Highlighted Year: Enrique Romo, 1977

Pitcher, Seattle Mariners

Age:  30 (July 15)

1^st season with Mariners

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 185 

Prior to 1977:

A native of Baja California del Sur in Mexico, Romo played youth baseball in Guaymos, a city in Sonora, to which the family had moved. At 16 he joined the Mexican Navy for three years, after which he signed with Puerto Mexico of the Class A Mexican Southeast League. He switched from the outfield, his original position, to pitching, and in 1966 the 18-year-old appeared in 22 games and posted a 1-2 record and 3.10 ERA over 61 innings. After playing winter ball in the offseason, he returned to Puerto Mexico in 1967 and appeared in 18 games, producing a 4-5 tally with a 3.74 ERA. Following a strong winter league performance, Romo moved up to the Jalisco Charros of the Mexican League in 1968 where he started in 15 of his 23 appearances and posted a 9-9 record and 2.80 ERA with 48 strikeouts over 106 innings. Throwing a broad array of pitches from several different motions, he went 8-9 for Jalisco in 1969 with a 3.52 ERA, 7 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 95 strikeouts over 161 innings. His 1970 performance with Jalisco improved to 10-9 and a 2.79 ERA with 8 complete games, 2 shutouts, and 79 strikeouts over 155 innings. Romo spent one more season with Jalisco in 1971 and produced a 10-9 tally and 3.02 ERA with 89 strikeouts over 149 innings. Moving to the Union Laguna Algodoneros (Cotton Growers) in 1972 he went 11-8 with a 2.03 ERA, 13 complete games, and 104 strikeouts over 186 innings. He pitched for the Mexico City Rojos (Reds) for the next four seasons in which the club won three league titles, and he also appeared in the Caribbean Series. His best records were in 1974 when he went 17-9 with a 3.08 ERA, 11 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 130 strikeouts over 193 innings and 1976, when he added a screwball to his repertoire and compiled a 20-4 record and 1.89 ERA with 19 complete games, 5 shutouts, and 239 strikeouts over 233 innings. In 1977 the expansion Mariners purchased his contract from Mexico City for $25,000 and he began the season as part of the starting rotation.

1977 Season Summary

Appeared in 58 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 58 [10]

Games Started – 3

Games Finished – 39 [8]

Complete Games – 0

Wins – 8

Losses – 10

PCT - .444

Saves – 16 [6]

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 114.1

Hits – 93

Runs – 40

Earned Runs – 36

Home Runs – 8

Bases on Balls – 39

Strikeouts – 105

ERA – 2.83 [Non-qualifying]

Hit Batters – 5

Balks – 2 [6, tied with thirteen others]

Wild Pitches – 1 

Midseason Snapshot: G – 33, 5-7, ERA – 1.91, SV – 8, SO - 73 in 75.1 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 9 (in 7 IP) vs. California 4/7

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 4 (in 7 IP) vs. California 4/7

Fielding

Chances – 25

Put Outs – 5

Assists – 19

Errors – 1

DP – 3

Pct. - .960 

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In their inaugural season, the Mariners went 64-98 to finish sixth in the AL Western Division, 38 games behind the division-winning Kansas City Royals. The pitching staff led the league in runs surrendered (855), home runs surrendered (194), highest ERA (4.83), fewest complete games (18), and fewest shutouts (1). The Mariners were more successful on the road (35-46) than at home (29-52) and, hindered early by injuries to pitchers, avoided finishing in the AL West cellar by winning two of their last three games. They drew 1,338,511 fans to the Kingdome. Romo went on the disabled list after three starts due to a hamstring injury and was moved to the bullpen following his return to action with favorable results.

