Bubba Morton

Bubba Morton
Bubba Morton
Runs batted in	128
Teams
	Detroit Tigers (1961–1963); Milwaukee Braves (1963); California Angels (1966–1969); Toei Flyers (1970);

Wycliffe Nathaniel "Bubba" Morton (December 13, 1931 – January 14, 2006) was an American

California Angels

(1966–1969). He batted and threw right-handed, stood 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall and weighed 175 pounds (79 kg).

A native of

Armstrong High School in 1950 and later graduated from Howard University. He also has a stint in the United States Coast Guard.^[1]

In 1955 Morton became the

Three-I League in 1956, and one of the first black men to play for the Durham Bulls. With the Bulls in 1957, he batted .310 with 18 home runs and 82 runs batted in to lead the club to their first Carolina League

championship.

A light-hitting, strong-armed outfielder, Morton played with the Tigers as a reserve in parts of three seasons. He was purchased by the Milwaukee Braves from Detroit in the 1963 mid-season. During his brief tenure with the Braves, he was the roommate of

Cleveland Indians

organizations, until he was acquired by the California Angels at the end of the 1965 season.

Morton saw considerable action with the Angels between 1966 and 1969. A prime

pinch-hitter, his best season was 1967, when he hit .313 in 80 games. During the same period he committed only one error in 251 chances

in the outfield.

In a seven-season career, Morton was a .267 hitter with 14 home runs and 128 RBI in 451 games. He finished his career with a .989 fielding percentage.

In the middle of his major league career, Morton was a member of the

Toei Flyers

.

In 1972, Morton was hired by athletics director Joe Kearney as head coach of the baseball program at the University of Washington (UW) from 1972 to 1976. He is distinguished as UW's first black head coach in any sport.

After his retirement from baseball, Morton worked for Boeing and was a retired Coast Guard reservist.

Morton died in Seattle, Washington, at the age of 74.

References

^ "Former UW Coach Bubba Morton Dies At Age 74". Washington Huskies. January 18, 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-09-29. Retrieved February 11, 2023.

External links

Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference
Baseball Reference (Minors)
Bubba Morton - Baseballbiography.com
Seattle Times
Venezuelan Baseball League

[1] "Former UW Coach Bubba Morton Dies At Age 74". Washington Huskies. January 18, 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-09-29. Retrieved February 11, 2023.

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