During his major league career, Brown had a 33–31win–loss record with a 4.07earned run average and 29saves, leading theNational League twice. He is known mostly for his large size, weighing 295 pounds (134 kg) during his playing days. UntilWalter Young andJonathan Broxton made their MLB debuts, Brown was the heaviest player to ever play in the major leagues.[1]
TheNew York Yankees purchased Brown's contract before the 1931 season and assigned him to theJersey City Skeeters of theInternational League. Brown played for the Yankees in the 1932 season.[8] He played as arelief pitcher, but made three starts late in the season.[13] Brown had a 4.53 ERA in 19 games, including three starts.[14] Brown was a member of the Yankees roster for the1932 World Series.[15] He did not appear in the series, which the Yankees won.[16] Brown pitched for the Yankees in 1933, recording a 5.23 ERA in 21 games, eight starts.[17] The Yankees optioned Brown to theHollywood Stars of thePacific Coast League at the end of August. He opted to retire for the season to be with his sick wife instead.[18] The Yankees optioned Brown to theNewark Bears of theInternational League before the 1934 season.[19] He had a 20–6 win–loss record for Newark. The Yankees promoted Brown back to the major leagues in 1935,[20] Brown recorded a 3.61 ERA in 20 games, eight starts, in the 1935 season[21] and pitched to a 5.91 ERA in 20 games, with three starts during the 1936 season.[22] Brown was included on the Yankees roster for the1936 World Series,[23] but did not appear in the series, which the Yankees won.[24]
In May 1937, the Yankees sent Brown andBabe Dahlgren to the Bears.[25] In June 1937, he was purchased by theCincinnati Reds.[26] Brown won his first game with the Reds,[3] but ended up with a 8.38 ERA in four games.[27] The Reds sold Brown andPhil Weintraub to Jersey City, then owned by theNew York Giants, in July.[28] In September, the Giants purchased Brown from Jersey City.[29] He made four appearances with a 1.04 ERA.[30]
The Giants retained Brown for the 1938 season.[31] Using Brown exclusively as a relief pitcher, he had a 1.80 ERA with fivesaves in 43 games in 1938,[32] a 4.15 ERA with six saves in 31 games in 1939,[33] a 3.42 ERA with seven saves in 41 games in 1940,[34] and a 3.32 ERA with eight saves in 31 appearances in 1941.[35] He led theNational League in saves in 1940 and 1941.[36][37] In September 1941, the Giants released Brown to theColumbus Red Birds of theAmerican Association, a farm team of theSt. Louis Cardinals, in order to acquireTom Sunkel from a different Cardinals' farm team.[38] Brown reported to spring training with Columbus in March 1942,[39] but retired from professional baseball in April.[40] He finished his career with a 33–31 won-lost record, a 4.07 ERA, and 28 saves at the major league level.[3]
After his playing career, Brown settled inFreeport, New York. During World War II, he worked forGrumman at theirBethpage, New York, facility.[3] He also pitched for Grumman'ssemi-professional baseball team.[41] After the war, Brown opened a sporting goods store in Freeport. It went out of business in 1953.[3]
Brown and his first wife, Martha Tobe, had one daughter. He met his second wife when he played for the Giants and she worked as a nurse at thePolo Grounds. They married on February 2, 1940, and had one daughter.[3]
^abJackson, Frank (February 14, 2013)."The legacy of Jumbo Brown".The Hardball Times.Archived from the original on April 25, 2020. RetrievedApril 6, 2022.
^abc"Bears Have Mound Giant".The Courier-News. Bridgewater, New Jersey. April 3, 1934. p. 15.Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. RetrievedApril 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Walter Brown To Retire For Year".The San Francisco Examiner. August 30, 1933. p. 26.Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. RetrievedApril 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Yanks Release Farrell".The Morning Call. January 13, 1934. p. 15.Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. RetrievedApril 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Giants to Get Hurler".The Star Press. Muncie, Indiana. September 10, 1941. p. 8.Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. RetrievedApril 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^"8 Mar 1942, Page 13".The Palm Beach Post. March 8, 1942.Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. RetrievedApril 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