Aftermath of 1977:

Romo had a lesser season in 1978, relieving in 56 games and posting an 11-7 record and 3.69 ERA with 10 saves and 62 strikeouts over 107.1 innings. In the offseason he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a six-player deal. Romo became a good fit in Pittsburgh’s bullpen in support of closer Kent Tekulve. He appeared in 84 games and produced a 10-5 tally and 5 saves along with a 2.99 ERA and 106 strikeouts over 129.1 innings. The Pirates won the NL East in a tight race with Montreal, took down Cincinnati in the NLCS to win the pennant, and came from behind to beat the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. In the postseason, he appeared in four games (two in each series) and had no decisions or saves while his ERA was 3.60 in 5 innings pitched. A good fielder and hitter, Romo slugged a grand slam in a 1980 game against the New Yok Mets. On the mound he remained a key middle reliever, appearing in 74 games and compiling a 5-5 record and 11 saves with a 3.27 ERA and 82 strikeouts over 123.2 innings. Dogged by inconsistency in 1981 while the club floundered during the strike-shortened season, Romo appeared in 33 games and went 1-3 with 9 saves and a 4.54 ERA. The temperamental Romo was fined by manager Chuck Tanner late in the 1982 season for “breaking training” during a year in which he made 45 appearances and produced a 9-3 tally with one save, a 4.36 ERA, and 58 strikeouts over 86.2 innings. It proved to be the end of the line for the 35-year-old pitcher who failed to report to spring training in 1983 and indicated to the Pirates that he was retiring. He did appear again with an outlaw league that didn’t last long. For his major league career, Romo pitched in 350 games and produced a 44-33 record with 52 saves, a 3.45 ERA, and 436 strikeouts over 603 innings. With the Mariners he appeared in 114 games and posted a 19-17 record with 26 saves, a 3.25 ERA, and 167 strikeouts over 221.2 innings. As a major league batter, he hit .270 with a home run and 5 RBIs. In Mexico, according to available records, he compiled a 109-74 record and 2.67 ERA with 91 complete games, 23 shutouts, and 1047 strikeouts over 1565 innings pitched. In 2003 he was inducted into the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame, where he joined his older brother Vicente, who also pitched in the major leagues from 1968-74 with five different clubs.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years. 

Highlighted Year: Stu Miller, 1958

Pitcher, San Francisco Giants

Age:  30

2^nd season with Giants

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 165 

Prior to 1958:

A native of Northampton, Massachusetts, Miller played sandlot baseball until joining the Navy in 1945, where he played service ball. In 1949 he attended a St. Louis Cardinals tryout camp, and despite his lack of a good fastball, Miller was signed for $150 per month with a $100 bonus. Initially assigned to Salisbury of the Class D Eastern Shore League, the 21-year-old produced an 8-13 record and 4.29 ERA. Back at Class D in 1950 with Hamilton of the Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York (or Pony League) he learned to throw a changeup which allowed him to improve to 16-13 with a 3.21 ERA. Improvement continued with two teams at the Class B and A levels in 1951. Pitching well for the Columbus Red Birds of the Class AAA American Association in 1952, he compiled a 11-5 tally and 2.34 ERA before being called up to the pitching-strapped Cardinals in August. Allowing only one earned run while going the distance in his first three starts, Miller went 6-3 for the Cardinals with a 2.05 ERA and 64 strikeouts over 88 innings pitched. Unimpressive-looking with his slight build and slow pitches, he got by with good control and an assortment of off-speed pitches that kept batters guessing. In 1953 opposing batters began to adjust and, when his pitches rode too high, he gave up home runs, 19 in all over 137.2 innings as his record dropped to 7-8 and his ERA rose to 5.56. Continuing to struggle in 1954, he appeared mostly in relief for the Cardinals prior to being sent down to Columbus during the second half of the season where he started most of the time and went 7-8 with a 3.05 ERA. Miller spent all of 1955 with Omaha of the American Association and produced a 17-14 tally and 3.02 ERA with 161 strikeouts over 244 innings. Miller started 1956 with the Cardinals until traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in May. He went on to post a combined tally of 5-9 as a starter-reliever with a mediocre 4.50 ERA and 60 strikeouts and 56 walks over 114 innings. He also gave up 19 home runs. Traded again in the offseason to the Giants, he started off in Minneapolis of the American Association until he was called up to the Giants in May. Utilized primarily out of the bullpen (13 starts in 38 apperances) he showed improvement in going 7-9 with a 3.63 ERA. With the move of the franchise to San Francisco, Miller started the 1958 season as a reliever before moving into the starting rotation.

