Chet Brewer enjoyed a baseball odyssey that included nearly a half century in the game. He pitched in 24 seasons, 15 of which came with the Kansas City Monarchs.
His time with the Monarchs began in 1925. The next season he became a star, teaming with Hall of Fame pitcher Bullet Joe Rogan to give Kansas City the first half championship. He won a combined 15 games the next two seasons before putting together a dominant year in 1929.
That season he put together 31 consecutive scoreless innings in Negro League play on his way to a 17-3 win/loss record. His Monarchs were the 1929 National Negro League champions.
In addition to the Monarchs, Brewer played for the Gilderson Union Giants, Washington Pilots, Brooklyn Royal Giants, New York Cubans, Philadelphia Stars, Cleveland Buckeyes, Chicago American Giants, and teams in Crookston, Minnesota and Bismark, North Dakota. His final seasons came in the US minor leagues after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier.
In the collection is this personal check made out and signed by Brewer and dated 9/17/1988. A finesse pitcher, Brewer pitched with an assortment of teams throughout the world, including China, Japan, the Philippines, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Santo Domingo, and in forty-four of the forty-eight continental United States.
After retiring as a player, Brewer became a scout and instructor for the Pittsburgh Pirates for nearly three decades. Brewer lived his final years in Whittier, California. He passed away there on March 26, 1990 at age 83.
Many see Brewer as a strong candidate for Cooperstown.
Mr. Brewer in his later years ran a semipro team in the City of Vernon. I was blessed to play against his team and I brought along an old friend of his who pitched against him during barnstorming days. They hadn’t seen each other in over 40 years and when they laid eyes on each other the happiness and stories flowed. After the game both teams sat around for a few hours listening to these 2 rehash old memories and funny moments. For me, it proved to be the most memorable day of my baseball life.