Willard Brown
Hall of Famers at War
| Date and Place of Birth: | June 26, 1915 Shreveport, LA |
| Date and Place of Death: | April 4, 1996 Houston, TX |
| Baseball Experience: | Hall of Fame |
| Position: | Outfield |
| Rank: | Technician Fifth Grade |
| Military Unit: | Quartermaster Corps, US Army |
| Area Served: | European Theater of Operations |
Willard J. Brown was born on June 26, 1915 in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Joining the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League in 1934,
he played his entire Negro League career with that team.
Brown began his professional career as a shortstop but moved to the
outfield in 1938, the same year he led the Negro American League with
six home runs. A power hitter who swung a 40-ounce bat, Brown led the
league in home runs again in 1942 and 1943. The following year he was in
military service with the Army and served in Europe, hauling munitions
and guarding prisoners.
While in France, Brown was recruited by former Phillies’ pitcher, Sam
Nahem, to play for the OISE All-Stars, who represented Com-Z
(Communications Zone) in the 1945 ETO World Series. The OISE All-Stars
were definite underdogs going into the best-of-five series. Their
formidable opponents – the 71st Division Red Circlers, who represented
the Third Army, had a lineup featuring outfielders Harry Walker and
Johnny Wyrostek, infielders Benny Zientara and Bob Ramazzotti and a
mound staff that included Ewell Blackwell, Al Brazle and Ken Heintzelman.
The All-Stars lineup was dotted with semi-pro players. Only Nahem had
any worthy major league experience but the lineup was bolstered by the
addition of two outstanding African- Americans – Willard Brown and
pitcher Leon Day.
The first game of the series was played at Soldier Field in Nurnberg,
Germany, on August 30, 1945. The Red Circlers took the game, 9-2, with
Ewell Blackwell allowing just five hits. Brown was "the only man who had
much luck hitting Blackwell," wrote The Stars and Stripes on September
3, 1945.
Game two, also at Nurnberg, was a pitching duel with Negro League
superstar, Leon Day, claiming a 2-1 victory for the All-Stars. Brown's
sixth inning single scoring Joe Herman with the go-ahead run. The third
game of the series moved to the All-Stars home ground in Rheims, France,
and was another 2-1 win for the All-Stars with Brown scoring the first
run on a double by Nick Macone. The Red Circlers came back to tie the
series in game four, winning 5-0 against Leon Day with a two-run home
run from Harry Walker. The fifth and deciding game was played at
Nurnberg on September 8, with the OISE All-Stars edging the Red Circlers
2-1, to claim the ETO World Series crown. Both Brown and Day, Negro
League stars playing as part of an integrated team, were key factors in
the OISE victory.
Brown returned to the Kansas City Monarchs in 1946, batting .348 for
second best in the league and leading the circuit with 13 home runs.
With Jackie Robinson breaking the Organized baseball color-line in 1946,
Willard Brown was signed by major league baseball’s St. Louis Browns in
July 1947, in the hopes that he might help the ailing team and made his
debut on July 19 against the Boston Red Sox. However, he was 31 years
old by then. In his only major league season – which lasted just one
month - Brown batted .179 in 21 games but did hit the first home run by
an African-American in the American League.
Willard Brown let his bat speak for him in the winter following his
release from St. Louis. In the Puerto Rican Winter League, Brown hit 27
home runs while winning the league's Triple Crown.
He rejoined the Kansas City Monarchs in 1948, and won the Negro American
League batting title in 1951 with a .417 average. In 1954, aged 43, he
was back in organized baseball, and hit 35 home runs in the Texas League
to help lead Houston to the pennant.
Willard Brown passed away on August 4, 1996 in Houston, Texas. He was 81
and had been suffering from Alzheimer’s. Brown was elected to the
Baseball Hall of Fame by Special Committee in 2006.
OISE All-Stars in France, 1945. Brown is front row, second from right
Date Added July 27, 2016
Willard Brown at Baseball-Almanac
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