1958 Season Summary

Appeared in 42 games

P – 41, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 41 [18, tied with Johnny Antonelli, Jim Brosnan & Willard Schmidt]

Games Started – 20

Games Finished – 7

Complete Games – 4

Wins – 6

Losses – 9

PCT - .400

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 1 [17, tied with eighteen others]

Innings Pitched – 182 [18]

Hits – 160

Runs – 60

Earned Runs – 50

Home Runs – 16

Bases on Balls – 49

Strikeouts – 119 [11]

ERA – 2.47 [1]

Hit Batters – 2

Balks – 1 [7, tied with twenty-three others]

Wild Pitches – 2

League-leading ERA was -0.41 lower than runner-up Sam Jones

Midseason Snapshot: 2-4, ERA - 1.87, SO – 44 in 62.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 7 (in 5 IP) at Pittsburgh 7/25, (in 8 IP) at Pittsburgh 9/9, (in 8.2 IP) at Chi. Cubs 7/2, (in 9 IP) at St. Louis 9/19

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 3 (in 9 IP) at Chi. Cubs 5/18

Batting

PA – 62, AB – 50, R – 4, H – 6, 2B – 1, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 5, BB – 7, SO – 17, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .120, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 5, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 44

Put Outs – 9

Assists – 34

Errors – 1

DP – 4

Pct. - .977

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The Giants went 80-74 in their first San Francisco season to finish third in the NL, 12 games behind the pennant-winning Milwaukee Braves. The Giants got off to a strong start and were in first place for all but two days from May 18 to June 10. They remained close to the top and were in first for the last time on July 29. They dropped into third place to stay during a 14-17 August and drew a total of 1,272,625 fans to their temporary home at Seals Stadium, nearly doubling the attendance from their last year at New York’s Polo Grounds.

Aftermath of 1958:

