Jimmy Brown
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1937-1946)
Jimmy Brown was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1937 to 1946 for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 10 seasons. In 890 career games, he hit .279 with 980 hits, 9 home runs, and 319 RBI. Jimmy Brown was an All-Star.
- 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
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 165 lb
- Died
- 12/29/1977 in Bath, NC, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1937-04-23
- Last Game
- 1946-09-15
- Awards
- All-Star
Full name: James Roberson Brown
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 890 | 3,512 | 465 | 980 | 146 | 42 | 9 | 319 | 39 | 231 | 110 | .279 | .326 | .352 | .678 | -2,825 |
Career AVG .279 vs. league average .265 across their career seasons — +5.3% above league average.
Career OBP .326 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .352 vs. league average .375 across their career seasons — 6.0% below league average.
Career OPS .678 vs. league average .709 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | SLN | NL | 138 | 525 | 86 | 145 | 20 | 9 | 2 | 53 | 10 | 27 | 29 | .276 | .276 (avg) | .342 (-9%) | .398 (-10%) | .740 (-9%) | -860.0 |
| 1938 | SLN | NL | 108 | 382 | 50 | 115 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 38 | 7 | 27 | 9 | .301 | .272 (+10%) | .341 (+3%) | .392 (-7%) | .734 (-3%) | -159.6 |
| 1939 | SLN | NL | 147 | 645 | 88 | 192 | 31 | 8 | 3 | 51 | 4 | 32 | 18 | .298 | .274 (+9%) | .342 (-2%) | .393 (-2%) | .735 (-2%) | -310.0 |
| 1940 | SLN | NL | 107 | 454 | 56 | 127 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 30 | 9 | 24 | 15 | .280 | .267 (+5%) | .335 (-5%) | .387 (-14%) | .722 (-10%) | -730.4 |
| 1941 | SLN | NL | 132 | 549 | 81 | 168 | 28 | 9 | 3 | 56 | 2 | 45 | 22 | .306 | .262 (+17%) | .332 (+9%) | .373 (+9%) | .705 (+9%) | 942.9 |
| 1942 | SLN | NL | 145 | 606 | 75 | 155 | 28 | 4 | 1 | 71 | 4 | 52 | 11 | .256 | .253 (+1%) | .323 (-3%) | .349 (-8%) | .672 (-6%) | -529.8 |
| 1943 | SLN | NL | 34 | 110 | 6 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 1 | .182 | .255 (-29%) | .324 (-31%) | .346 (-27%) | .671 (-29%) | -505.4 |
| 1946 | PIT | NL | 79 | 241 | 23 | 58 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 18 | 5 | .241 | .256 (-6%) | .328 (-11%) | .358 (-26%) | .687 (-19%) | -672.9 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 890 | 3,512 | 465 | 980 | 146 | 42 | 9 | 319 | 39 | 231 | 110 | .279 | — | — | — | — | -2,825 | ||
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 (890 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 459 | 1769 | 248 | 514 | 5 | 162 | .291 |
| Away | 431 | 1741 | 217 | 466 | 4 | 158 | .268 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946-09-15 | PIT | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-09-14 | PIT | BSN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1946-09-12 | PIT | BSN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-09-08 | PIT | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-09-01 | PIT | STL | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-09-01 | PIT | STL | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1946-08-31 | PIT | STL | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-08-29 | PIT | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-08-28 | PIT | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-08-27 | PIT | BSN | L | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 392 | 0 | 923 | 1146 | 68 | 237 |
| 3B | 273 | 0 | 320 | 527 | 44 | 46 |
| SS | 235 | 0 | 403 | 618 | 58 | 112 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | SLN | 2B | 112 | 0 | 235 | 360 | 22 | 57 |
| 1937 | SLN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937 | SLN | SS | 25 | 0 | 41 | 53 | 9 | 10 |
| 1938 | SLN | 2B | 49 | 0 | 121 | 151 | 9 | 37 |
| 1938 | SLN | 3B | 24 | 0 | 25 | 54 | 3 | 5 |
| 1938 | SLN | SS | 30 | 0 | 49 | 59 | 9 | 13 |
| 1939 | SLN | 2B | 50 | 0 | 120 | 143 | 10 | 25 |
| 1939 | SLN | SS | 104 | 0 | 208 | 349 | 25 | 67 |
| 1940 | SLN | 2B | 48 | 0 | 115 | 135 | 6 | 32 |
| 1940 | SLN | 3B | 41 | 0 | 47 | 58 | 9 | 5 |
