Mordecai Brown
Pitcher · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1903-1916)
Mordecai Brown was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1903 to 1916 for 6 teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals, a span of 14 seasons. Across 481 career appearances, he went 239-130 with a 2.06 ERA, 1,375 strikeouts, and 49 saves. He also batted .206 with 2 home runs. Mordecai Brown was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1949. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 31501.4.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 175 lb
- Died
- 2/14/1948 in Terre Haute, IN, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1903-04-19
- Last Game
- 1916-09-04
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 1949 (BBWAA)
Full name: Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | SLN | NL | 9 | 13 | 26 | 24 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 201.0 | 231 | 58 | 59 | 83 | 2.60 | 3.10 (+16%) | -1221.6 |
| 1904 | CHN | NL | 15 | 10 | 26 | 23 | 21 | 4 | 1 | 212.1 | 155 | 44 | 50 | 81 | 1.86 | 2.66 (+30%) | 844.1 |
| 1905 | CHN | NL | 18 | 12 | 30 | 24 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 249.0 | 219 | 60 | 44 | 89 | 2.17 | 2.82 (+23%) | 2047.2 |
| 1906 | CHN | NL | 26 | 6 | 36 | 32 | 27 | 9 | 3 | 277.1 | 198 | 32 | 61 | 144 | 1.04 | 2.68 (+61%) | 4348.1 |
| 1907 | CHN | NL | 20 | 6 | 34 | 27 | 20 | 6 | 3 | 233.0 | 180 | 36 | 40 | 107 | 1.39 | 2.50 (+44%) | 3287.2 |
| 1908 | CHN | NL | 29 | 9 | 44 | 31 | 27 | 9 | 5 | 312.1 | 214 | 51 | 49 | 123 | 1.47 | 2.40 (+39%) | 4166.4 |
| 1909 | CHN | NL | 27 | 9 | 50 | 34 | 32 | 8 | 7 | 342.2 | 246 | 50 | 53 | 172 | 1.31 | 2.55 (+48%) | 6910.5 |
| 1910 | CHN | NL | 25 | 14 | 46 | 31 | 27 | 6 | 7 | 295.1 | 256 | 61 | 64 | 143 | 1.86 | 2.79 (+33%) | 4600.4 |
| 1911 | CHN | NL | 21 | 11 | 53 | 27 | 21 | 0 | 13 | 270.0 | 267 | 84 | 55 | 129 | 2.80 | 3.37 (+17%) | 4378.1 |
| 1912 | CHN | NL | 5 | 6 | 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 88.2 | 92 | 26 | 20 | 34 | 2.64 | 3.36 (+21%) | 582.9 |
| 1913 | CIN | NL | 11 | 12 | 39 | 16 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 173.1 | 174 | 56 | 44 | 41 | 2.91 | 3.07 (+5%) | -1539.2 |
| 1914 | SLF | FL | 12 | 6 | 26 | 18 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 175.0 | 172 | 64 | 43 | 81 | 3.29 | 2.93 (-12%) | 223.7 |
| 1914 | BRF | FL | 2 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 57.2 | 63 | 27 | 18 | 32 | 4.21 | 2.93 (-44%) | 605.3 |
| 1915 | CHF | FL | 17 | 8 | 35 | 25 | 17 | 3 | 4 | 236.1 | 189 | 55 | 64 | 95 | 2.09 | 2.90 (+28%) | 1696.9 |
| 1916 | CHN | NL | 2 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 48.1 | 52 | 21 | 9 | 21 | 3.91 | 2.78 (-41%) | 571.3 |
| Career · 15 seasons | 239 | 130 | 481 | 332 | 271 | 55 | 49 | 3,172.1 | 2,708 | 725 | 673 | 1,375 | 2.06 | — | 31,501 | ||
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.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 493 | 1,143 | 93 | 235 | 20 | 11 | 2 | 74 | 8 | 44 | 199 | .206 | .236 | .248 | .483 | -4,021 |
Career AVG .206 vs. league average .252 across their career seasons — 18.6% below league average.
Career OBP .236 vs. league average .316 across their career seasons — 25.3% below league average.
Career SLG .248 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — 25.1% below league average.
