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Louis Rogers "Pete" Browning (June 17, 1861 - September 10, 1905) was an American center and left fielder in Major League Baseball from 1882 to 1894 who played primarily for the Louisville Eclipse/Colonels, becoming one of the sport's most accomplished batters of the 1880s. A three-time batting champion, he finished among the top three hitters in the league in each of his first seven years; only twice in his eleven full seasons did he finish lower than sixth. During the era before 1893, when the pitching distance was lengthened from 50 feet to 60 feet 6 inches, Browning ranked third among all major league players in career batting average, and fifth in slugging average. His .341 lifetime batting average remains among the top twelve in major league history, and among the top five by a right-handed batter; his .345 average over eight American Association seasons was the highest mark by any player during that league's 10-year existence. Nicknamed the "Louisville Slugger," he was enormously attentive to the bats he used, and was the first player to have them custom-made, establishing a practice among hitters which continues to the present. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (422x640, 44 KB) Summary Pete Browning on an 1888-89 Goodwin & Company baseball card (Old Judge Cabinets (N173)). Source: http://memory. ...
Austin Kearns, an outfielder, catches a fly ball. ...
is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...
is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...
May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ...
The following are the baseball events of the year 1882 throughout the world. ...
The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that played in the American Association throughout that leagues ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891, first as the Louisville Eclipse (1882- 1884) and later as the Louisville Colonels (1885 -1891). ...
is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
The following are the baseball events of the year 1894 throughout the world. ...
Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 4, 19, 20, 24, 32, 39, 42, 53 Name Los Angeles Dodgers (1958–present) Brooklyn Dodgers (1932-1957) Brooklyn Robins (1914-1931) Brooklyn Dodgers (1913) Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers (1911-1912) Brooklyn Superbas (1899...
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. ...
Bengie Molina of the Anaheim Angels (in gray and red) scores a run by touching home plate after rounding all the bases. ...
“RBI†redirects here. ...
The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that played in the American Association throughout that leagues ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891, first as the Louisville Eclipse (1882- 1884) and later as the Louisville Colonels (1885 -1891). ...
The Cleveland Infants was a one year baseball team in the Players League. ...
This article is about the baseball team. ...
Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 5, 8, 10, 13, 18, 20, 24, 42 Name Cincinnati Reds (1958–present) Cincinnati Redlegs (1953-1958) Cincinnati Reds (1882-1953) Cincinnati Red Stockings (1876-1882) Other nicknames The Redlegs, The Big Red Machine...
Major league affiliations National League (1892–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 42, 42, 45, 85 Name St. ...
Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 4, 19, 20, 24, 32, 39, 42, 53 Name Los Angeles Dodgers (1958–present) Brooklyn Dodgers (1932-1957) Brooklyn Robins (1914-1931) Brooklyn Dodgers (1913) Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers (1911-1912) Brooklyn Superbas (1899...
The batting championship is awarded to the Major League Baseball player in each the American League and National League who has the highest batting average in a particular season. ...
The batting championship is awarded to the Major League Baseball player in each the American League and National League who has the highest batting average in a particular season. ...
In Major League Baseball history, Ty Cobb had a record 4,191 hits (later revised to 4,189) by 1928; Pete Rose would surpass it 57 years later, and finish with 4,256 career hits. ...
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter safely reaching second base by striking the ball and getting to second before being made out, without the benefit of a fielders misplay (see error) or another runner being put out on a fielders choice. ...
is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...
is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ...
The position of the center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field - the baseball fielding position between left field and right field (e. ...
The position of the left fielder A left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder in the sport of baseball who plays defense in left field. ...
Major Leagues redirects here. ...
The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that played in the American Association throughout that leagues ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891, first as the Louisville Eclipse (1882- 1884) and later as the Louisville Colonels (1885 -1891). ...
Barry Bonds batting Photo:Agência Brasil In baseball, batting is the act of facing the opposing pitcher and trying to produce offense for ones team. ...
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. ...
Barry Bonds holds the MLB record for highest slugging average in a season (.863). ...
The American Association (AA) was a baseball major league from 1882 to 1891. ...
Four historically significant baseball bats showcased in the National Baseball Hall of Fames traveling exhibit Baseball As America. ...
Playing in spite of serious medical afflictions which rendered him virtually deaf and subjected him to massive headaches, he resorted to alcohol to subdue the pain, but continued to hit well even as his drinking increased. He was also known as "The Gladiator", though sources differ as to whether the nickname applied to his struggles with ownership, the press, his drinking problem, or particularly elusive fly balls. He was the uncle of noted film director Tod Browning. The word deaf can have very different meanings depending on the background of the person speaking or the context in which the word is used. ...
