Thu Jan 16 10:30:00 UTC 2025: ## Baseball Legend Tommy “Buckshot” Brown Passes Away at 97
**Nashville, TN (January 16, 2025)** – Tommy “Buckshot” Brown, a former Major League Baseball player and the youngest player ever to hit a home run in a major league game, passed away yesterday at the age of 97. The news was confirmed by Ben Lindbergh of The Ringer.
Brown’s remarkable career spanned from 1944 to 1953, during which he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago Cubs. His debut in August 1944, at just 16 years old, came during World War II when many players were serving in the military. This unique circumstance allowed young players like Brown an accelerated path to the majors.
On August 20, 1945, Brown etched his name in baseball history, hitting his first career home run at the age of 17 years and 257 days, a record that still stands. His service in the U.S. Army interrupted his career in 1946, but he returned to the Dodgers in 1947. Playing primarily as a shortstop, Brown also saw action at other infield positions and in the outfield. His strong, though sometimes erratic, throwing arm earned him the nickname “Buckshot” from Dodgers manager Leo Durocher.
Despite facing stiff competition for playing time on a star-studded Dodgers team that included Jackie Robinson, Brown proved a valuable utility player. He even had two pinch-hit at-bats in the 1949 World Series. Traded to the Phillies in 1951, he later played for the Cubs before retiring from professional baseball in 1961 at the age of 31.
Following his baseball career, Brown settled in Nashville, Tennessee, where he met his wife and worked for 35 years at the Ford Glass plant. He finished his MLB career with a .241 batting average, 31 home runs, and a memorable legacy as one of baseball’s youngest stars. Brown’s passing marks the loss of a significant piece of baseball history. MLB Trade Rumors extends its condolences to his family and friends.
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