Used out of the bullpen in 1959 (9 starts in 59 appearances), a role in which he was most effective, Miller compiled an 8-7 record and 2.84 ERA with 8 saves and 95 strikeouts over 167.2 innings while surrendering only 13 home runs. With his calm temperament and array of slow pitches, he proved to be a good fit in tense late-innings situations for the contending Giants. Miller started poorly in 1960 but turned his season around to post a 7-6 tally and 3.90 ERA in 47 appearances with 65 strikeouts over 101.2 innings. “Little Stu” had an outstanding season in 1961, tying for the league lead in saves with 17 to go along with a 14-5 record, 2.66 ERA, and 89 strikeouts over 122 innings. He placed twelfth in league MVP voting and was an All-Star, which led to his becoming involved in an incident that became part of baseball lore. Entering the first of the two All-Star Games, which was played at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park, on an exceptionally hot day in which the wind picked up in the late innings. Coming on in the ninth, a gust of wind caused him to stumble, resulting in his being called for a balk. The NL went on to win the game and Miller was the winning pitcher. But for long afterward it was said that he had been blown off the mound by a gust of wind, which was not accurate (it was more like the wind disrupted his delivery). The Giants won the NL pennant in 1962, catching up to the Dodgers at the end and winning a best-of-three playoff. Miller recorded 19 saves along with a 5-8 record and 4.12 ERA with 78 strikeouts over 107 innings. He had a poor outing in the second game of the season-extending playoff against the Dodgers and was used only for mop-up duty in the World Series against the Yankees. In the offseason he was part of a six-player trade with the Baltimore Orioles. The move to the American League paid off in 1963 as Miller’s array of slow junk pitches proved effective and he appeared in a then-league record 71 games and posted a league-leading 27 saves to go with a 5-8 tally and 2.24 ERA with 114 strikeouts over 112.1 innings. For the contending Orioles in 1964 he appeared in 66 games and recorded 22 saves, a 7-7 record, a 3.06 ERA, and 87 strikeouts over 97 innings. Miller followed up with a better season in 1965 which included a 31-inning scoreless streak over 17 appearances. His final totals were 24 saves and a 14-7 tally with a 1.89 ERA, and 104 strikeouts over 119.1 innings covering 67 appearances. The Orioles won the pennant in 1966 and “Little Stu” contributed 51 appearances and a 9-4 record along with 18 saves, a 2.25 ERA, and 67 strikeouts over 92 innings. Combining with veteran right-handed reliever Eddie Fisher in the closer role (a designation not yet in use) the two saved a total of 32 games (including Fisher’s 14) and were keys to Baltimore having the AL’s best bullpen. Only one reliever was used in the four-game World Series sweep of the Dodgers, and so Miller’s services weren’t needed. In 1967 at age 39, Miller began to show his age as his appearances were limited to 42 and his save total dipped to 8 along with a 3-10 tally. His ERA was a healthy 2.55 and he struck out 60 batters over 81.1 innings. Miller was also involved in an exceptionally odd combination no-hitter. In a late-April game against Detroit, starting LHP Steve Barber threw 8.2 hitless innings but along the way he issued 10 walks, hit two batters, unleashed a wild pitch, and committed a fielding error. Nursing a 1-0 lead in the ninth, Barber walked the first two batters who were moved along by a sacrifice bunt. The next batter for the Tigers fouled out but Barber’s wild pitch allowed the tying run to score. He gave up another walk after which he was relieved by Miller. A ground ball to short resulted in an infield error and a run for the Tigers was followed by Miller getting the third out to end the inning and preserve the no-hitter. The Orioles were unable to score in the bottom of the ninth and lost 2-1. It marked the first time that a nine-inning combination no-hitter resulted in a loss. Prior to the 1968 season, Miller was sold to the Atlanta Braves who released him after two appearances, effectively ending his career, although he had a brief but disappointing stint with Tulsa of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League before calling it quits and becoming a minor league pitching coach for the Giants for the remainder of the season. For his major league career, Miller appeared in 704 games, 93 of them starts, and produced a 105-103 record and 3.24 ERA with 153 saves, 24 complete games, 5 shutouts, and 1164 strikeouts over 1693.1 innings. With the Giants he made 307 appearances for a 47-44 record with a 3.16 ERA, 8 complete games, one shutout, 47 saves, and 506 strikeouts over 804.1 innings. Appearing in two World Series games Miller had no decisions. A two-time All-Star, he proved that a pitcher could be successful while lacking a good fastball, although the journey to major league success was a long and difficult one for him. He operated an insurance business in the San Francisco area and died in 2015 at age 87.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years. 

Highlighted Year: George Van Haltren, 1900

Outfielder, New York Giants

Age: 34

7^th season with Giants

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 5’11” Weight: 170 

Prior to 1900:

