Robert Clinton Compton was a left-handed pitcher

Pitcher

In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...

 in Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 for the Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...

. Compton's entire major-league career consisted of a two-inning appearance during the Cubs' October 3, 1972 game against the Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

.

Compton was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1968 MLB June amateur draft out of Robert E. Lee High School, 13 picks before future All-Star Lynn McGlothen

Lynn McGlothen

Lynn Everett McGlothen was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1972 through 1981, McGlothen played for the Boston Red Sox , St. Louis Cardinals , San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs , Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees...

. After his second season in the Braves' minor league system, he was traded with Mickey Rivers

Mickey Rivers

John Milton "Mickey" Rivers is a former Major League Baseball player from 1970-1984 for the California Angels, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers...

 to the California Angels for Bob Priddy

Bob Priddy

Robert Simpson Priddy is a retired American professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1962 to 1971, with the exception of the 1973 season. Priddy batted right-handed, stood tall and weighed . He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...

 and future Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm

Hoyt Wilhelm

James Hoyt Wilhelm was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985....

. The Cubs selected Compton from the Angels in the 1971 Rule 5 draft

Rule 5 draft

The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...

 and he spent the 1972 season with the AA Midland Cubs before a late-season call-up.

On October 3, 1972, Compton came on in relief of Cub hurler Larry Gura

Larry Gura

Lawrence Cyril Gura is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from to . He went to Arizona State University and spent 16 years in the Major Leagues. He played for the Chicago Cubs of the National League, and the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals , both of the American League...

 in the top of the 6th at Wrigley Field

Wrigley Field

Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...

. He retired the side in order (John Bateman, Steve Carlton

Steve Carlton

Steven Norman Carlton , nicknamed "Lefty", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1965-1988 for six different teams in his career, but it is his time with the Philadelphia Phillies where he received his greatest acclaim as a professional and won four Cy Young Awards...

, and Terry Harmon

Terry Harmon

Terry Walter Harmon was a second baseman and shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies . He was a 5th round pick of the Phillies in the 1965 draft....

) in the 6th but quickly got into trouble in the 7th. Larry Bowa

Larry Bowa

Lawrence Robert Bowa is a former middle infielder, playing mainly as a shortstop, and manager in Major League Baseball.-Early life:...

 singled to lead it off, followed by a Mike Schmidt

Mike Schmidt

Michael Jack Schmidt is a Hall of Fame third baseman popularly considered among the greatest third basemen in the history of Major League Baseball. He played his entire career for the Philadelphia Phillies....

 single in Schmidt's first at-bat of the game. A walk to Greg Luzinski loaded the bases with nobody out, and another walk (to Joe Lis) forced in the Phillies' ninth run of the game. Compton then induced Roger Freed

Roger Freed

Roger Vernon Freed was a Major League Baseball outfielder and pinch hitter. He played all or part of eight seasons between and for five different major league teams.-Orioles:...

 to ground into a run-scoring double play

Double play

In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....

 before Bill Robinson

Bill Robinson

Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was an American tap dancer and actor of stage and film. Audiences enjoyed his understated style, which eschewed the frenetic manner of the jitterbug in favor of cool and reserve; rarely did he use his upper body, relying instead on busy, inventive feet, and an expressive...

 popped out to Carmen Fanzone

Carmen Fanzone

Carmen Ronald Fanzone is a former utility man who played between and in Major League Baseball. Listed at 6' 0", 200 lb., he batted and threw right-handed...

 for the final out of Compton's appearance, and as it would turn out, his major league career. Carlton earned his 27th win that day to finish with a 27-10 record for the last-place Phillies, which would earn him the Cy Young Award

Cy Young Award

The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...

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Compton spent all of 1973 with the Cubs' AAA affiliate Wichita Aeros

Wichita Aeros

The Wichita Aeros was a minor league baseball franchise based in Wichita, Kansas, that played in the AAA American Association from 1970 through 1984....

but did not get promoted to the big league club. He never played professional baseball again, retiring from the game after 1973 at age 22.