Gates Brown

William James "Gates" Brown (May 2, 1939 – September 27, 2013) was an American left fielder who spent his entire Major League Baseball career with the Detroit Tigers from 1963 to 1975. Born in Crestline, Ohio, Brown batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He developed as a hitter while playing for a prison baseball team at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio, where a coach contacted major-league organizations after recognizing his batting ability. Brown went on to become one of baseball's most effective pinch hitters during his time in Detroit.