Jim Brown (brownji02)

This page is for Jim Brown, major league player in 1915-1916. For other players with similar names, click here

James Donaldson Brown
(Don or Mouse)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 178 lb.

• Debut September 13, 1915
• Final Game September 22, 1916
• Born March 31, 1891 in Laurel, MD USA
• Died October 22, 1944 in Bradwood, OR USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Jim Brown played in the majors in 1915 for the St. Louis Cardinals and in 1916 for the Philadelphia Athletics. Most of his at-bats were in 1916.

Brown was born in Laurel, MD ,and was playing for Topeka in 1915 when he came to the Cardinals on a conditional deal for one game, going 1-for-2. He made his debut on September 13, while a youngster named Rogers Hornsby had made his debut three days earlier. In 1916, Brown played for the A's in 14 games, hitting one home run. His .238 average was close to the team average of .242 and his slugging percentage of .405 was much higher than the team slugging of .313. Later, Jim played several seasons for Shreveport and Galveston.

However, for a long time, little more was known about his life, including his death date, a rare occurrence for such a relatively recent player. It was known that he had worked in the motion picture business in Hollywood after his retirement and that he had divorced in 1940. In 2010, a death certificate was found for him through a genealogy website. He had died in Oregon, which explains why no death record had been found in California, and was apparently working on a film shoot at the time, although its exact nature is unknown. He is listed on his death certificate as a carpenter for motion pictures and as an habitual resident of Hollywood who had been in Oregon for two months when he passed away.

He is not to be confused with Jim Brown, Jim Brown or Jimmy Brown.

Further Reading

• "James Brown Found", in Bill Carle, ed.: Biographical Research Committee Report, SABR, May/June, 2010, p. 1.