In June , Tom signed with the Baltimore Orioles, of the American Association, as a non-drafted free agent. As a right fielder, he hit one home run with 23 runs batted in for that season with Baltimore. He was a right fielder for most of his early career, switching over to center later in his career. That year, the Orioles finished 6th in the league, and Brown was sent to the Columbus Buckeyes in an unknown transaction before the season. He played two seasons in Columbus, both of which he hit five home runs and drove in 32 runs. His best season with them occurred in , when he batted .273 and scored 93 runs in 106 games played.