Dream fulfilled: Brown helped Falcons win WPIAL title, played in Pirates organization
Submitted photo
Connellsville graduate Anthony Brown is shown on a baseball card during his time playing for the Welland Pirates minor league team in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
Submitted photo
Anthony Brown is shown during his playing days at Connellsville.
Submitted photo
Connellsville graduate Anthony Brown is shown on a baseball card during his time playing for the Augusta Pirates minor league team in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
Connellsville High School two-sport star Anthony Brown lived the dream of signing with his hometown Major League Baseball team, the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Brown excelled in baseball and basketball at Connellsville High School in the 1980s.
“I played football up until ninth grade,” Brown offered. “After that I concentrated on baseball and basketball. I really liked baseball. That was my favorite sport.”
He was part of some outstanding Falcon baseball squads. In his sophomore campaign in 1985 they finished 16-5, winning the section and losing in the WPIAL quarterfinals. In 1986 the Falcons flew high with a 22-4 record, winning the section championship and WPIAL championship. In Brown’s senior season 1987 Connellsville posted a record of 21-5, winning another section title and losing in the WPIAL semifinals.
Brown batted .286 as a sophomore. He didn’t pitch that season, but coach Tom Sankovich said if the Falcons were going to win a title Brown had to pitch and then play in the field on days he didn’t pitch.
“Competition, that was the main thing,” Brown stated. “Being on the mound you are in control. I was nervous at first, but after that first game I was alright.”
Brown put up great number on the mound as a junior and a senior. In 1986 he helped pitch Connellsville to the WPIAL Class AAA championship. The 5-foot-9, 160-pound Brown tossed a three-hitter with seven strikeouts in a 5-1 WPIAL semifinal win over Hopewell. He came on in relief in the WPIAL championship game against Moon and tossed 2 1/3 innings in relief in a 6-3 win. Brown notched a win in relief in the PIAA tournament against Bedford in a 6-4 victory. The Falcons were ousted from the state playoffs by Clearfield, 6-4.
In 1986 Brown finished 9-2 and also had four saves and recorded 83 strikeouts. He batted .402 with two home runs and 24 RBI.
“I had a real good curveball to go along with the fastball,” Brown said. “I wasn’t afraid to thrown the curveball at any time in the count. I had good control.”
Brown was a Section 2 All-Star as a pitcher his junior season.
As a senior in 1987 the right-hander had another outstanding season on the mound posting a record of 9-2. Connellsville lost to Bethel Park in the WPIAL Class AAA semifinals, 6-2. Brown beat Allderdice in the PIAA playoffs, but the Falcons then lost to Bellefonte 5-2 despite a solo home run from Brown. As a senior, Brown was a Section 2 All-Star as an outfielder. He batted .354 with two home runs and 24 RBI.
“I liked to hit,” Brown stated. “I like to be in the moment, I had a compact swing. I was disappointed we lost my senior year. I thought we could have won back-to-back WPIAL titles. I thought I was over pitched a little bit. I got tired late in that season. We were a little bit short on pitching. I just went out and tried my best.”
Brown enjoyed playing baseball for Tom Sankovich.
“He was a very good coach,” Brown explained. “He wasn’t afraid to tell you if you were messing up.”
American Legion baseball was big for Brown. He was named to East-West All-Star game one season.
Brown was a standout on Falcon hoop squads. Connellsville posted a record of 13-9 in 1984-85 with a 49-48 loss to Chartiers Valley in the WPIAL playoffs. In 1985-86 the Falcons were 19-6 overall. In the WPIAL playoffs they beat Moon 71-59, Penn Hills 57-54 and lost to Kiski 61-58. In the PIAA tournament they lost to Perry 68-66. In 1986-87 the Falcons posted a record of 13-9.
“I played three years of varsity basketball,” Brown said. “We had a great run my junior season. We had good talent like Tyrone Floyd, Arnold Walker and Troy Mickens. I was a point guard and I ran the floor and distributed the basketball and I could score if it was needed.”
During his three seasons for the Falcons Brown scored 506 points.
Brown had a very good relationship with former Connellsville hoops coach the late Hal Weightman.
“He was around a long time and was a good coach,” Brown said.
When Brown graduated in 1987 he and Falcon teammate Brian Sankovich wound up going to play baseball at Arizona Western. Brown had been selected in round 50 of the baseball draft by Cincinnati in 1987.
“I decided to go out there with my teammate and thought that was a good choice,” Brown explained. “I was there one season and then transferred to Allegany College of Maryland and I was there for one year. I played shortstop in college.
“Cecil Cole was a scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates in our area and he signed me. I thought it was a good decision to sign with Pittsburgh.”
Brown played three years in the Pirates farm system for the Gulf Coast Pirates, Welland Pirates and Augusta Pirates. He got as high as Single A ball. In 146 minor league games Brown batted .253 with 52 career RBI.
“I was doing OK until I suffered some injuries,” Brown reported. “I had a real bad knee injury and it really slowed me down. I wasn’t really that disappointed because I experienced something a lot of people don’t get to experience. I got a chance to play professional baseball.”
After pro baseball Brown came back home and worked and met a woman and had some kids. He worked for PSI for 13 1/2 years. He then worked for several Tree Cutting companies.
Brown, 53, resides in Point Marion with his wife Carrie. They were just married in April of 2021. He has five daughters from a previous relationship ranging in age from 27 to 13.
“I have no regrets about athletics,” Brown stated. “I have no complaints and I experienced a lot.”
George Von Benko’s “Memory Lane” column appears in the Sunday editions of the Herald-Standard. He also hosts a sports talk show on WMBS-AM radio from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.