January 16, 1913: The Reds purchase Three Fingers Brown from the Cubs.
The future HOF pitcher had a career record of 195-95 when he arrived in Cincinnati. Although he was past his prime, Brown was one of the few bright spots on the Reds staff in 1913, winning 11 games, and posting a 2.91 ERA. Brown is arguably the first Red to be used as a relief specialist. He started 16 games, but appeared in 39; in his 23 relief appearances, he picked up 6 saves, suggesting that new manager Joe Tinker used Brown to salvage wins.ÂÂ
All “Reds trivia†posts come from Greg Rhodes and John Snyder’s fabulous book, “Redleg Journal†(see link for purchasing) and are used with Greg’s permission.
Thanks again to Greg Rhodes for permission to use his material.