Batting average .265 Role Baseball player Name Ollie Brown | Runs batted in 454 Home runs 102 | |
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Died April 16, 2015, Buena Park, California, United States | ||
Ollie Lee "Downtown" Brown (February 11, 1944 – April 16, 2015) was a Major League Baseball Outfielder from 1965 to 1977. He began his career playing for the San Francisco Giants and was the first draft choice for the expansion San Diego Padres in 1968.
Brown both pitched and played the outfield in the minor leagues, and pitched a no-hitter on August 23, 1963 for Decatur of the Midwest League. He was named the MVP of the California League in 1964 while playing for Fresno.
He was best known for his defensive skills, particularly the strength of his throwing arm. He would entertain fans prior to games by throwing the baseball from the far right field corner to third base on the fly.
His older brother, Willie Brown, was a star football running back at USC, and played for the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL. Another brother, Oscar, was an outfielder for the Atlanta Braves. He died of mesothelioma in April 2015 at his home in Buena Park.