Born in St. Louis, Van Haltren moved with his family to Oakland, California in his early youth in 1868. He began playing baseball in school and joined a local semipro team as a rare lefthanded catcher in 1885. He was converted into a pitcher after joining a top semipro club called the Greenhood & Morans a short-time later with a 16-strikeout performance. Pitching well against visiting teams tof major leaguers in the 1886-87 offseason, he drew the attention of National League clubs. He signed with Pittsburgh in 1887, but instead played for San Francisco of the California League due to his desire to remain close to home while his mother was seriously ill. Pittsburgh transferred his rights to the Chicago White Stockings (now Cubs) and Van Haltren joined the club after his mother’s death in May of 1887. Already having grown the thick mustache that he wore all his adult life, he got off to a rough start as a pitcher for the White Stockings but finished with an 11-7 record and a 3.86 ERA with 76 strikeouts, along with 66 walks, over 161 innings pitched. In addition he played 27 games in the outfield but was unimpressive at the plate. In 1888 he posted a 13-13 tally with a 3.52 ERA, 24 complete games, and 139 strikeouts over 245.2 innings. Appearing in 57 games in the outfield, his batting improved to .283 with 9 doubles, 14 triples, 4 home runs, 34 RBIs, 21 stolen bases, a .329 on-base percentage, and a .437 slugging percentage. In 1889 Van Haltren played exclusively in the outfield (mostly in left) and hit .322 with 20 doubles, 10 triples, 9 home runs, 81 RBIs, 28 stolen bases, a .416 OBP, and a .446 slugging percentage. Jumping to the short-lived Players League in 1890, he returned to the pitching mound with the Brooklyn club and went 15-10 with a 4.28 ERA in his last season as a regular pitcher, although he would take the mound on rare occasions during the remainder of his career. With the demise of the Players League, Van Haltren moved on to Baltimore of the American Association in 1891 where he appeared at shortstop (very unsuccessfully) in addition to the outfield. He batted .318 with 14 doubles, 15 triples, 9 home runs, 83 RBIs, 75 stolen bases, a .398 OBP, and a .443 slugging percentage. Baltimore joined the National League in 1892 where Van Haltren served briefly as player/manager, before being replaced after the club went 1-10 under his direction. The disgruntled player began to play sloppily in the field until being dealt to Pittsburgh late in the season. His batting production for the season was .293 with 22 doubles, 14 triples, 7 home runs, 62 RBIs, 55 stolen bases, a .373 OBP, and a .409 slugging percentage. “Rip”, as he was nicknamed, spent the offseason playing in the Pacific Coast League. Returning to Pittsburgh in 1893 he benefited from the change to the modern pitching distance of 60 Feet, 6 inches and batted .338 with 14 doubles, 11 triples, 3 home runs, 79 RBIs, 37 stolen bases, a .422 OBP, and .423 slugging percentage. In the offseason he was dealt to the Giants where he was installed in center field and as lead-off hitter. A consistent hitter with speed and an able fielder, he batted .331 in 1894 with 22 doubles, 7 home runs, 105 RBIs, 43 stolen bases, a .399 OBP, and a .428 slugging percentage. The Giants finished second to the Baltimore Orioles in the NL pennant race and defeated Baltimore in the Temple Cup series, which would be Van Haltren’s only postseason appearance. He batted .500 in four games against Baltimore and furthermore was chosen as the favorite player of baseball fans in New York and Brooklyn in a vote conducted by The New York Mercury. He followed up in 1895 by hitting .340 with 23 doubles, 19 triples, 8 home runs, 103 RBIs, 32 stolen bases, a .408 OBP, and a .503 slugging percentage. He led the league with 21 triples in 1896 while batting .351 with 18 doubles, 5 home runs, 74 RBIs, 39 stolen bases, a .410 OBP, and a .484 slugging percentage. In 1897 Van Haltren led the league with 31 outfield assists and offensively he hit .329 with 22 doubles, 9 triples, 3 home runs, 64 RBIs, 50 stolen bases, a .376 OBP, and a .415 slugging percentage. In 1898 he hit .312 with 204 hits, 28 doubles, 16 triples, 2 home runs, 68 RBIs, 36 steals, a .372 OBP, and a .413 slugging percentage. Van Haltren remained a solid producer in 1899 as he batted .301 with 27 extra-base hits, 58 RBIs, 31 stolen bases, and a .379 OBP. By 1900 he was well established as an outstanding player on a club that had become mired in controversy and mediocrity.

1900 Season Summary

Appeared in 141 games

CF – 141, P – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 635 [5, tied with Billy Hamilton]

At Bats – 571 [3]

Runs – 114 [3, tied with Jimmy Barrett]

Hits – 180 [6]

Doubles – 30 [5]

Triples – 7

Home Runs – 1

RBI – 51

Bases on Balls – 50 [15]

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 26

Stolen Bases – 45 [1, tied with Patsy Donovan]

Caught Stealing – N/A

Average - .315 [16]

OBP - .371 [18]

Slugging Pct. - .398

Total Bases – 227 [12]

FGDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 1

Sac Hits – 13 [14, tied with Hughie Jennings]

Sac Flies – N/A

Pitching:

G – 1 GS – 0, CG – 0, Record – 0-0, PCT – .000, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 3, H – 1, R – 0, ER – 0, HR – 0, BB – 3, SO – 0, ERA – 0.00, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 0

Fielding

Chances – 376

Put Outs – 325

Assists – 28

Errors – 23

DP – 7

Pct. – .939

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The Giants went 60-78 to finish eighth in the NL, 23 games behind the pennant-winning Brooklyn Superbas while leading the league in fewest home runs (23). The slow-starting Giants only got worse in May and June, after which they were firmly ensconced in the NL cellar, from which they never emerged the rest of the way.

