Tom Browning
The Cincinnati Reds left-hander who authored one of baseball's rarest feats: a perfect game, etched into 1988 history.
1960–2022 (age 62)·American baseball player·Birthday: April 28·Baby Boomers
Biography
Tom Browning arrived in Cincinnati with a deceptive ease that belied his competitive fire. In his 1985 rookie season, he won 20 games, announcing himself as the anchor the Reds' rotation desperately needed. For the next several years, 'Mr. Perfect' was a model of durability, leading the league in games started multiple times. His defining moment came on a September night in 1988 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. With a mix of guile and precision, Browning retired 27 batters in order, securing the 12th perfect game in Major League history. He became a folk hero in Cincinnati, his name synonymous with a golden era of Reds baseball that culminated in a World Series championship in 1990, where his gritty performances were essential.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Tom was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Tom Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Tom's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2022Died at 62
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
Key Achievements
- Pitched the 12th perfect game in Major League Baseball history on September 16, 1988.
- Won 20 games in his rookie season (1985), the Reds' first 20-game winner in 15 years.
- Was a key starting pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds' 1990 World Series championship team.
- Led the National League in games started four times between 1985 and 1990.
Did You Know?
He once left the dugout during a game, in uniform, to sit with fans in the stands.
He pitched his perfect game using just 102 pitches.
He was also a talented painter who created artwork featuring baseball scenes.
His number 32 was temporarily honored by the Cincinnati Reds organization after his death.
“I just wanted to throw a perfect game, and I did.”
