Former major league pitcher Tom Browning has passed away, per an announcement from the Sheriff’s Office in Boone County, Kentucky. Browning was 62 years old.
The left-handed pitcher was drafted by the Reds in 1982 and wound up spending the vast majority of his career with that organization. He made his major league debut in 1984 and spent parts of 11 seasons with the club, sticking with Cincy through the 1994 campaign.
He was a mainstay of the rotation from 1985 through 1991. In each of those seven seasons, he made at least 31 starts and tossed at least 183 innings. In six out of the seven, he made at least 35 starts and logged at least 227 frames. His ERA was 4.18 or lower in all but one of those seven seasons.
Included in that stretch were a few notable highlights. Browning threw a perfect game against the Dodgers in 1988, just the 12th perfect game in history at that time, though the list has since grown to 23. Two years later, he made three postseason starts for the Reds, posting a 3.71 ERA and helping them win the 1990 World Series. He was selected to the All-Star team in the subsequent season as well.
He would appear in four more seasons but injuries limited him to just only about 250 combined innings over that stretch, which included two appearances for the Royals in 1995. Those would be his only MLB games not as a member of the Cincinnati Reds. He finished his career with 1,921 innings pitched over 302 MLB games. He has a 123-90 win-loss record, 31 complete games, 12 shutouts and exactly 1,000 strikeouts. He was an All-Star, won a World Series and is one of only 23 players in history to pitch a perfect game. MLBTR sends our condolences to his family, friends, loved ones, former teammates and all those mourning him today.
Rest in peace. He was too young.
31 complete games and 12 shutouts. Today’s pitchers should look at one or two generations ago. A very good pitcher. RIP
You do recall his arm literally breaking in half, right? Perhaps managers and GM’s actually learned something about managing the workload of “today’s pitchers.”
I don’t believe it was from overthrowing like today with little control. As I recall it was a freak, ugly incident.
Not like it was an everyday thing that happened all the time. Todays pitchers are injured and needing surgery like nobody has ever seen before. The management of players today and especially pitchers is horrendous.
30 years ago you could count the pitchers that could reach 100mph on one hand. Now it seems every team has a couple and the rest still throw in the mid to upper 90s. The best pitcher of that generation was Greg Maddux and he never threw over 91mph. There are so many injuries today because pitchers are pushing their bodies to do more than they should. A prime example is James Kaprielian from the A’s. All through college he threw in the low 90s and had no injuries. The Yankees draft him and in his first minor league season he starts throwing in the mid to upper 90s. The injuries started following shortly there after.
What does all of this have to do with his passing?
Thank you retired. I’ve been saying it often. MLB blew it by not pressing for a team pitchers limit of 11 by 24. Give teams and players the time to refocus and retrain on how to pitch instead of going all out with each pitch. Between overthrowing and trying to put movement on the ball that your arm is not used to is why there are so many injuries. Not everyone has fingers as long as Pedro.
I was at the game where he broke his arm, sitting in the field level on the Cincy side. It was pretty upsetting to see and I’ll never forget it.
Rest in peace.
Underrated pitcher, great person. He signed a baseball for me at a Reds/Mets game in 1990 and I remember him being very friendly. My condolences to his family.
Was he the one who was in the hospital in his uniform bc his wife was having a baby and was planning to go straight from the hospital to the stadium if they needed him, or something like that?
This was in the 90 World Series
He had left and the reds went into extra innings and the reds announcer had to put a public announcement out requesting he return to the ballpark. Lucky the reds won and he wasn’t needed
Damn. 62 is WAY too young. I was never really a Reds fan growing up, but they were the closest team to me so I watched many games. I always liked watching him pitch. Injuries really prevented him from a borderline HOF career. RIP to another of my childhood heroes.
Oh no. Rest in Peace.
Browning was the definition of a workhorse averaging 36 starts per season from 1985-1991 until his arm basically fell off.
R.I P. Tom
His arm didn’t basically fall off, it snapped in 1994 while throwing a pitch. Broke about 3 inches below his shoulder. I remember it clear as day. He fell to the ground in a heap.
That was gross. 13 year old me wasn’t ready for that
Any age Me was nor would ever be ready for that.
Hard enough watching pitchers get hit with line drives but watching Browning collapse so soon after Dave Dravecky did was sickening to see. Two different circumstances, of course, but you had to feel for those guys
Sincere condolences to Tom’s friends and family. His ’87 Topps card was a favorite amongst my Little League team after his Perfecto, I guess we all wanted a piece of the magic. RIP
He had a Perfecto as well?!?!????
1988 vs. the eventual Champion Dodgers. Won 1-0 and to this day his Perfect Game remains the only one on artificial turf. Bonus points if anybody recalls who caught it (I don’t.)
The immortal Jeff Reed, I believe.
Jeff Reed was Browning’s Catcher that night.
Interestingly the Pitcher for the Dodgers was Tim Belcher who would join Browning in Cincinnati a few years later.
