Curt Motton
Encyclopedia
Curtell Howard Motton (September 24, 1940 – January 21, 2010) was an American
Major League Baseball
outfielder
. Mainly a reserve left fielder
and pinch hitter
, he was with the Baltimore Orioles
when they won three consecutive American League pennants
and a World Series
from to . He was nickname
d Cuz (short for cousin
) because of his outgoing manner.
at Encinal High School
in Alameda, California
, the same school that produced Willie Stargell
and Tommy Harper
. He completed his education at Santa Rosa Junior College
and the University of California
in Berkeley, CA.
Motton signed as an amateur free agent by the Chicago Cubs
on July 20, 1961. After only one full campaign with the St. Cloud Rox
in 1962, in which he hit .291 with 13 home runs and 69 runs batted in, he was selected by the Orioles in the 1962 first-year draft. Both he and Paul Blair
powered the offense of the Harry Dunlop
-managed Stockton Ports
when they won the 1963 California League
championship. Motton led the team in batting with a .333 average.
He spent the next 1½ years away from the Orioles organization when he served in the United States Army
at Fort Richardson. He managed to play organized baseball in 1964 with the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks
, which also featured Tom Seaver
, Graig Nettles
and Rick Monday
. He returned to the Orioles' farm system in 1965, and made his major league debut during the 1967 season.
. For the season, he batted
only .198 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs, however, perhaps as a sign of things to come, he set a record by hitting a pinch hit home run in consecutive pinch hit at-bats on May 15 and May 17.
In 1969, infielder
Don Buford
was converted into an outfielder, relegating Motton to pinch hitting duties. Motton shined in his new role, batting .303 with six home runs and 21 RBIs for the season. Perhaps his most memorable pinch hit at-bat came on October 5 against the Minnesota Twins
in the 1969 American League Championship Series
. With the score tied at zero in the eleventh inning, Motton singled
in Boog Powell
for the only run of the game.
for a player to be named later and cash. Expected to compete for one of the starting outfield jobs, he ended up being beat out by John Briggs and Joe Lahoud
. Motton was critical of manager Dave Bristol
over his lack of playing time, and was traded to the California Angels for minor league pitcher
Archie Reynolds
just over a month into the season. He batted just .156 for his two clubs, and began the 1973 season assigned to the Angels' triple A affiliate, the Salt Lake City Angels
. After batting just .152 in 28 games for Salt Lake, the Angels released Motton, and he returned to the Orioles. Motton appeared in just seven more games for the Orioles over the next two seasons.
at his home in Parkton, Maryland
on January 21, 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
. Mainly a reserve left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
and pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
, he was with the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
when they won three consecutive American League pennants
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...
and a World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
from to . He was nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d Cuz (short for cousin
Cousin
In kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's immediate family where there is a more specific term . The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of...
) because of his outgoing manner.
Minors
Motton played baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
at Encinal High School
Encinal High School
Encinal High School is a public coeducational high school serving grades 9-12. It is located in Alameda, California and is part of the Alameda Unified School District.-Threatened closure:...
in Alameda, California
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
, the same school that produced Willie Stargell
Willie Stargell
Wilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell , nicknamed "Pops" in the later years of his career, was a Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
and Tommy Harper
Tommy Harper
Tommy Harper is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder and third baseman. He played with the Cincinnati Reds , Cleveland Indians , Seattle Pilots , Milwaukee Brewers , Boston Red Sox , California Angels , Oakland Athletics , and the Baltimore Orioles .-High School...
. He completed his education at Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa Junior College is a community college located in the city of Santa Rosa in Sonoma County, California. Founded in 1918, it is the tenth oldest community college in the state. Santa Rosa Junior College was modeled as a "junior" version of nearby University of California at Berkeley...
and the University of California
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in Berkeley, CA.
Motton signed as an amateur free agent by 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...
on July 20, 1961. After only one full campaign with the St. Cloud Rox
St. Cloud Rox
The St. Cloud Rox were a minor league baseball team that existed from 1946 to 1971. Located in St. Cloud, Minnesota, the team played in the Northern League and was affiliated with the New York Giants from 1946 to 1957, the San Francisco Giants from 1958 to 1959, the Chicago Cubs from 1960 to 1964...
in 1962, in which he hit .291 with 13 home runs and 69 runs batted in, he was selected by the Orioles in the 1962 first-year draft. Both he and Paul Blair
Paul Blair (baseball)
Paul L. D. Blair is a former outfielder who spent seventeen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Baltimore Orioles , New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds...
powered the offense of the Harry Dunlop
Harry Dunlop
Harry Alexander Dunlop is an American former catcher, coach and manager in professional baseball...