Aftermath of 1900:

In 1901, Van Haltren led NL outfielders with 23 assists. He had another solid season at the plate, batting..335 with 23 doubles, 6 triples, a home run, 47 RBIs, 24 stolen bases, a .396 OBP, and a .405 slugging percentage. He began to show decline in 1902 at age 37 and was batting only .250 in May when a broken ankle sidelined him for the remainder of the season. His time with the Giants came following a 1903 season in which he lost his starting job in center field and hit .257 in a part-time role. For his major league career, Van Haltren batted .316 with 2544 hits that included 286 doubles, 161 triples, and 69 home runs. He scored 1642 runs and compiled 1015 RBIs, 583 stolen bases, a .386 OBP, and a .418 slugging percentage. With the Giants he batted .321 with 1580 hits, 976 runs scored, 195 doubles, 88 triples, 29 home runs, 605 RBIs, 320 stolen bases, a .384 OBP, and a .414 slugging percentage. After leaving the Giants, Van Haltren returned to the West Coast where he was a player/manager for several seasons in the Pacific Coast League and after that a PCL umpire. He also scouted for the Pittsburgh Pirates He also regularly participated in Old Timers Games on the West Coast and died at age 79 in 1945. Efforts to achieve his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame fell short.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years. 

Highlighted Year: Ollie Brown, 1970

Outfielder, San Diego Padres

Age:  26

2^nd season with Padres

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 178 

Prior to 1970:

Born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Brown moved to Long Beach, California with his family in his youth. One of three athlete brothers (older brother Willie went on to play briefly in the NFL and younger brother Oscar was an outfielder with the Atlanta Braves from 1969 to ’73), he attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School where he performed well in baseball and basketball. After attending Long Beach College for a year, Brown signed with the San Francisco Giants in 1962. While there were questions as to what position he would play, the 18-year-old split 1962 with Class D teams in the Appalachian and Midwest Leagues where he played in the outfield and batted a combined .227 with 10 home runs, 31 RBIs, and a .301 on-base percentage. With Decatur of the Midwest League in 1963 he pitched and produced a 9-8 record that included a no-hitter, but his ERA was a high 4.76 and he walked 132 batters over 123 innings. Now exclusively an outfielder, Brown moved on to Fresno of the Class A California League in 1964 where he batted .329 with 40 home runs, 133 RBIs, a .412 OBP, and a .671 slugging percentage. His impressive display of power led to his obtaining the enduring nickname of “Downtown”, as in “Downtown Ollie Brown”. Advancing to Tacoma of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League in 1965, Brown hit .293 with 30 doubles, 27 home runs, 81 RBIs, a .337 OBP, and a .512 slugging percentage. Called up to the Giants in September, he managed two hits in 10 at bats. He spent most of 1966 with the Giants, with a brief trip back to Class AAA at midseason. He ended up seeing significant action in right field for the Giants and batted .233 with 7 home runs, 33 RBIs, and a .303 OBP. In 1967 he took over right field from a struggling Ken Henderson but ended up hitting a disappointing .267 with 13 home runs, 53 RBIs, a .312 OBP, and a .396 slugging percentage. Appearing in only 21 games through June in 1968, Brown was sent down to Phoenix of the Pacific Coast League where he played in 25 games and hit .250 with only three homers. Called back up to San Francisco in September he finished with 40 major league appearances while batting .232 with a .270 OBP and being completely overshadowed by another young right fielder, Bobby Bonds. Left unprotected in the NL expansion draft, he was selected by the Padres, who were attracted to his excellent throwing arm in the outfield and power potential at the plate. Installed in right field in 1969 he batted .264 with 20 home runs, 61 RBIs, a .319 OBP, and a .412 slugging percentage for the fledgling club.