Charles Albert Browning, Jr. ...
Early years
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Browning was the youngest of eight children. His father, a grocer, was killed by a cyclone when Browning was thirteen years old. Young Pete remained with his mother, ultimately living in the house where he had grown up until the day he died. Louisville redirects here. ...
This article is about the meteorological phenomenon. ...
He displayed considerable athletic prowess from an early age, and in 1877 began playing for a local semipro team, the Louisville Eclipse, and pitched an exhibition win against a National League team. He continued with the Eclipse into 1882, when the franchise became a member of the newly formed American Association, the first major league to rival the NL. The following are the baseball events of the year 1877 throughout the world. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
For other uses, see National League (disambiguation). ...
The following are the baseball events of the year 1882 throughout the world. ...
Professional career Browning quickly distinguished himself as an exceptional slugger. He led the league in both batting (.378) and slugging (.510) in its first season, also finishing in the top five in home runs, runs, hits and total bases. He was consistently among the league's top batters through 1888, winning a second batting crown in 1885 and hitting .402 in 1887. In 1884, he acquired his first custom-made bat from the Hillerich & Bradsby company, collecting three hits in his first game using it and beginning a baseball tradition. Twice in the decade, he hit for the cycle: on August 8, 1886, and again on June 7, 1889. He also led the league in hits, total bases and on base percentage in 1885. After suffering from mastoiditis from a young age, which caused him to lose his hearing and embarrassed him into avoiding school, resulting in essential illiteracy, he underwent the first of several surgeries to alleviate the condition in 1884, though the problem would afflict him throughout his career. This article is about the baseball concept. ...
Bengie Molina of the Anaheim Angels (in gray and red) scores a run by touching home plate after rounding all the bases. ...
In Major League Baseball history, Ty Cobb had a record 4,191 hits (later revised to 4,189) by 1928; Pete Rose would surpass it 57 years later, and finish with 4,256 career hits. ...
In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i. ...
The following are the baseball events of the year 1885 throughout the world. ...
The following are the baseball events of the year 1887 throughout the world. ...
The following are the baseball events of the year 1884 throughout the world. ...
Hillerich & Bradsby is a company located in Louisville, Kentucky that produces the famous Louisville Slugger baseball bat. ...
Eric Davis hit for the cycle in 1989 In baseball, a player hits for the cycle when he hits a single, a double, a triple and a home run in the same game, though not necessarily in that order. ...
is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
The following are the baseball events of the year 1886 throughout the world. ...
is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
The following are the baseball events of the year 1889 throughout the world. ...
In baseball statistics, on base percentage (OBP) (sometimes referred to as on base average (OBA)) is a measure of how often a batter gets to first base for any reason other than a fielding error or a fielders choice. ...
Mastoiditis is an infection of the mastoid process, the portion of the temporal bone of the skull that is behind the ear. ...
Other aspects of Browning's game were less polished; he has usually been regarded as one of the worst fielders in major league history, although some recent assessments have begun to question that view. After being used primarily as an infielder in his first three seasons, playing every position except catcher over that span, he was shifted to the outfield on a permanent basis in 1885. While the inferior equipment of the time is somewhat of a mitigating factor, Browning's playing record presented various evidence against any hidden defensive prowess. So did his unusual habit of playing the infield while standing on one leg, which he claimed to have adopted in order to avoid collisions with other players; however, some sources have noted that his probable rationale was to gain an advantage against baserunners he could not hear by aiming one leg toward them, and that he continued to do so in the outfield because he couldn't hear his teammates on either side. An oft-reported story, possibly apocryphal, features one of Browning's managers claiming that the team would be better off with a wooden statue of an Indian in the outfield, since there was at least a slim chance that a batted ball might strike the statue and rebound back in the direction of the field. Indeed, he led league outfielders in errors in both 1886 and 1887. Browning's baserunning was also considered sub-par, exacerbated by his refusal to slide. An infielder is a baseball player who plays on the infield, the dirt portion of a baseball diamond between first base and third base. ...
The position of the catcher Catcher is also a general term for a fielder who catches the ball in cricket. ...
In baseball, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance should have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder. ...
