieved
November 14,
2023
.
- ^
"Brown moved to 60-day disabled list"
.
ESPN.com
. September 1, 2005
. Retrieved
November 14,
2023
.
- ^
"Seattle Post-Intelligencer: MLB"
.
[
dead link
]
- ^
"Mitchell Report pp. 214-17"
(PDF)
.
- ^
Plaschke, Bill (December 14, 2007).
"A sullied part of Dodgers' history"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
December 14,
2007
.
- ^
"The Scout's View: Padres"
.
CNN
. October 7, 1998. Archived from
the original
on March 18, 2013.
- ^
"Does Kevin Brown have Cooperstown case?"
. January 3, 2011.
- ^
"Boys' Baseball Overview"
. Tattnall Square. Archived from
the original
on January 31, 2009
. Retrieved
April 18,
2010
.
- ^
"Retired pitcher Kevin Brown in turf battle over yard debris"
.
www.wistv.com
. August 18, 2006
. Retrieved
November 14,
2023
.
- ^
"Former MLB pitcher Kevin Brown reportedly held two mail thieves at gunpoint until police arrived"
.
CBSSports.com
. June 14, 2018
. Retrieved
November 14,
2023
.
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
- 1965
:
Coleman
- 1966
:
Grieve
- 1967
: Jones
- 1968
:
Castle
- 1969
:
Burroughs
- 1970
: Maxwell
- 1971
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- 1972
:
Howell
- 1973
:
Clyde
- 1974
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Boggs
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Gideon
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: Simpson
- 1977
: Hibner
- 1978:
No first round pick
- 1979
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Gleaton
- 1980
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Darling
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Lachowicz
- 1982:
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- 1983
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Kunkel
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McDowell
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Witt
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Brown
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Bohanon
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Haselman
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Petkovsek
- 1988
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Fariss
- 1989
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Harris
- 1990
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Smith
- 1991
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Gil
- 1992
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Helling
- 1993
:
Bell
- 1994:
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- 1995
:
Johnson
- 1996
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Dickey
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Marsonek
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Lee
- 1997
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Romano
- 1998
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Carlos Pena
- 1999
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Lewis
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Godwin
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Meyer
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