-managed Stockton Ports
Stockton Ports
The Stockton Ports are a baseball team in Stockton, California. The Ports play in the Northern Division of the Class A – Advanced California League and are a Minor League affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. Their home field is Banner Island Ballpark which seats over 5,000 people and opened in...
when they won the 1963 California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
championship. Motton led the team in batting with a .333 average.
He spent the next 1½ years away from the Orioles organization when he served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
at Fort Richardson. He managed to play organized baseball in 1964 with the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks
Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks
The Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks are a collegiate summer baseball team which was founded in 1960 as an independent barnstorming team. The Pan-Alaska Goldpanners were charter members of the Alaska Baseball League at the league's inception in 1974. The Goldpanners play their home games at Growden...
, which also featured Tom Seaver
Tom Seaver
George Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...
, Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles , nicknamed "Puff", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos .Nettles was one of the best...
and Rick Monday
Rick Monday
Robert James "Rick" Monday, Jr. is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball and is currently a broadcast announcer. From 1966 through 1984, Monday, a center fielder for most of his career, played for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics , Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers...
. He returned to the Orioles' farm system in 1965, and made his major league debut during the 1967 season.
Baltimore Orioles
Motton saw the most playing time in his career in 1968 when he platooned in left field with Curt BlefaryCurt Blefary
Curtis Le Roy Blefary was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball who played with the Baltimore Orioles , Houston Astros , New York Yankees , Oakland Athletics and San Diego Padres...
. For the season, he batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
only .198 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs, however, perhaps as a sign of things to come, he set a record by hitting a pinch hit home run in consecutive pinch hit at-bats on May 15 and May 17.
In 1969, infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
Don Buford
Don Buford
Donald Alvin Buford is a former Major League Baseball player. An infielder/outfielder, the switch-hitting Buford played for the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles ....
was converted into an outfielder, relegating Motton to pinch hitting duties. Motton shined in his new role, batting .303 with six home runs and 21 RBIs for the season. Perhaps his most memorable pinch hit at-bat came on October 5 against the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
in the 1969 American League Championship Series
1969 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 4, 1969 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandIn the opener, 20-game winner Jim Perry held a 3–2 lead over the Orioles entering the ninth inning, Boog Powell tied the score with a smash over the right-field fence. Reliever Ron Perranoski, who worked in all three games,...
. With the score tied at zero in the eleventh inning, Motton singled
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
in Boog Powell
Boog Powell
John Wesley Powell is a former major league first baseman who played for the Baltimore Orioles , Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers...
for the only run of the game.
1972 season
Motton remained with the Orioles through 1971, winning a World Series with the team in 1970. Prior to the start of the 1972 season, Motton was traded to the Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
for a player to be named later and cash. Expected to compete for one of the starting outfield jobs, he ended up being beat out by John Briggs and Joe Lahoud
Joe Lahoud
Joseph Michael Lahoud is an American former professional baseball player. He played all or part of eleven seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily as an outfielder and designated hitter, for the Boston Red Sox , Milwaukee Brewers , California Angels , Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals...
. Motton was critical of manager Dave Bristol
Dave Bristol
James David Bristol is a former manager in Major League Baseball in the 1960s and 1970s. He managed the Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, and San Francisco Giants during this period....
over his lack of playing time, and was traded to the California Angels for minor league 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...
Archie Reynolds
Archie Reynolds
Archie Edward Reynolds is a former professional baseball pitcher. He appeared in 36 games over five seasons in Major League Baseball without earning a win. He had eight losses....
just over a month into the season. He batted just .156 for his two clubs, and began the 1973 season assigned to the Angels' triple A affiliate, the Salt Lake City Angels
Salt Lake City Angels
The Salt Lake City Angels, a former member of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, were a minor league affiliate of the California Angels from 1971 to 1974. The won the PCL title in 1971.-Notable players:Some notable players from the Salt Lake City Angels:...
. After batting just .152 in 28 games for Salt Lake, the Angels released Motton, and he returned to the Orioles. Motton appeared in just seven more games for the Orioles over the next two seasons.
Death
Motton died after a long battle with stomach cancerStomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
at his home in Parkton, Maryland
Parkton, Maryland
Parkton is a rural area in the northern part of Baltimore County, Maryland, USA. It borders southern York County, PA, and this border forms part of The Mason-Dixon Line...
on January 21, 2010.