Brown to manage Buffalo Bisons
In his second tenure with the club, Brown will serve as the 18th manager in the Bisons' modern era. His coaching staff will be announced at a later time.
"We're thrilled to welcome Marty Brown back to Buffalo to lead the Bisons into this exciting new era as the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays," said Mike Buczkowski, vice president and general manager of the Bisons. "Marty is a proven winner, having already brought home a championship to the fans of Buffalo, and his passion for the game really resonates with Bisons fans."
Charlie Wilson, director of Minor League operations for the Blue Jays, added: "Marty Brown is a veteran baseball man who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the dugout. He has the ability to teach the game and to get the most out of his players. Marty has enjoyed great success as a Minor League manager and we are delighted that he will be managing the Bisons in 2013."
Brown, 48, led the Bisons to three consecutive winning seasons as manager from 2003-2005 and ranks third in the team's modern era with 238 wins (238-193, .552 winning percentage). After a 73-70 campaign in 2003, he was named International League Manager of the Year and Baseball America's Minor League Manager of the Year for guiding the Herd to an 83-61 record in 2004. The '04 Bisons won the team's sixth IL Governors' Cup and scored more runs (848) than any IL club since 1950.
In 2005, Brown won his second consecutive IL North Division title with an 82-62 record. The Bisons lost to the Indianapolis Indians in the IL semifinals, their last appearance in the post season.
The 2013 season will be Brown's 17th year as a manager after beginning his career in 1997 with Class A Short-Season Erie of the Pittsburgh Pirates chain. He has a 783-719 record and a .521 winning percentage in affiliation baseball in America. He also spent five seasons managing in Japan. After his first tenure in Buffalo, Brown managed the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Japan's Central League from 2006-2009. He spent the 2010 season at the helm of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Japan Pacific League.
Brown has spent the past two seasons as the manager of the Blue Jays' Triple-A club in Las Vegas (Pacific Coast League). In 2012, the 51s went 79-64 and finished in second place in the PCL's Pacific Southern Division. He also managed the PCL's All-Star team to a 3-0 victory over the International League in the 25th annual Triple-A All-Star Game played at Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo.
Brown began his professional playing career in 1985 when selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 12th round of the Major League Baseball Draft. He made his Major League debut in 1988 and appeared in 35 games over two seasons with the Reds (1988-89) and one with Baltimore (1990), who selected him in the Rule 5 Draft in 1989. He recorded his first Major League hit on Sept. 25, 1988 against Atlanta.
He then played in Japan for three seasons with Hiroshima Toyo Carp (1992-94) before playing for Triple-A Oklahoma City in 1995. He played eight seasons in the minor leagues and appeared in 814 career games and batted .274 (778-for-2,840) with 85 home runs and 409 RBIs.