Baseball's Gates Brown -- RIP

Gates Brown
(Image: mansfieldnewsjournal.com)

Nearly a half-century ago, the Detroit Tigers won the World Series in seven games. Michigan's team had a collection of personalities that no Major League Baseball franchise could possibly stomach today. Among them was arguably the king of pinch hitters, Gates Brown. He passed away in Ohio recently at age 74; his obituary appeared in the Detroit Free Press.

Contemporary baseball doesn't embrace pinch hitting. The current game's financial economics preclude teams from designating a precious roster spot to a single, late-inning at bat. Also, the designated hitter essentially eliminates pinch hitting in the American League. Gates Brown would probably have never made today's major league teams. During his career, Brown very rarely played in the field. His meal ticket was producing big hits in late innings.

What endeared Brown to his teammates, the Tiger organization, and fans was his clutch hitting, his warm personality, and his ability to overcome his criminal background. The pinch-hitter's first opportunity with the fences was through stealing and selling. Brown was convicted of burglary and did time in the Ohio State Reformatory. While behind bars, prisoner Brown played on the pen's baseball team. (Brown had been considered an outstanding high school football player, with big-time schools interested in recruiting him.) The Detroit Free Press' obit relates that a prison guard tipped baseball scouts about Brown. The Tigers took the plunge; Brown remained associated with the organization to his death.

Image: Detroit Free Press

Brown possessed a sense of humor about life that's a refreshing change from today's stars' self-importance. The New York Times' obit on the Detroit star offered this Brown quote (which originally appeared in the Baseball Almanac) about his high school experience that sums up what was wonderful -- and missed -- about Brown: "I took a little English, a little math, some science, a few hubcaps and some wheel covers."

Gates Brown -- a proud member of the '68 World Champions. He was a man you could root for, on a team you could root for. And, yes, I rooted for them, proudly.

The Imperfect Game

An unusual event occurred in Major League Baseball last night. A pitcher for the Detroit Tigers threw a perfect game, only to have the first base umpire obviously miss a call that would have been the 27th and final out. The Detroit pitcher, by this egregious turn of fortune, ironically has become a sports celebrity beyond what his achievement would have typically merited him.

Sometimes, a seemingly cruel twist of fate leads to a situation better than one could imagine. When my wife Amy and I were on our honeymoon in France, we looked forward to celebrating my birthday in Paris. However, such was not meant to be. A French rail strike completely paralyzed transportation throughout the country and within Paris. Accepting local advice, we booked a hotel in a town we'd never heard of. The destination turned out to be a medieval town off the beaten track. I can still vividly recall the town, its quiet sense of history, its maze-like streets echoing ancient ways.

It was a birthday to remember.