| 1940 | SLN | SS | 28 | 0 | 36 | 50 | 7 | 5 |
| 1941 | SLN | 2B | 11 | 0 | 22 | 28 | 2 | 9 |
| 1941 | SLN | 3B | 123 | 0 | 135 | 276 | 15 | 22 |
| 1942 | SLN | 2B | 82 | 0 | 211 | 215 | 13 | 56 |
| 1942 | SLN | 3B | 66 | 0 | 85 | 111 | 11 | 9 |
| 1942 | SLN | SS | 12 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 1943 | SLN | 2B | 19 | 0 | 44 | 45 | 2 | 9 |
| 1943 | SLN | 3B | 9 | 0 | 12 | 15 | 0 | 4 |
| 1943 | SLN | SS | 6 | 0 | 9 | 16 | 0 | 1 |
| 1946 | PIT | 2B | 21 | 0 | 55 | 69 | 4 | 12 |
| 1946 | PIT | 3B | 9 | 0 | 15 | 11 | 6 | 1 |
| 1946 | PIT | SS | 30 | 0 | 57 | 88 | 6 | 15 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 392 |
| Third Base | 272 |
| Shortstop | 236 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1942 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | 2B |
| 1941 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | 3B |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina State University | Raleigh | NC | 1932 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 13th | 24.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1941 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 4th | 107.0 | 336 | 1 |
| 1939 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 6th | 99.0 | 336 | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jimmy Brown (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Jimmy Brown: the record in brief
Jimmy Brown played a first major league game on April 23, 1937 and a last one on September 15, 1946. The season rows list, in order, the St. Louis Cardinals (1937 to 1943) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1946). At 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds, Brown is listed as a second baseman. The bio says Brown switch-hit and threw right-handed. The recorded birth is April 25, 1910, in Jamesville, NC, USA. Brown died on December 29, 1977, in Bath, NC, USA. Brown's full given name, per the bio, is James Roberson Brown.
Brown's career batting table shows 890 games, 3,512 at bats and 980 hits, a .279 average; the totals also include 9 home runs, 319 RBI, and 39 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .326 and the slugging percentage .352, for an OPS of .678. Brown's .279 average ran 5.3% above the .265 that the league posted over the same seasons. The hits column peaks at 192, in 1939. The RBI column peaks at 71 in 1942. In 1941, a season of regular play, Brown hit .306 while the league hit .262.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jimmy Brown
- What years did Jimmy Brown play?
- Jimmy Brown played in Major League Baseball from 1937 to 1946.
- Was Jimmy Brown a pitcher?
- No. Jimmy Brown was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Jimmy Brown hit?
- Jimmy Brown hit 9 career home runs with 980 hits.
- What teams did Jimmy Brown play for?
- Jimmy Brown played for 2 teams: the St. Louis Cardinals (1937–1943) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1946).
- Did Jimmy Brown win an MVP award?
- No. Jimmy Brown did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Jimmy Brown win?
- Jimmy Brown was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
- What were Jimmy Brown's career stats?
- In 890 games, Jimmy Brown had 980 hits, 9 home runs, 319 RBI, 465 runs, and 39 stolen bases, with a .279 batting average.
- What position did Jimmy Brown play?
- Jimmy Brown played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Jimmy Brown and how much did he weigh?
- Jimmy Brown was listed at 5 feet 8 inches and 165 pounds.
- How many home runs did Jimmy Brown hit each season?
- Jimmy Brown's home runs by season: 2 in 1937, 0 in 1938, 3 in 1939, 0 in 1940, 3 in 1941, 1 in 1942, 0 in 1943, and 0 in 1946. His most in one season was 3, in 1939 and 1941.
- What was Jimmy Brown's career batting average?
- Jimmy Brown batted .279 over his career, with 980 hits in 3,512 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jimmy Brown have?
- Jimmy Brown drove in 319 runs in his career.
- Is Jimmy Brown in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jimmy Brown has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Jimmy Brown make?
- Jimmy Brown was selected to 1 All-Star Game.