Dave Brown

To acquire Dave Brown for the Chicago American Giants, Rube Foster put up a $20,000 bond to get Brown parole from a highway robbery conviction. While leading the 1920-22 team to three straight championships, Brown was generally considered the best lefthander in the Negro Leagues. In 1921 he was 11-3 with five shutouts and a league-leading 2.47 runs per game (ERA unknown). For the four years for which league records are available, he was 41-18. He also played in the winter Cuban League, compiling a 17-12 record over four years. His career came to a sudden halt in 1925 when, sought in connection with a New York homicide, he disappeared.