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.
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Brown's unacknowledged success gained new recognition when Major League Baseball officially incorporated Negro League statistics in 2020, revealing that Brown holds the highest career winning percentage in history at 72.1%. For more information on Brown's career stats, visit his official National Baseball Hall of Fame page or his Baseball Reference page.
External Sites
Brown was known for having a durable right arm along with a dependable curveball that he could he throw at any time. Additionally, Brown threw a one-hitter in the 1944 Negro League World Series. For a one minute video on Ray Brown's career, watch the National Baseball Hall of Fame's video.
The Homestead Grays appeared in four straight Negro League World Series from 1942-45, winning two of them. The four most prominent players from the teams were Ray Brown, Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, and Buck Leonard (all featured above).
Brown may have been most known for his outstanding time in the Negro Leagues, but he also played multiple seasons and winters in different leagues across North America. Brown played around the Caribbean, Mexico, and Canada. For Brown's stats in Mexico and the Latin American Leagues, visit the Negro League Baseball Museum's article on Ray Brown.
Ray Brown's baseball card from 1951-52 in Denia (Puerto Rico)
Ray Brown's journey took him all over North America before he hung up the cleats in 1953. Brown moved to Dayton, Ohio, where he spent his remaining years until 1965. For the most complete story available of Ray Brown's life, visit the Society for American Baseball Research's article on Ray Brown.
The Alger High School newspaper, for which Brown is an assistant, mentions him in the humorous "Can You Imagine" article.