About Ray Brown
Born in Alger on February 23, 1908, Brown attended Alger High School, where he both worked on the school newspaper and played sports. He graduated in the Class of 1926. Numerous websites mention that Brown attended the historically black Wilberforce University, though records are somewhat fleeting.
His professional baseball career began in 1930 with the independent league Dayton Marcos. He made his Negro League debut in 1931 at the age of 23, pitching for the Indianapolis ABCs. During that season, Brown led the Negro National League in innings pitched (117.2), complete games thrown (12), and strikeouts (79). He started the 1932 season with the Detroit Wolves before Homestead Grays owner
Cumberland Posey acquired Brown in the middle of the season. Brown established himself as an all-time great during his years with the Pittsburgh-based Homestead Grays.
During his 14-season run with the Grays, Brown pitched over 1300 innings and maintained an earned run average (ERA) of 3.13. With the Grays, his 110-37 pitching record was good for a remarkable winning percentage of .748. Brown made two East-West All-Star Games appearances in 1935 and 1940. Playing home games at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, he led the Negro National League in wins on five occasions (1935, 1937, 1938, 1940, and 1942). Brown’s best year was perhaps 1938 when he won the pitching triple crown—leading the league in wins (with an unblemished 14-0 record), ERA (1.88), and strikeouts (70). In the nine seasons from 1937 to 1945, Brown led the Grays to eight Negro National League pennants. In addition to his pitching duties, Brown also hit a respectable .266 at the plate.
In his personal life, Brown first married Cumberland Posey’s daughter Ethel in 1935. The couple had one son, Truman, in 1942, but they divorced. Brown married a second time in Canada, but that marriage also ended in divorce. He returned to Dayton in 1958, where he worked at the Standard Biscuit Company until his death on February 8, 1965. Brown was buried in an unmarked grave at New Greencastle Cemetery in Dayton.
Raymond Brown's name--sometimes misspelled as "Braun"--frequently appeared in the Alger High School student newspaper. In the above story, he hit two homeruns in a game against Mt. Victory.
Brown's Negro League Pitching Statistics
When the Negro League season was over, Brown often went to the Caribbean to pitch in winter leagues in Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Venezuela. At the end of his career, he played in both Mexico (1946-49) and Canada (1950-53).
Posthumous Recognition
Brown's acclaim fell into obscurity perhaps because he was overshadowed by his contemporary pitcher Satchel Paige, and because his Grays teammates includes other stars like Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, and "Cool Papa" Bell.
Decades after Brown's death, his baseball exploits began to be recognized. In 1998, he was inducted into the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2005, the National Baseball Hall of Fame formed a special committee to consider overlooked Negro League players. Brown was inducted into Cooperstown as part of a 17-member class in 2006. Following the Hall of Fame induction, some Dayton locals raised some funds to purchase a headstone that celebrated Brown’s achievements. In 2010, the Washington Nationals added Brown’s name to the Ring of Honor at Nationals Park.
