William James "Gates" Brown (May 2, 1939 – September 27, 2013) was an American Major League Baseball left fielder who spent his entire career with the Detroit Tigers (1963–1975). He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Early life Brown was born in 1939 in Crestline, Ohio. He attended Crestline High School and played tailback for the school's football team. Brown also played baseball in Pony League, American Legion, sandlot and high school competition. He played at the catcher position, a position his father had also played. After his sophomore year, Brown "got in with the wrong crowd" and spent his junior year at the Boys Industrial School for juvenile offenders in Lancaster, Ohio. He returned to Crestline High for his senior year, but he was not permitted to compete in sports. At age 18, he was arrested and convicted of burglary. He was sentenced to prison at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio, where he was confined for 22 months from 1958 to 1959. He was encouraged by a prison guard who also coached the reformatory's baseball team to join the squad as a catcher. The coach contacted several major-league teams after being impressed by Brown's batting ability. Tigers scouts Frank Skaff and Pat Mullin helped Brown get paroled a year early and signed him for US$7,000. He chose to join the Tigers despite interest from other teams such as the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians. He explained, "The primary reasons I signed with Detroit is because they didn't have any black players and eventually I figured they would, plus, I had been told about the short right porch at Tiger Stadium." Baseball career Minor leagues After signing with the Tigers, Brown spent four years in the team's farm system. He began his professional baseball career in 1960 with the Class C Duluth-Superior Dukes of the Northern League. In his first season, he played in the outfield, compiled a .293 batting average with 10 home runs and 68 RBIs, and was selected for the All-Star team. He also ranked among the Northern League's leaders with 13 triples (first), 30 stolen bases (second), and 105 runs scored (second). He also played winter league ball at Tampa in 1961. In 1961, Brown was promoted to the Class-B Durham Bulls of the Carolina League. He appeared in 118 games with Durham, compiling a league-best .324 batting average with 15 home runs and