Possessing a large arsenal of pitches, Brewer lived on the mounds of black baseball for nearly a quarter century. He was also one of the most traveled players of his time throwing for an assortment of teams throughout the country and around the world such as China, Japan, the Philippines, Central America and the Caribbean. He is pictured here in a uniform from Havana, Cuba. Brewer’s place in history enabled classic match-ups against some of the giants of the game, from deadball era pitchers Smokey Joe Williams and Bullet Rogan, to contemporaries like Satchel Paige and Hilton Smith. His best year came in 1929 with the Kansas City Monarchs when he posted a 17-3 record, with a run of 31 consecutive scoreless innings in league play.
After retiring as a player, Brewer worked for the Pittsburgh Pirates as a scout and instructor for nearly 20 years. There he developed a strong relationship with a young, promising player named Roberto Clemente.