For Immediate Release
Contact: Tim Gregg
281.218.8589
tim@mybaseballjourney.com

My Baseball Journey: A Sportscaster's Story (343 pages, $14.99) recounts Brown's life, including the past 26 years in which he has been the television voice of the Houston Astros. The book features an extensive look at Houston's major league history and also includes vignettes on a number of individuals whose lives have inspired Brown both personally and professionally.

"I've had the good fortune to spend many years in a great town with a great baseball organization," Brown said. "A number of important books have been written about the Houston franchise and its most storied players. I hope my book will be a welcome addition to that bibliography."

Brown says he was motivated to tell his story not only as a means to add to Houston's baseball history, but also because he wanted to lend support to a friend.

"My real motivation to write this book was to create a vehicle that could raise awareness for a cause that's important to me," said Brown. "I have a young friend here in Houston who suffers from a challenging disorder and I wanted to bring attention to his circumstances.

"Zach Hamm is one of the most remarkable people I know," Brown added. "He's just 12 years old, but because of his courage, determination and up-beat attitude, you'd never know the struggles he's had in his young life."

Hamm, the son of Paul and Susan Hamm, suffers from ectodermal dysplasia. The syndrome affects the hair, teeth, nails and sweat glands of individuals afflicted with the genetic condition. The disease is rare and there is no known cure. According to Brown, all proceeds from the sale of his book will benefit the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias, an organization which supports individuals and families affected by the disorder.

Former Astros great Craig Biggio wrote the forward to the book. Houston writer Tim Gregg co-authored the book with Brown.

Brown's broadcasting career began as a high school student in his hometown of Sedalia, Missouri. He graduated from the University of Missouri in 1969. After serving two years with the U.S. Army in Vietnam, Brown landed his first sportscasting job in Cincinnati in 1972. Late that season, in a fill-in role, he made his debut as a major league announcer calling the Reds' pennant-clinching victory against the Astros in Houston. He was the full-time play-by-play announcer for telecasts of Reds games from 1976-1982.

He began calling Astros games in 1987 alternating with Milo Hamilton between television and radio broadcasts. In 1997, he took over the full-time television reigns and began his current broadcast partnership with former Astros pitcher Jim Deshaies.

In 2011, Brown celebrated 25 seasons with the Astros. He was named the 2012 winner of the Fred Hartman Award, presented by the Houston chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America for long and meritorious service to the game.

Brown lives in Houston with his wife, Dianne. They have one daughter and three grandchildren.

About the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias (NFED)
The NFED is the leading resource in the world serving the ectodermal dysplasias community. The mission of the NFED is to empower and connect people touched by ectodermal dysplasias through education, support and research. Located in Mascoutah, Ill., the Foundation is in contact with more than 6,000 families in 75 countries. Seventy-five cents of every dollar raised is spent on education, support and research. The NFED is a private, tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

For more information, visit www.nfed.org