1970 Season Summary

Appeared in 139 games

RF – 137, PH – 3

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 577

At Bats – 534

Runs – 79

Hits – 156

Doubles – 34 [8, tied with Billy Williams, Bobby Tolan & Lee May]

Triples – 1

Home Runs – 23

RBI – 89

Bases on Balls – 34

Int. BB – 8

Strikeouts – 78

Stolen Bases – 5

Caught Stealing – 3

Average - .292

OBP - .331

Slugging Pct. - .489 [19]

Total Bases – 261

GDP – 14

Hit by Pitches – 0

Sac Hits – 3

Sac Flies – 6 [14, tied with nine others]

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 17, HR – 13, RBI – 43, AVG - .278, SLG – .475, OBP – .326

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) vs. LA Dodgers 7/12

Longest hitting streak – 12 games

HR at home – 11

HR on road – 12

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 4 AB) at San Francisco 7/1

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 6 at San Francisco 7/1

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 3 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 280

Put Outs – 258

Assists – 12

Errors – 10

DP – 3

Pct. - .964 

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The Padres went 63-99 to finish sixth (last) in the NL Western Division, 39 games behind the division-winning Cincinnati Reds while leading the league in batting strikeouts (1164), and fewest doubles (208). With improved offense in their second season, the Padres were 11 wins better than their inaugural season. Still, they quickly dropped into the NL West cellar during a 7-14 April and stayed there, despite occasional forays into fifth. The pitching was a disappointment, offsetting the power production of Brown, 1B Nate Colbert, and CF Cito Gaston. Surprisingly, they went 10-8 against the division-champion Reds.

Aftermath of 1970:

Brown’s power production dropped off significantly in 1971 as he slugged only 9 home runs with 55 RBIs while batting a respectable .273 with a .346 OBP. He came through with a solid 9 assists in right field. The lack of consistent power production affected most of the club, which again finished in the division cellar despite improved pitching. Off to a slow start at the plate in 1972, Brown was dealt to the Oakland Athletics in May. He lasted only six weeks with Oakland before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. Appearing in a total of 109 games he batted .248 with 4 home runs, 29 RBIs, and a .310 OBP. In the 1973 opening game for the Brewers, Brown became the first player to appear as a Designated Hitter for the club, a role in which he appeared 82 times during a total of 97 games played. He hit a respectable .280 with 7 home runs, 32 RBIs, a .355 OBP, and a .392 slugging percentage. In the offseason he was dealt to the California Angels as part of a nine-player deal. In the spring of 1974 he was sold to the Houston Astros. He appeared in only 27 games for Houston before being waived and picked up by the Philadelphia Phillies. With the rising Phillies, he platooned in the outfield with Jay Johnstone and batted .242 with 11 extra-base hits that included 4 home runs, 13 RBIs, and a .286 OBP. The Phillies contended in the NL East in 1975 and Brown continued to be a valuable part-time outfielder who hit .303 with 6 home runs, 26 RBIs, and a .369 OBP. Playing in a similar role in 1976, “Downtown” finished at .254 with 10 doubles, 5 home runs that included a grand slam which keyed a win against the division-rival Pirates in a July game, 30 RBIs, and a .350 OBP. The Phillies won the NL East and Brown received his first taste of postseason action, going hitless as the club was swept by Cincinnati in the NLCS. He played one last season with the division-winning Phillies in 1977, hitting .243 with a .280 OBP before retiring at 33. For his major league career, Brown batted .265 with 964 hits that included 144 doubles, 11 triples, and 102 home runs. He scored 404 runs and compiled 454 RBIs, a .324 OBP, and a .394 slugging percentage. With the Padres he batted .272 with 450 hits, 194 runs scored, 70 doubles, 4 triples, 52 home runs, 208 RBIs, a .327 OBP, and a .413 slugging percentage. Appearing in three postseason games, he was hitless in four at bats with one walk. A useful player who never fully lived up to his potential in major league baseball, he died in 2015 at age 74.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.