Milt Bolling
Encyclopedia
Milton Joseph Bolling is a former shortstop
in Major League Baseball
who played from through for the Boston Red Sox
(1952–1957), Washington Senators
(1957) and Detroit Tigers
(1958). Bolling batted and threw right-handed. He is the older brother of Frank Bolling
.
In a seven-season career, Bolling was a .241 hitter
with 19 home run
s and 94 RBI
in 400 games played
.
. He began his professional career in Minor League Baseball
for the Class B Piedmont League
Roanoke Red Sox. As a shortstop
, he was not brought in for his bat, but as a defensive specialist. In the 1948 season, Milt had 54 hits in 293 at bats to compile a .184 batting average
in 85 games. 1949 saw Milt Bolling as Roanoke's starting shortstop for the majority of the season. He had 12 home runs and 28 doubles to go with a .230 batting average in 139 games. His quality play earned him a spot at shortstop on the Piedmont League All-Star Team.
In 1950 Milt was advanced to the Class A Scranton Miners
of the Eastern League. Along with his fielding prowess, his batting was starting to get hot as well, batting .276 for the season with 134 hits in 486 at bats. For a short period, Boling was promoted to the AA Birmingham Barons
. He failed to make a good impression, going just 2 for 27 in 10 games to compile a .074 average. 1951 was familiar territory for Bolling as he began his second season with the Scranton Red Sox. He only played in 71 games, but still managed to hit a modest .253 with 56 hits and 16 doubles. 1952 would prove to be a big year for Milt. He was promoted once again to the Birmingham Barons, but this time he held his own by hitting a clean .250 with 83 hits in 94 games.
at shortstop
for Boston. Bolling walked in his first at bat in the 7th inning against Bill Wight
of the Detroit Tigers
. In the top of the 9th, Bolling slugged his first major league hit. The Red Sox would go on to lose the game 6 to 2. For the rest of September, Bolling put up typical numbers for a shortstop of the era
. Milt hit .222 with a lone home run on September 16 and three runs batted in for only 36 at bats.
1953 was the first full Major League season for Bolling. He competed with veteran Lipon for the starting role at shortstop which was eventually won by Bolling when the Red Sox sold Lipon to the St Louis Browns on September 8. On April 16, opening day for the Red Sox against the Philadelphia Athletics, Milt started at shortstop and got off to a red-hot start, going 4 for 5 with a double and one run batted in en route to an 11-6 victory. Milt finished April with a strong .293 average, but struggled in May and June with monthly batting averages of .215 and .229. In July, Bolling's bat got white hot as he hit .380 in 71 at bats. He eventually tapered off but put up a respectable .263 batting average with 5 home runs and 28 RBI in 109 games as the Sox shortstop. He was 6th in the American League for sacrifice hits with 13.
1954 was more of the same for Bolling, except this time he led the American League in errors committed with 33. However, he was 4th with assists at shortstop, and 1st with his range factor
. Milt put down 13 more sacrifice hits, good enough for 4th in the league. Bolling was 3rd in doubles among all AL shortstops with 20. His hitting got off to a slow start and he never truly recovered, batting just .249 with 6 homers and 36 RBI.
On March 23, 1955, Milt had a career-threatening injury when he broke his left elbow in a Spring Training game against the St. Louis Cardinals
after he had already won the starting role at shortstop for the season. He was expected to return after six weeks, but ended up playing in only six games for the entire season.
By the time Bolling got a clean bill of health, he had lost his starting job to Don Buddin
for the 1956 season. Milt was a rarely-used pinch hitter until he started seeing some starts at the tail end of the season in August and September. He could only muster a .212 batting average to go with 3 home runs and 8 RBI in just 45 games.
and Faye Throneberry
to the Washington Senators for Bob Chakales
and Dean Stone
. Milt was immediately put to work with the Senators, starting at shortstop occasionally in May and June before becoming their everyday starter from July through the end of the season. Bolling split time between second base and shortstop, committing 11 errors. His bat was cold once again, hitting .227 with 4 home runs and 19 RBI in 91 games.
for Pete Mesa. It didn't work out, however, as a month later the Indians swapped him with the Detroit Tigers
for Pete Wojey
and $20,000. He became teammates with his brother, Frank Bolling
, a five year veteran for the Tigers as their starting second baseman. Despite the connection to his brother, Milt struggled to find playing time throughout the season. He started several games in April before being sidelined for a few days with a virus attack, and afterward playing time was scarce. Milt played his final Major League game on July 28, ending his season with a .194 average in just 31 at bats.