Career OPS .483 vs. league average .646 across their career seasons — 25.2% below 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | SLN | NL | 26 | 77 | 4 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 14 | .195 | .261 (-26%) | .316 (-32%) | .345 (-29%) | .662 (-30%) | -356.0 |
| 1904 | CHN | NL | 31 | 89 | 8 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 19 | .213 | .246 (-13%) | .300 (-23%) | .321 (-16%) | .622 (-20%) | -263.8 |
| 1905 | CHN | NL | 31 | 93 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 20 | .140 | .248 (-44%) | .307 (-43%) | .322 (-37%) | .629 (-40%) | -537.8 |
| 1906 | CHN | NL | 36 | 98 | 11 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 16 | .204 | .247 (-18%) | .307 (-19%) | .315 (-32%) | .622 (-25%) | -340.3 |
| 1907 | CHN | NL | 36 | 85 | 6 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 17 | .153 | .245 (-38%) | .304 (-47%) | .308 (-24%) | .613 (-35%) | -444.8 |
| 1908 | CHN | NL | 46 | 121 | 5 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 20 | .207 | .240 (-14%) | .298 (-26%) | .306 (-33%) | .605 (-30%) | -493.0 |
| 1909 | CHN | NL | 50 | 125 | 13 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 18 | .176 | .244 (-28%) | .306 (-32%) | .312 (-31%) | .618 (-32%) | -570.4 |
| 1910 | CHN | NL | 46 | 103 | 9 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 17 | .175 | .249 (-30%) | .317 (-31%) | .326 (-32%) | .644 (-31%) | -483.7 |
| 1911 | CHN | NL | 53 | 91 | 8 | 23 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 12 | .253 | .266 (-5%) | .336 (-11%) | .356 (-11%) | .693 (-11%) | -166.9 |
| 1912 | CHN | NL | 16 | 31 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 6 | .290 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1913 | CIN | NL | 39 | 54 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | .204 | .259 (-22%) | .325 (-33%) | .345 (-30%) | .670 (-32%) | -266.7 |
| 1914 | SLF | FL | 26 | 59 | 4 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 9 | .254 | .255 (avg) | .322 (-6%) | .339 (-15%) | .661 (-11%) | -93.2 |
| 1914 | BRF | FL | 9 | 19 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .211 | — | — | — | — | -93.2 |
| 1915 | CHF | FL | 36 | 82 | 10 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 14 | .293 | .250 (+17%) | .318 (avg) | .332 (+3%) | .651 (+1%) | -3.9 |
| 1916 | CHN | NL | 12 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 15 seasons | 493 | 1,143 | 93 | 235 | 20 | 11 | 2 | 74 | 8 | 44 | 199 | .206 | — | — | — | — | -4,114 | ||
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.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | WS | CHN | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 1908 | WS | CHN | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 |
| 1907 | WS | CHN | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 |
| 1906 | WS | CHN | 3 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .333 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 57.2 | 50 | 19 | 13 | 35 | 2.97 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (977 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 247 | 551 | 46 | 116 | 1 | 27 | .211 |
| Away | 249 | 596 | 48 | 120 | 1 | 48 | .201 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 239 | 1578.2 | 1312 | 218 | 331 | 738 | 1.24 |
| Away | 242 | 1584.1 | 1396 | 232 | 346 | 649 | 1.32 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916-09-04 | CHC | CIN | L | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-08-22 | CHC | BRO | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1916-08-19 | CHC | NY1 | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-08-18 | CHC | NY1 | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1916-07-29 | CHC | PHI | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-07-27 | CHC | BSN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-07-23 | CHC | NY1 | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1916-07-19 | CHC | NY1 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-06-24 | CHC | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1916-06-21 | CHC | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916-09-04 | CHC | CIN | L | 9.0 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1916-08-22 | CHC | BRO | — | 5.2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 1916-08-19 | CHC | NY1 | W | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1916-08-18 | CHC | NY1 | — | 5.2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| 1916-07-29 | CHC | PHI | — | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1916-07-27 | CHC | BSN | — | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1916-07-23 | CHC | NY1 | W | 9.0 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-07-19 | CHC | NY1 | — | 4.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1916-06-24 | CHC | CIN | L | 3.0 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-06-21 | CHC | CIN | — | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| P | 481 | 202 | 171 | 843 | 36 | 43 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | SLN | P | 26 | 0 | 5 | 60 | 3 | 7 |