Browning lost his appetite for playing in Louisville during a hellish 1889 season. That year, the luckless franchise (by now known as the Colonels) finished last in the league with 27 wins and 111 losses, 66.5 games behind the top club. The season included not only a major league record 26-game losing streak, but also a narrow escape from the Johnstown Flood and the sport's first-ever strike. In the dispute, Browning was one of six players who refused to take the field as a protest against a series of heavy fines assessed by team owner Mordecai Davidson. The game took place as scheduled with the assistance of three local amateurs, and the striking players returned to work before the next contest. Browning finished the season with a .256 average, the first time he was not among the league's top three hitters. He left the American Association after eight seasons with a .345 career average, which would stand as the best mark by any player with more than one season in the league; Tip O'Neill ranks second at .343. The Johnstown Flood disaster (or Great Flood of 1889 as it became known locally) occurred on May 31, 1889. ...
James Tip ONeill (May 25, 1858-December 31, 1915) was a [baseball] player in the early 19th century. ...
As a result of these events, as well as other labor disputes throughout the sport, Browning – along with nearly all the game's stars – chose to jump to the Players League for the 1890 season, and played for the Cleveland Infants. The American Association had long been considered inferior to the NL, but in that season Browning proved that he was indeed among the game's top hitters by winning his third batting title with a .373 mark. The league dissolved after its sole season, and Browning spent the remaining four years of his career bouncing around between franchises in the NL. He spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1891) and Cincinnati Reds (1891-92), then was back with the Colonels, who had joined the NL in a league merger (1892-93), before ending his career in 1894 with a handful of appearances for the St. Louis Browns and Brooklyn Grooms. He drifted through smaller leagues for a few seasons after that, last playing organized ball in 1896. The Players League, also known as The Brotherhood, was an attempt to establish a third major baseball league in 1890. ...
The following are the baseball events of the year 1890 throughout the world. ...
The Cleveland Infants was a one year baseball team in the Players League. ...
This article is about the baseball team. ...
Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 5, 8, 10, 13, 18, 20, 24, 42 Name Cincinnati Reds (1958–present) Cincinnati Redlegs (1953-1958) Cincinnati Reds (1882-1953) Cincinnati Red Stockings (1876-1882) Other nicknames The Redlegs, The Big Red Machine...
Major league affiliations National League (1892–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 42, 42, 45, 85 Name St. ...
Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 4, 19, 20, 24, 32, 39, 42, 53 Name Los Angeles Dodgers (1958–present) Brooklyn Dodgers (1932-1957) Brooklyn Robins (1914-1931) Brooklyn Dodgers (1913) Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers (1911-1912) Brooklyn Superbas (1899...
The following are the baseball events of the year 1896 throughout the world. ...
In the years before 1893, among players with at least 2500 career at bats, his batting average of .341 ranked behind only Dan Brouthers (.343) and Dave Orr (.342), with his slugging mark of .467 trailing only those of Brouthers (.520), Orr (.502), Roger Connor (.488) and Sam Thompson (.468). His recognized career hit total through 1893 ranked 10th in major league history to that point. Brouthers, a 5-time champion, was the only other major league player to win more than two batting titles in the 19th century. Dan Brouthers on an 1888 Goodwin & Company baseball card (Goodwin Champions (N162)). Dennis Joseph Brouthers (May 8, 1858 - August 2, 1932) was a pre-1900 era Major League Baseball player. ...
David L. (Dave) Orr (September 29, 1859 - June 2, 1915) was a first baseman in Major League Baseball from 1883 through 1890. ...
Roger Connor baseball card, 1887 Roger Connor (July 1, 1857 - January 4, 1931) was a 19th century Major League Baseball player. ...
Sam Thompson on an 1887-90 Goodwin & Company baseball card (Old Judge (N172)). Samuel Luther Thompson (March 5, 1860 - November 7, 1922) was a 19th century Major League Baseball player. ...
Personal life Browning was tormented for his entire life by mastoiditis, a serious infection of the inner ear usually contracted during childhood, which can result in deafness, vertigo, facial palsy, and brain damage. As a result, he lost his hearing at a young age, and was faced with frequent bouts of crippling head pain. The deafness had led Browning to drop out of school at an early age, so that he went through life as a virtual illiterate, and in order to deaden the physical pain resulting from his condition, he began drinking heavily in his youth. The drinking quickly spiraled out of control; he often appeared on the field while drunk, and was suspended for the final two months of the 1889 season for drunkenness, along with other shorter suspensions at different times. He was unable to stop, however, frequently stating, "I can't hit the ball until I hit the bottle." Mastoiditis is an infection of the mastoid process, the portion of the temporal bone of the skull that is behind the ear. ...