After his playing days, Bolling spent more than 30 years with the Red Sox, first as an executive assistant to owner Tom Yawkey
, and later as an area scout based in Alabama
.
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull 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...
who played from through for the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(1952–1957), Washington Senators
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...
(1957) and Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
(1958). Bolling batted and threw right-handed. He is the older brother of Frank Bolling
Frank Bolling
Frank Elmore Bolling is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Detroit Tigers and with the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves . Bolling batted and threw right-handed...
.
In a seven-season career, Bolling was a .241 hitter
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 :...
with 19 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 94 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 400 games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
.
Early career
At the age of 17, Milt Bolling was signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He began his professional career in Minor League Baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
for the Class B Piedmont League
Piedmont League
The Piedmont League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1920 through 1955. The league operated principally in the Piedmont plateau region in the eastern United States.- Former :...
Roanoke Red Sox. As a shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, he was not brought in for his bat, but as a defensive specialist. In the 1948 season, Milt had 54 hits in 293 at bats to compile a .184 batting average
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 :...
in 85 games. 1949 saw Milt Bolling as Roanoke's starting shortstop for the majority of the season. He had 12 home runs and 28 doubles to go with a .230 batting average in 139 games. His quality play earned him a spot at shortstop on the Piedmont League All-Star Team.
In 1950 Milt was advanced to the Class A Scranton Miners
Scranton Miners
The Scranton Miners were an Eastern Professional Basketball League basketball team based in Scranton, Pennsylvania that was a member of the American Basketball League. Arthur Pachter was the Owner and coach for many years...
of the Eastern League. Along with his fielding prowess, his batting was starting to get hot as well, batting .276 for the season with 134 hits in 486 at bats. For a short period, Boling was promoted to the AA Birmingham Barons
Birmingham Barons
The Birmingham Barons are a minor league baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox major-league club....
. He failed to make a good impression, going just 2 for 27 in 10 games to compile a .074 average. 1951 was familiar territory for Bolling as he began his second season with the Scranton Red Sox. He only played in 71 games, but still managed to hit a modest .253 with 56 hits and 16 doubles. 1952 would prove to be a big year for Milt. He was promoted once again to the Birmingham Barons, but this time he held his own by hitting a clean .250 with 83 hits in 94 games.
Boston Red Sox
In September 1952, the struggling Boston Red Sox brought up 11 minor leaguers all at once, including Bolling. On September 10, Bolling made his Major League debut by replacing Johnny LiponJohnny Lipon
John Joseph Lipon was an American Major League Baseball shortstop for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Browns and Cincinnati Reds over the course of 12 seasons . He was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio....
at shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
for Boston. Bolling walked in his first at bat in the 7th inning against Bill Wight
Bill Wight
William Robert Wight was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the New York Yankees , Chicago White Sox , Boston Red Sox , Detroit Tigers , Cleveland Indians , Baltimore Orioles , Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals . Listed at 6' 1", 180 lb...
of the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. In the top of the 9th, Bolling slugged his first major league hit. The Red Sox would go on to lose the game 6 to 2. For the rest of September, Bolling put up typical numbers for a shortstop of the era
Era
An era is a commonly used word for long period of time. When used in science, for example geology, eras denote clearly defined periods of time of arbitrary but well defined length, such as for example the Mesozoic era from 252 Ma–66 Ma, delimited by a start event and an end event. When used in...
. Milt hit .222 with a lone home run on September 16 and three runs batted in for only 36 at bats.