Bingo. Had to look it up. 102 pitches, never went to 3 balls on any hitter. Rain delayed 2+ hours at the start and Tim Belcher also took a No-No into the 6th. What a game!
Never went to 3 balls on a hitter? That is super impressive! A feat in itself.
I seem to remember Marty at one point saying the offenses were conspicuous by their absence.
I will be able to hear Marty’s call of the final out in my head for the rest of my life. Marty calling it made it that much sweeter.
“And it is swung on and missed.. and Tom Browning has thrown a perfect game”
I liked the Reds getting Tim Belcher when they did but it was hard to have to say goodbye to Eric Davis to acquire him. The Reds also acquired John Wetteland in that deal but he never pitched for them. They dealt him away almost immediately if I’m not mistaken.
Yep, they traded him a couple of weeks later to Montreal in a deal for Dave Martinez and Willie Greene. Whatever horrible things Wettleland has done since his playing days at the time he became a huge part of an Expos bullpen that was nearly impossible to beat for three seasons (1992-1994
Here’s the box score if anyone is interested.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN198809160.shtml
Young guy. Gone too soon. He has some awesome #’s. 1000 career K’s on the dot. 302 Career Games with 300 of those starts. Let the league in games started 4 out of 5 seasons. 1 20 game win season, 1 18 win season, 2 15 and 2 14 win seasons. 31 complete games 12 shutouts.
My condolences to the family on your loss
This hits close to home since I’m 61. RIP. He was a character. Mark Grace used to tell a story about him where he went into the bleachers during a Cubs-Reds game and sat there for a while in his uniform. He was a very outgoing and friendly guy. Good pitcher too.
I remember that he was in the bleachers and was drinking a beer. I think he got on trouble for drinking the beer but that was awesome. He had tipped off the cameraman. He was all over the park that day
Especially as a pro, getting to relax in the stands and actually getting to WATCH another team play is a rare treat. When you are actively playing ball you never get the opportunity. It reminds me of Greinke in the stands that time in 2020 relishing the cardboard fans. That was his dream come true..
I have heard from a friend of mine that Tom was known to enjoy a beverage or two. Very down to earth guy.
More the a few. Browning was the Reds version of Wade Boggs.
He actually went into the bleachers on top of the building across the street from Wrigley Field. He was sitting on the roof’s ledge in uniform with his feet dangling over the edge. I think he got into some trouble for that stunt…
Hahahahahahaha That’s awesome! Classic..
Watched the game on WGN. He’s sitting across the street dangling his legs off the tip if a building watching the game in full Reds umiform.
It”s on YouTube and that is awesome. Imagine someone trying to do that today, oh the horror of actually making the game fan friendly when the fans pay for your contract and you’re not pitching that day at all. Some will say it’s inappropriate, and I wouldn’t argue against that, but baseball isn’t as fun as it used to be either, for me, which as a fan and a player means something, especially in the long run…
Loved this guy. Would take the ball every time out. Bulldog.
62 WAY too young. Going to miss seeing him at the ballpark. He was there a lot.
Good pitcher. RIP.
Aloha folks, this is so sad, way too young. So many people passing early this past year. I remember Tom and his 1990 Reds playing against the Oakland A’s! Got tickets for the series for family so they could watch the 2 games in Oakland. RIP Tom. Mahalo
Mele Kalikimaka kane ai’ole wahine a Hauoli Makahiki Ho’u!
Mele Kalikimaka a Hauoli Makahiki Ho’u, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you! Mahalo Nui! PS: I miss Tony Gywnn, one of my heroes growing up!
Man I was a fan of his when I was younger!
When guys younger than me start to go it becomes concerning.
Protect your health once you turn 40 (or younger)
I hear you.
I always said I played softball until I was 40 and started to fall apart.
Of course, I was a catcher back in the day, so I am feeling those aches and pains now!
In my 20’s into my 30’s I played baseball, softball, hockey, and worked out 6 days a week. Around 35, seemingly overnight, I could not do it anymore. Today, I have two herniated discs, a titanium right shoulder, and two hobbled knees. It was fun at the time but it sure can suck at times today.
Very underrated pitcher. RIP.
Not a word of the injury when his arm broke while pitching? It was huge news because he was one of the best pitchers in the league at the time.
I remember that. Scary. It just gave out.
I had totally forgotten that myself. I do remember when Dave Dravecky had his arm fracture while throwing a pitch after his cancer surgery on his pitching arm.
Tony Saunders was another one who broke his arm while pitching. If memory serves, Saunders actually did it twice.
The Colonel was a gamer for sure.
John Smiley did it warming up for a start against the Royals while with the Indians in September of 1997.
I remember seeing Saunders too. When the cameraman showed a look into the Devil Rays dugout and Jose Canseco can be seen wincing while looking on
Looked him up. In photos of him from 10+ years ago he looked a lot older than his age. Sounds like he had a few personal demons that caught up with him.
RIP.
RIP warrior.
