Alger in Hardin County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Raymond "Ray" Brown (1908-1965)

Photographed by Craig Doda, August 29, 2026

1. Raymond "Ray" Brown (1908-1965) Marker, Side One

Inscription.
Raymond "Ray" Brown was a star pitcher in the Negro Leagues 1930-1948. Born in Alger on February 23, 1908, Brown graduated from Alger High School in 1926. He made his professional baseball debut playing for the Dayton Marcos in 1930. Brief stints with the Indianapolis ABCs and Detroit Wolves followed. In 1932, Brown joined Pittsburgh's Homestead Grays mid- season and became a mainstay of their pitching staff for the next fourteen years. Utilizing a devastating curveball, he led the Grays to eight Negro National League pennants in a nine-year span (1937-1945). In 1938, he won the pitching triple crown and led the league in wins, earned run average, and strikeouts. When the Negro League World Series was re-instituted in 1942, Brown's team competed four straight years, winning twice.

Brown threw a one-hit shutout in Game 3 of the 1944 World Series against the Birmingham Black Barons and, in 1945, tossed a seven-inning perfect game against the Chicago American Giants. To boost his income, Brown barnstormed in American cities and played winter leagues in Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Venezuela. He played four seasons in the Mexican

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(1946-1949) and the Canadian Provincial (1950-1953) leagues. He was 45 when he pitched his last game. Brown moved to Dayton in 1958 and worked for the Standard Biscuit Company until his death on February 8, 1965. He was buried in an unmarked grave in Dayton's Greencastle Cemetery. Posthumously, Brown received many honors, including induction into the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998 and Cooperstown's National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Erected 2024 by Ohio Northern University; Hardin County Historical Museums; Ohio History Connection. (Marker Number 17-33.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Sports. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical date for this entry is February 23, 1908.

Location. 40° 42.889′ N, 83° 50.806′ W. Marker is in Alger, Ohio, in Hardin County. It is at the intersection of North Ohio and North Street, on the right when traveling north on North Ohio. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1007 N Ohio, Alger OH 45812, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally,

Raymond "Ray" Brown (1908-1965) Marker, Side Two image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Doda, August 29, 2026

2. Raymond "Ray" Brown (1908-1965) Marker, Side Two

this marker is in Ohio’s Till Plains.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Jacob Parrott (approx. 0.6 miles away); Alger Marion Township Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.6 miles away); Alger-Marion Township Veterans Wall (approx. 0.6 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 2½ miles away); Village of McGuffey / Great 1934 Onion Strike (approx. 3½ miles away); Memorial Park (approx. 3.7 miles away); Ohio Northern University (approx. 3.7 miles away); a different marker also named Ohio Northern University (approx. 3.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Alger.

Raymond "Ray" Brown (1908-1965) Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Doda, August 29, 2026

3. Raymond "Ray" Brown (1908-1965) Marker

Photographed by Craig Doda, August 29, 2026

4. Raymond "Ray" Brown (1908-1965) Marker

Photographed by Craig Doda, August 29, 2026

5. Raymond "Ray" Brown (1908-1965) Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on September 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 30, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 12 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 30, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.