Pete Browning
Positions: Outfielder, Third Baseman and Second Baseman
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-0, 180lb (183cm, 81kg)
Born: June 17, 1861 in Louisville, KY
Died: September 10, 1905 in Louisville, KY
Buried: Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville, KY
Debut: May 2, 1882 (519th in major league history)
Last Game: September 30, 1894
Full Name: Louis Rogers Browning
Nicknames: Gladiator
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Players Who Debuted in 1882
John Clarkson
Charlie Buffinton
Bid McPhee
Pete Browning
Guy Hecker
Fred Pfeffer
Chicken Wolf
Tom Brown
William Robinson
All-Time Teammate Team
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Notable Events and Chronology
Biography
Louis Rogers “Pete” Browning was so popular in his prime, that he drew crowds in every city he played. Browning himself was called “The Gladiator” for his desperate fights with fly balls. The epitome of the clumsy slugger (lifetime fielding average, .874), he was nearly deaf from mastoiditis, illiterate, and alcoholic.
According to some accounts, Brownin’s colorful play included the following amazing accomplishments: he once caught a ball with his feet; he refused to slide into a base and went nearly a decade without being hit by a pitch; he was one of the first batters (some argue that he was the first) to use a custom-made baseball bat; he signed his contract each season on opening day, refusing to pen his name before that date; he gave names to each of his bats, like “Jake,” “Joe,” “Kate,” and so on. Browning contended that each bat held a certain number of hits within its’ lumber, and when that quota was met, he retired the bat, hanging it in a special place in his home. The famous Louisville Slugger line of baseball bats made by the Hillerich & Bradsby Company is named after the Louisville-born, bred, and employed Browning, who ordered the first customized bat in 1884.
Aside from his eccentricities, Browning was a fine ballplayer, he also compiled the third-highest career BA for a righthanded batter and won three batting titles, posting a .341 career average in 13 seasons, and topping the .400 mark one season.
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