Newport to issue Opening Day welcome to former Reds great Tom Browning as new business owner

By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter

A former Cincinnati Reds great will be officially welcomed to Newport as a new business owner on Friday prior to Opening Day.

Browning’s on York will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday at 323 York Street. An official welcome to the city will be issued by Newport Mayor Jerry Peluso at 3 p.m.

Former Reds pitcher Tom Browning, along with his son and general manager, Tucker Browning, will lead a parade of walkers to Reds Opening Day at 3:30 p.m. from Browning’s on York. The location was formerly called Bart’s on York.

The ribbon cutting and parade are open to the public and free to attend. Browning purchased Bart’s on York last month and the business will officially change its name to Browning’s on York on Friday.

The Browning’s on York event was originally scheduled for Thursday to coincide with Cincinnati’s Opening Day, but forecast of inclement weather forced the postponement of the Reds/Nationals opener to Friday.

Browning pitched for the Reds from 1984-94. The left-hander posted a 20–9 record with a 3.55 ERA in 1985, becoming the first rookie to win 20 games since Bob Grim of the New York Yankees in 1954. Browning finished the 1985 season with 11 consecutive wins, the longest streak by a Cincinnati pitcher in 30 years. He was named NL Rookie Pitcher of the Year by The Sporting News.

On Sept. 16, 1988, Browning pitched a perfect game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Riverfront Stadium. That 1-0 win is the only perfect game in Reds history. From that point forward, Browning was known as “Mr. Perfect” and two years later he helped the Reds win the 1990 World Series.

Browning retired from baseball with a 123–90 record and a 3.94 ERA. He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2006.