Newswise — Still going strong at age 86, Dr. Bobby Brown has a resume matched by no one else in the history of baseball: third baseman for the World Champion New York Yankees, practicing cardiologist, and Major League Baseball Executive. Dr. Brown is profiled in a cover story in the current issue of HeartInsight, a quarterly magazine for patients, their families and caregivers, published by the American Heart Association (AHA) and Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins is a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.
Health and medical journalist Mark Fuerst tells the story of Brown's remarkable career: from a rookie Major Leaguer who was also a medical student, to a decade-long tenure as President of the American League. The profile also looks at Brown's central role in the ongoing battle against a deadly habit that's unfortunately still a part of our national pastime—smokeless tobacco.
From Medical School to the World Series to the Front Office...A star on the baseball diamond as well as in the classroom, Brown debuted with the Yankees in 1946 while still a medical student. Although he usually missed spring training because of his medical school schedule, he remembers swinging a bat in the hallway between classes to stay in shape.
In eight seasons with the Yankees, Brown played on four Championship teams, assembling a .439 batting average in World Series play. His career was interrupted by military service, when he served as an Army medic during the Korean War. But his retirement from baseball was just the start of a new career, as Brown practiced cardiology in Fort Worth, Texas, for more than 25 years.
In 1984, Brown embarked on yet another career—as a baseball executive. He served as President of the American League for a decade before retiring in 1994. Last summer, Brown appeared in uniform once again alongside former Yankee teammates Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford—this time on the grass of the new Yankee Stadium—marking the occasion of Old Timer's Day.
...A Unique Impact on the National GameDespite his long and accomplished career, Brown took on one challenge that still hasn't been met: eliminating smokeless tobacco from Major League Baseball. That battle started in 1985, when medical leaders convinced Brown that his background in both medicine and baseball placed him in a unique position to advocate for a ban.
Brown successfully eliminated tobacco use in Minor League baseball, clearing the way for similar bans in the National Collegiate Athletic Association and youth baseball leagues. Brown was also instrumental in developing a nationwide educational program for high school baseball players about the health hazards of smokeless tobacco. However, because of the collective bargaining agreement between players and owners, he was unable to push through a ban on smokeless tobacco in the Major Leagues.
Instead he focused on educating players and team personnel about the dangers of smokeless tobacco. More than a decade after Brown's tenure as baseball executive, there's evidence that those efforts have paid off in decreased rates of smokeless tobacco use, especially among younger players. And the issue of a smokeless tobacco ban is slated to be on the negotiating table after the Major League players' labor contract expires in 2011.
The article looks at some of the other health issues Brown has seen during his baseball career, including performance-enhancing drugs. (In his playing days, he says, "We only had aspirin.") Brown also shares his "secrets" to staying healthy, like not smoking, staying active, and controlling weight and blood sugar. "Follow his advice," Fuerst concludes, "and you'll be batting a 1.000 in terms of cardiovascular health."
To read this and all the articles in this month's Heart Insight for free, visit the journal website at www.HeartInsight.com, or look for a free copy at your cardiologist's office.
About Heart InsightAn official publication of the American Heart Association (AHA), Heart Insight is the first AHA consumer magazine―for patients, families, and their caregivers―that focuses exclusively on managing and preventing cardiovascular disease and related conditions. Heart Insight offers hope, inspiration, and encouragement by featuring articles about, and by, people who have first-hand experience dealing with cardiovascular conditions, either as patients or as caregivers themselves. Heart Insight is lively and upbeat, providing readers with the most up-to-date, authoritative and practical advice on a wide range of heart-related conditions on a quarterly basis. Heart Insight is available at cardiology offices and in other healthcare settings, as well as free online at www.HeartInsight.com.
About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is a leading international publisher for healthcare professionals and students with nearly 300 periodicals and 1,500 books in more than 100 disciplines publishing under the LWW brand, as well as content-based sites and online corporate and customer services.
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