Chris Brown
Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1984-1989)
Chris Brown was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1984 to 1989 for the San Francisco Giants, the San Diego Padres, and the Detroit Tigers, a span of 6 seasons. In 449 career games, he hit .269 with 410 hits, 38 home runs, and 184 RBI. Chris Brown was an All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 712.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Third Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 185 lb
- Died
- 12/26/2006 in Houston, TX, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1984-09-03
- Last Game
- 1989-05-16
- Awards
- All-Star
Full name: John Christopher Brown
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 449 | 1,523 | 164 | 410 | 61 | 6 | 38 | 184 | 21 | 120 | 252 | .269 | .333 | .392 | .725 | 712 |
Career AVG .269 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .333 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .392 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .725 vs. league average .713 across their career seasons — near league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | SFN | NL | 23 | 84 | 6 | 24 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 19 | .286 | .259 (+10%) | .322 (+11%) | .384 (+5%) | .707 (+8%) | 119.0 |
| 1985 | SFN | NL | 131 | 432 | 50 | 117 | 20 | 3 | 16 | 61 | 2 | 38 | 78 | .271 | .257 (+5%) | .323 (+7%) | .390 (+13%) | .714 (+10%) | 928.0 |
| 1986 | SFN | NL | 116 | 416 | 57 | 132 | 16 | 3 | 7 | 49 | 13 | 33 | 43 | .317 | .257 (+23%) | .325 (+15%) | .395 (+6%) | .720 (+10%) | 927.4 |
| 1987 | SFN | NL | 38 | 132 | 17 | 32 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 17 | 1 | 9 | 16 | .242 | .262 (-8%) | .331 (-8%) | .415 (+2%) | .746 (-2%) | -52.0 |
| 1987 | SDN | NL | 44 | 155 | 17 | 36 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 23 | 3 | 11 | 30 | .232 | .262 (-12%) | .331 (-11%) | .415 (-11%) | .746 (-11%) | -52.0 |
| 1988 | SDN | NL | 80 | 247 | 14 | 58 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 49 | .235 | .254 (-8%) | .317 (-7%) | .377 (-25%) | .695 (-17%) | -597.1 |
| 1989 | DET | AL | 17 | 57 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 17 | .193 | .254 (-24%) | .319 (-36%) | .375 (-35%) | .694 (-35%) | -329.1 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 449 | 1,523 | 164 | 410 | 61 | 6 | 38 | 184 | 21 | 120 | 252 | .269 | — | — | — | — | 944 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (449 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 232 | 769 | 77 | 212 | 14 | 98 | .276 |
| Away | 217 | 754 | 87 | 198 | 24 | 86 | .263 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-05-16 | DET | CHW | W | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1989-05-15 | DET | CHW | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1989-05-14 | DET | CLE | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-05-13 | DET | CLE | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1989-05-12 | DET | CLE | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1989-04-28 | DET | OAK | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1989-04-27 | DET | LAA | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-04-26 | DET | LAA | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-04-25 | DET | SEA | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1989-04-24 | DET | SEA | W | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3B | 423 | 419 | 319 | 748 | 65 | 71 |
| SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | SFN | 3B | 23 | 23 | 23 | 40 | 7 | 3 |
| 1985 | SFN | 3B | 120 | 120 | 94 | 243 | 10 | 15 |
| 1986 | SFN | 3B | 111 | 111 | 73 | 177 | 18 | 17 |
| 1986 | SFN | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | SFN | 3B | 37 | 36 | 33 | 62 | 10 | 5 |
| 1987 | SFN | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | SDN | 3B | 43 | 42 | 27 | 70 | 6 | 12 |
| 1988 | SDN | 3B | 72 | 70 | 54 | 131 | 10 | 15 |
| 1989 | DET | 3B | 17 | 17 | 15 | 25 | 4 | 4 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Third Base | 423 |
| Shortstop | 3 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | SDN | NL | $265,000 |
| 1987 | SDN | NL | $215,000 |
| 1986 | SFN | NL | $155,000 |
| 1985 | SFN | NL | $60,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $695,000 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 4th | 7.0 | 120 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Chris Brown (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Chris Brown: the record in brief
Chris Brown's major league career runs from a debut on September 3, 1984 to a final game on May 16, 1989. The season rows list, in order, the San Francisco Giants (1984 through 1987), the San Diego Padres (1987 through 1988), and the Detroit Tigers (1989). Brown played primarily as a third baseman and batted and threw right-handed. Born on August 15, 1961, in Jackson, MS, USA, Brown was listed at 6 feet, 0 inches and 185 pounds. Brown's death is recorded on December 26, 2006, in Houston, TX, USA. Brown's full given name, per the bio, is John Christopher Brown.
In 449 games and 1,523 at bats, Brown batted .269 with 410 hits; the totals also include 38 homers, 184 RBI, and 21 stolen bases. Brown's career OPS of .725 combines a .333 on-base mark with .392 slugging. Against a .258 league average for those years, Brown's .269 average was near the norm. The single-season home run high is 16, set in 1985.
Frequently Asked Questions about Chris Brown
- What years did Chris Brown play?
- Chris Brown played in Major League Baseball from 1984 to 1989.
- Was Chris Brown a pitcher?
- No. Chris Brown was a position player (Third Baseman).
- How many home runs did Chris Brown hit?
- Chris Brown hit 38 career home runs with 410 hits.
- What was Chris Brown's career batting average?
- Chris Brown batted .269 over his career, with 410 hits in 1,523 at bats.
- How many RBI did Chris Brown have?
- Chris Brown drove in 184 runs in his career.
- Is Chris Brown in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Chris Brown has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.