Willard Brown

Sport: Baseball

Induction Year: 2007

Induction Year: 2007

Inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame in July 2006, the Shreveport native was black baseball’s premier slugging outfielder in the 1940s. He joined Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby and Hank Thompson as blacks who made their Major League Baseball debuts in 1947. Brown, 36 at the time, lasted 21 games with the St. Louis Browns and was released after batting .179. He became the first black American Leaguer to hit a home run during his short stay with the last-place team. He returned to the Negro League and batted .374 with 18 homers in 1948 and .317 in 1949, ending his Negro League career with a .355 batting average. In Puero Rican winter ball, he had a career .350 batting average, won three batting titles and set a home run record in the 1947-48 season (27). Future Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda played winter ball with Brown and a decade later called him “one of the greatest hitters I ever saw.” Brown’s career ended in the Texas League with Dallas and Houston, averaging .306 and 23 home runs despite being in his 40S. Brown,. nicknamed “Home Run” by Negro League slugger Josh Gibson.  Willard Brown died in 1996