The Obit For Ike Brown

May, 2001 

Ike Brown, Former Tiger, Dead 

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Ike Brown, a veteran baseball player of the Negro Leagues and a popular utilityman with the Detroit Tigers in 1969-74, died May 17. He was 59.

In six years with the Tigers, Brown batted .256 in 280 games. He also went 1-for-2 with two RBIs in the 1972 American League championship series.

Brown was purchased by the Tigers from the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues in 1961. He had originally signed with the St. Louis Cardinals for $800.

He spent eight years in the minors, making it to the majors in 1969 after batting .356 the first half of that season for Toledo and hitting home runs twice in an exhibition game against the Tigers.

His first major-league hit was a home run against the New York Yankees. In the minors, Brown once played all positions in the same game. For the Tigers, he was the consummate utilityman, though he once referred to himself as a ''designated sitter.''