Topic: Joe Brown

Joseph E. "Joe" Brown (born April 4, 1859, died June 28, 1888 in Warren, Pennsylvania) was a pitcher/utility player in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Orioles.

It was relatively common in the 19th century for baseball teams to use a reserve fielder as a pitcher, and this appears to be true in Brown's case. He appeared in 15 games for the 1884 Cubs (debuting August 16), pitching in seven of those games, six as a starter. His mark that season was 4-2 with a 4.68 ERA. He also played center field, right field, first baseman, and catcher for the Cubs that season, hitting .213 with 3 RBI in 61 trips to the plate.

Brown found himself with the American Association's Orioles in the 1886 season in a similar role for a brief period of time. He pitched in four games, completing and losing each one for a record of 0-4 and an ERA of 5.68. He also appeared in one game as a second baseman. Brown was 3-for-19 at the plate in 1886 to finish his career with a batting average of exactly .200 (16-for-80).