| 1904 | CHN | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1904 | CHN | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1904 | CHN | P | 26 | 23 | 20 | 50 | 5 | 2 |
| 1905 | CHN | P | 30 | 24 | 18 | 66 | 4 | 3 |
| 1906 | CHN | P | 36 | 32 | 18 | 81 | 2 | 4 |
| 1907 | CHN | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1907 | CHN | P | 34 | 27 | 20 | 75 | 1 | 5 |
| 1908 | CHN | P | 44 | 31 | 35 | 73 | 0 | 3 |
| 1909 | CHN | P | 50 | 34 | 18 | 83 | 3 | 6 |
| 1910 | CHN | P | 46 | 31 | 10 | 92 | 4 | 3 |
| 1911 | CHN | P | 53 | 0 | 8 | 53 | 1 | 0 |
| 1912 | CHN | P | 15 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 1 |
| 1913 | CIN | P | 39 | 0 | 5 | 40 | 4 | 3 |
| 1914 | SLF | P | 26 | 0 | 6 | 40 | 3 | 1 |
| 1914 | BRF | P | 9 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915 | CHF | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915 | CHF | P | 35 | 0 | 6 | 87 | 5 | 5 |
| 1916 | CHN | P | 12 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 481 |
| Left Field | 1 |
| Center Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1909 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P3 |
| 1909 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P2 |
| 1908 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P4 |
| 1908 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P1 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 27th | 1.0 | 64 | 0 |
| 1911 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 17th | 4.0 | 64 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Mordecai Brown (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Mordecai Brown
Mordecai Brown: the record in brief
According to the bio, Mordecai Brown debuted on April 19, 1903 and played a final game on September 4, 1916. The team column moves through the St. Louis Cardinals (1903), the Chicago Cubs (1904 through 1916), the Cincinnati Reds (1913), the St. Louis Terriers (1914), the Brooklyn Tip-Tops (1914), and the Chicago Whales (1915). Brown, born on October 19, 1876, in Nyesville, IN, USA, is listed as a pitcher and switch-hit and threw right-handed. The bio gives 5'10" and 175 pounds. The bio records the death on February 14, 1948, in Terre Haute, IN, USA. Brown's full given name, per the bio, is Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown.
Brown went 239-130 with a 2.06 ERA in 481 games, 332 of them starts. The totals include 1,375 strikeouts, 271 complete games, 55 shutouts, and 49 saves. The leagues Brown pitched in allowed 2.85 earned runs per nine over those seasons, so the career ERA was 27.9% better than average. 1908 brought Brown a season-high 29 wins. 1909 produced Brown's most strikeouts, 172.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mordecai Brown
- What years did Mordecai Brown play?
- Mordecai Brown played in Major League Baseball from 1903 to 1916.
- Was Mordecai Brown a pitcher?
- Yes. Mordecai Brown pitched in the major leagues, recording 239 wins and 1375 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Mordecai Brown hit?
- Mordecai Brown hit 2 career home runs with 235 hits.
- Is Mordecai Brown in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Mordecai Brown was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1949.
- What teams did Mordecai Brown play for?
- Mordecai Brown played for 6 teams: the St. Louis Cardinals (1903), the Chicago Cubs (1904–1912, 1916), the Cincinnati Reds (1913), the St. Louis Terriers (1914), the Brooklyn Tip-Tops (1914), and the Chicago Whales (1915).
- What were Mordecai Brown's career stats?
- In 481 games, Mordecai Brown went 239-130 with a 2.06 ERA, 1,375 strikeouts, 3,172.1 innings pitched, and 49 saves. At the plate he had 235 hits and 2 home runs.
- What position did Mordecai Brown play?
- Mordecai Brown played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Mordecai Brown and how much did he weigh?
- Mordecai Brown was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 175 pounds.
- What was Mordecai Brown's career ERA?
- Mordecai Brown finished with a 2.06 career ERA, going 239-130 with 1,375 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Mordecai Brown have?
- Mordecai Brown recorded 1,375 career strikeouts.