Gates Brown

Born: 5/2/1939 in Crestline, OH, USA

Died: 9/27/2013 in Detroit, MI, USA

MLB Debut: 1963-06-19 | Final Game: 1975-09-26

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 220 lbs

Full name: William James Brown

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Biography

Gates Brown was a prominent American Major League Baseball player who played primarily as a position player from 1963 until his retirement in 1975. Born in 1939, Brown made his mark in the sport during an era characterized by changing offensive strategies and the growing importance of power hitters. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 1,051 games, recording 582 hits and showcasing his ability to contribute both as a reliable hitter and a valuable bench player. Brown finished his career with a batting average of .257, hitting 84 home runs and driving in 322 runs, which underscored his role as a consistent offensive presence. Known for his versatility on the field, he also displayed speed on the bases, stealing 30 bases during his time in the league. Gates Brown's legacy is highlighted not just by his statistics but also by his ability to adapt to the evolving game, making him a respected figure in baseball history.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1051	2262	330	582	78	19	84	322	30	242	275	0.257	0.330	0.420	0.750	3740.5

Career AVG .257 vs. league average .249 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .330 vs. league average .316 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .420 vs. league average .369 across their career seasons — +13.9% above league average.

Career OPS 0.750 vs. league average 0.685 across their career seasons — +9.6% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1963	DET	AL	55	82	16	22	3	1	2	14	2	8	13	0.268	.246 (+9%)	.308 (+8%)	.371 (+8%)	.680 (+8%)	105.8
1964	DET	AL	123	426	65	116	22	6	15	54	11	31	53	0.272	.250 (+9%)	.312 (+4%)	.377 (+21%)	.690 (+14%)	977.7
1965	DET	AL	96	227	33	58	14	2	10	43	6	17	33	0.256	.245 (+4%)	.310 (-2%)	.371 (+26%)	.682 (+13%)	427.4
1966	DET	AL	88	169	27	45	5	1	7	27	3	18	19	0.266	.248 (+7%)	.309 (+9%)	.376 (+15%)	.685 (+12%)	361.6
1967	DET	AL	51	91	17	17	1	1	2	9	0	13	15	0.187	.242 (-23%)	.306 (-7%)	.357 (-20%)	.663 (-14%)	-185.8
1968	DET	AL	67	92	15	34	7	2	6	15	0	12	4	0.370	.236 (+56%)	.298 (+48%)	.340 (+101%)	.638 (+76%)	1115.6
1969	DET	AL	60	93	13	19	1	2	1	6	0	5	17	0.204	.248 (-18%)	.320 (-22%)	.369 (-21%)	.689 (-22%)	-369.7
1970	DET	AL	81	124	18	28	3	0	3	24	0	20	14	0.226	.253 (-11%)	.325 (+2%)	.385 (-16%)	.711 (-8%)	-142.8
1971	DET	AL	82	195	37	66	2	3	11	29	4	21	17	0.338	.249 (+36%)	.316 (+29%)	.365 (+50%)	.682 (+40%)	1399.8
1972	DET	AL	103	252	33	58	5	0	10	31	3	26	28	0.230	.243 (-6%)	.310 (-2%)	.353 (+4%)	.664 (+1%)	59.5
1973	DET	AL	125	377	48	89	11	1	12	50	1	52	41	0.236	.256 (-8%)	.325 (+1%)	.378 (-3%)	.703 (-1%)	-18.7
1974	DET	AL	73	99	7	24	2	0	4	17	0	10	15	0.242	.256 (-6%)	.324 (-4%)	.369 (+4%)	.693 (avg)	10.1
1975	DET	AL	47	35	1	6	2	0	1	3	0	9	6	0.171	—	—	—	—	0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
4	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1972	ALCS	DET	3	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.000
1968	WS	DET	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	1	0	3	0	0	0
OF	428	388	690	23	17	3

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1963	DET	OF	16	12	35	3	0	1
1964	DET	OF	106	101	205	4	4	0
1965	DET	OF	56	51	108	1	3	0
1966	DET	OF	43	34	46	4	1	1
1967	DET	OF	20	17	22	1	0	0
1968	DET	1B	1	0	3	0	0	0
1968	DET	OF	17	16	18	1	0	0
1969	DET	OF	14	14	28	1	3	0
1970	DET	OF	26	26	37	1	2	0
1971	DET	OF	56	49	68	2	1	0
1972	DET	OF	72	67	122	5	3	1
1973	DET	OF	2	1	1	0	0	0