One of the most under-appreciated pitchers of his era.
I’m stunned by this news. I’m a lifelong Reds fan, so I had the pleasure of watching Tom pitch many times. He had a very quick delivery to the plate, he didn’t screw around. He looked in, got the sign and sent it plateward. This created a great rhythm for him, and he was on fire the night of his perfect game. What really derailed his career was breaking his left arm throwing a pitch. I can still see him laying crumpled on the turf on the first base side of the mound clutching his upper arm, and in obvious pain… Rest easy Brownie…
RIP. 62 is young.
I had his baseball cards as a kid. Dude was as reliable as they came.
Sorry for your loss, Reds fans. I remember Browning very well. Always seemed to pitch well against my Padres.
Was it there or SF that he broke his arm throwing a pitch? I can’t remember..
Very sad news, only 62. I remember his perfect game, only 22 other guys have accomplished such feat, RIP.
This makes me want to break down in tears. Tom Browning will always be one of my favorite Cincinnati Reds of all time. He was a country boy from Wyoming that made the suburbs of Northern Kentucky his home and was an even better member of the community than he was a baseball player, and he was pretty damn good in his day. He was one of the friendliest professional athletes you could ever meet and always left you with a smile on your face. Countless Browning highlights and special moments mentioned above but another one not mentioned was him winning 20 games his rookie year. This one hurts but then again the great ones always do. RIP Mr. Perfect, Tom Browning
RIP. The Nasty Boys wouldn’t been whom they were without Tom Browning.
Always loved the reference Nasty Boys! Thanks for bringing that up. Browning was very good. I knew it would be a tough day when playing against Mr. Perfect. One of my favorite Reds. My sympathy to the Browning family and to all Reds fans everywhere. Way too young.
RIP Tom…..
I worked downtown Cincinnati in 1988. I had tickets to the game Tom Browning threw his perfect game. I didn’t go because it had been raining all day and was too tired to sit through lengthy rain delays. Boy, do I regret that decision. RIP Mr. Perfect.
To this day my brother will not let me forget that he went and I did not want to because of the rain. Loved watching him pitch. Today sounds so familiar with Cincinnati sports recently with Mike Zimmer”s son also passing away being found on the couch.
Tom autographed a baseball for me at Redsfest. He signed and dated it Mr. Perfect.
Centennial Field will miss you ol’ Vermont Red.
I’m really sad to hear about this. Super nice guy. He will definitely be missed.
Way, way too young. Rest in Peace.
I was a teenager living in Reds territory when Browning won 20 games as a rookie. He made a huge difference to a struggling franchise and complimented well with Mario Soto for a solid one, two punch. Later Browning and Rijo led the Reds to a World Series championship. Throw in a perfect game and a couple other memorable moments, Tom Browning had a notable career. R.I.P.
20 games as ROOKIE?! WOW!!!!
Yes! Also made 38 starts and tossed over 260 innings in that rookie year. There’s a reason he was called “The Bulldog.”
Pitchers took pride in throwing CGs and SOs back then. Pitch counts weren’t a thing and never mentioned.
Yes sir. I heard The Express say once that he was taught to throw for “as hard as he could for as long as he could” and that’s all he knew.
This guy was one you would want in your foxhole when the bullets began to fly. I can’t think of any player who was more of a competitor than Tom. He will be missed but will always live on fondly in my memory.
62 is fairly young to go as a male. Looking at some recent pictures of him he looked every bit of 70. Guy was a great pitcher in his time. RIP
He lived hard. Loved the drink and I can imagine that caught up to him
Did he also work with aspiring quarterbacks either high school or college on throwing techniques or am I confusing him with another former Reds pitcher?
A workhorse even by the standards of his day. He wasn’t a great pitcher, but he was a good one through his 20s. Way too young to exit, Condolences to family and friends.
BTW Does anyone else find it odd that the Sheriff’s Office press released the news within hours of his passing, and that the news wasn’t released by the family through the Reds? They also got the wrong day in the release, writing *Tuesday*, December 19th. Minor typo. More surprised they actually issued the announcement.
Can’t remember a local police office ever making the announcement of a MLB player passing. I suspect the family may have asked them to do it.
Tom Browning was a good pitcher, but he could be a jerk as a person, met him in California years ago, told him I was a lifelong Reds fan, to me he was rude, drunk and said I’m not a Cincinnatian I’m from Northern Ky, I was dumbfounded
He remains one of my childhood baseball heroes.
I recommend every Reds fan to get his book, “Tales from the Reds Dugout”. It’s a fun read. He even threw in the dildo story.
Since his wife passed away in March, the one comfort is that I’m they are reunited.
RIP Tom Terrific
Way too young. RIP.
Great pitcher…RiP.. condolences to his family. I remember him pitching against the pirates for years
I had forgotten this until reminded of it today. That’s what happens when you run out of fingers and toes to count the birthdays!
Browning almost had a second perfect game, I believe it was the next July, but it was broken up after retiring 24 in a row.