A hearing impairment or hearing loss is a full or partial decrease in the ability to detect or understand sounds. ...
For other uses, see Vertigo. ...
Palsy is a medical term derived from the word paralysis that is defined as paralysis of a body part often accompanied by loss of feeling and uncontrolled body movements such as shaking. ...
The traditional definition of literacy is considered to be the ability to read and write, or the ability to use language to read, write, listen, and speak. ...
Browning was a man of eccentric personal habits, particularly in relation to his bats. He spoke to them, and gave each one a name, often that of a Biblical figure. In the belief that any individual bat contained only a certain number of hits, he would periodically "retire" bats, keeping vast numbers of the retired ones in the home he shared with his mother. These bats were 37 inches long and 48 ounces in weight, enormous even by the standards of the time. He also habitually stared at the sun, thinking that by doing so, he would strengthen his eyes. He remained a lifelong bachelor, though his affection for prostitutes was a matter of much discussion in the newspapers. This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library. ...
After his retirement as a player, Browning worked as a cigar salesman and owned a bar, which ultimately failed; but his physical condition continued to deteriorate due to the mastoiditis and resulting complications. He remained a popular Louisville figure until June 7, 1905, when he was declared insane and committed to an asylum. A sister released him two weeks later, but a month after that, he was in the hospital, suffering from a general physical collapse. He died in Louisville on September 10 of that year at age 44. The specific cause of death was difficult to determine, in that he suffered from a wide variety of serious physical complaints. In addition to the mastoiditis, he was afflicted with cancer, advanced cirrhosis of the liver, alcohol-related brain damage, and according to some sources, paresis. He is buried in Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville. is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ...
is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ...
Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrotic scar tissue as well as regenerative nodules, leading to progressive loss of liver function. ...
General paresis, also known as general paralysis of the insane or paralytic dementia, is a now-rare neuropsychiatric disorder affecting the brain and central nervous system. ...
Cave Hill Cemetery and Arboretum is a Victorian era National Cemetery and arboretum located at 701 Baxter Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky. ...
Historical impact Browning was an important figure in baseball's history. In addition to his accomplishments as a player, which have made him a popular candidate for the Baseball Hall of Fame, his legacy is expressed in the game in other ways as well. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located at 62 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, is a semi-official museum operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of baseball-related...
Browning is probably best remembered today as the inspiration behind the Hillerich & Bradsby company's popular "Louisville Slugger" line of baseball bats. He was the first player to purchase a bat from the company, and they adopted the name a few years later to honor his patronage and capitalize on his fame. Hillerich & Bradsby is a company located in Louisville, Kentucky that produces the famous Louisville Slugger baseball bat. ...
Browning's decision to sign with Pittsburgh in 1891 is noteworthy, as this transaction helped cement the team's new nickname of "Pirates". When the Players League collapsed, its members were supposed to return to their franchises from the prior season. Pittsburgh, though, signed several players who were theoretically under the control of other clubs, starting with second baseman Lou Bierbauer. Other franchises decried these acts of "piracy", and the name stuck. The following are the baseball events of the year 1891 throughout the world. ...
The position of the second baseman Second base redirects here. ...
Louis W. Bierbauer (September 28, 1865 - January 31, 1926) of Erie, Pennsylvania, was considered a top-notch second baseman in Major League Baseball during the late 1880s and 1890s. ...
The strike by Browning and his Louisville teammates is also important in that it was the first labor action in what was ultimately a long series of disputes between players and management, prefacing the formation and collapse of the Players League.
See also - Hitting for the cycle
- Los Angeles Dodgers all-time roster
Eric Davis hit for the cycle in 1989 In baseball, a player hits for the cycle when he hits a single, a double, a triple and a home run in the same game, though not necessarily in that order. ...
The following is a list of players, both past and current, who appeared at least in one game for the Los Angeles Dodgers National League franchise (1958-present), and for the Brooklyn-based teams known as the Atlantics (1884), Grays (1885-1887), Bridegrooms (1888-1890, 1896-1898), Grooms (1891-1895...
External links SABR redirects here; for Selectable Assault Battle Rifle (S.A.B.R.) see XM29 OICW The Society for American Baseball Research was established in Cooperstown, New York in August of 1971. ...
Cave Hill Cemetery and Arboretum is a Victorian era National Cemetery and arboretum located at 701 Baxter Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky. ...
References - Baseball: The Biographical Encyclopedia (2000). Kingston, NY: Total/Sports Illustrated. ISBN 1-892129-34-5.
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