MLB: Former New York Mets pitcher Anthony Young dies of brain tumor

Former major league pitcher Anthony Young died Tuesday following a lengthy illness. He was 51.

Diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in January, Young went into a coma Monday night, according to a Twitter posting by former New York Mets teammate Lenny Harris.

Young was best known for his tenure with the Mets, specifically a run of futility that spanned two seasons when he set a major league record with 27 consecutive losses in 1992-93.

Young, who broke in with the Mets in 1991, finished a combined 3-30 during the 1992-93 seasons. From May 1992 to July 1993, he went 0-14 as a starter and 0-13 as a reliever, gaining unwanted notoriety that even led to an appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

"I got a bad rap on that," Young told the New York Daily News in 2009 of the streak. "I always said I didn't feel like I was pitching badly. It just happened to happen to me. I don't feel like I deserve it, but I'm known for it."

Young pitched two seasons with the Chicago Cubs in 1994-95 and ended his career the following year with the Houston Astros -- in the city where he starred collegiately at the University of Houston.

In his six seasons in the majors, Young compiled a 15-48 record and a 3.89 ERA in 181 appearances (51 starts). He also had 20 career saves, 15 coming with the Mets in 1992.