Myrl Brown

Myrl Lincoln Brown

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 172 lb.
• School Lebanon Valley College
• Debut August 19, 1922
• Final Game September 18, 1922
• Born October 10, 1894 in Waynesboro, PA USA
• Died February 23, 1981 in Harrisburg, PA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Myrl Brown pitched seven games for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1922. He etched his name in the Pirates' record book by becoming the first pitcher to win his first three career starts for the team, which were also his first three major league games. His record stood at 3-0, 3.47 at that point - he had not been dominant in any of the three starts - but it was all downhill thereafter, as he went 0-1 and gave up 15 runs in 11 1/3 innings, striking out only one batter, in his four remaining appearances. He finished at 3-1, 5.97 and never pitched again in the majors. His name was briefly rescued from obscurity in 2013, when Gerrit Cole matched his first three games feat. No one had managed to do so in the intervening 90 years!

Brown is the only major leaguer to ever have had the first name "Myrl", although some have been named Merle, Merrill or other variants; only one minor leaguer, Myrl Smith, a pitcher in the 1970s, shared the name.