Joe LeRoy Brown was an American front office executive in Major League Baseball.
Brown served as the general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates from November 1, 1955, through the end of the 1976 season. Under his administration, the Pirates recovered from four consecutive last-place finishes in the National League to world championships in 1960 and 1971. Led by the great Baseball Hall of Fame players Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell, the Bucs became consistent contenders for much of Brown's 21-year tenure, finishing in the first division six times between 1956 and 1968, and capturing five National League East Division titles from 1969 through 1976.