1953 was the first full Major League season for Bolling. He competed with veteran Lipon for the starting role at shortstop which was eventually won by Bolling when the Red Sox sold Lipon to the St Louis Browns on September 8. On April 16, opening day for the Red Sox against the Philadelphia Athletics, Milt started at shortstop and got off to a red-hot start, going 4 for 5 with a double and one run batted in en route to an 11-6 victory. Milt finished April with a strong .293 average, but struggled in May and June with monthly batting averages of .215 and .229. In July, Bolling's bat got white hot as he hit .380 in 71 at bats. He eventually tapered off but put up a respectable .263 batting average with 5 home runs and 28 RBI in 109 games as the Sox shortstop. He was 6th in the American League for sacrifice hits with 13.
1954 was more of the same for Bolling, except this time he led the American League in errors committed with 33. However, he was 4th with assists at shortstop, and 1st with his range factor
Range Factor
Range Factor is a baseball statistic developed by Bill James. It is calculated by dividing putouts and assists by number of innings or games played at a given defense position...
. Milt put down 13 more sacrifice hits, good enough for 4th in the league. Bolling was 3rd in doubles among all AL shortstops with 20. His hitting got off to a slow start and he never truly recovered, batting just .249 with 6 homers and 36 RBI.
On March 23, 1955, Milt had a career-threatening injury when he broke his left elbow in a Spring Training game against the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
after he had already won the starting role at shortstop for the season. He was expected to return after six weeks, but ended up playing in only six games for the entire season.
By the time Bolling got a clean bill of health, he had lost his starting job to Don Buddin
Don Buddin
Donald Thomas Buddin was an American professional baseball shortstop. He played all or part of six seasons in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox , Houston Colt .45s and Detroit Tigers . Listed at 5' 11" , 178 lb. , Buddin batted and threw right-handed...
for the 1956 season. Milt was a rarely-used pinch hitter until he started seeing some starts at the tail end of the season in August and September. He could only muster a .212 batting average to go with 3 home runs and 8 RBI in just 45 games.
Washington Senators
After playing just one game into the season for the Red Sox off the bench, on April 29, 1957, the Red Sox traded Bolling along with Russ KemmererRuss Kemmerer
Russell Paul Kemmerer is an American retired professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher who played for the Boston Red Sox , the Washington Senators , the Chicago White Sox , and the Houston Colt .45s to finish his career.He attended the University of Pittsburgh.He debuted for the...
and Faye Throneberry
Faye Throneberry
Maynard Faye Throneberry was an American professional baseball player. A native of Fisherville, Tennessee, he was a backup outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox , Washington Senators and Los Angeles Angels . Throneberry batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
to the Washington Senators for Bob Chakales
Bob Chakales
Robert Edwards Chakales [sha-kuh'-les] was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with four different clubs between the 1951 and 1957 seasons. Listed at 6'1", 185 lb., Chakales batted and threw right-handed...
and Dean Stone
Dean Stone
Darrah Dean Stone is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. The 6'4", 205 lb. left-hander was signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent before the 1949 season. He played for the Washington Senators , Boston Red Sox , St...
. Milt was immediately put to work with the Senators, starting at shortstop occasionally in May and June before becoming their everyday starter from July through the end of the season. Bolling split time between second base and shortstop, committing 11 errors. His bat was cold once again, hitting .227 with 4 home runs and 19 RBI in 91 games.
Detroit Tigers and retirement
On February 25, 1958, the Senators traded Bolling to the Cleveland IndiansCleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
for Pete Mesa. It didn't work out, however, as a month later the Indians swapped him with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
for Pete Wojey
Pete Wojey
Peter Paul Wojey was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched in 18 games from 1954-1957 for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Detroit Tigers-External links:...
and $20,000. He became teammates with his brother, Frank Bolling
Frank Bolling
Frank Elmore Bolling is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Detroit Tigers and with the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves . Bolling batted and threw right-handed...
, a five year veteran for the Tigers as their starting second baseman. Despite the connection to his brother, Milt struggled to find playing time throughout the season. He started several games in April before being sidelined for a few days with a virus attack, and afterward playing time was scarce. Milt played his final Major League game on July 28, ending his season with a .194 average in just 31 at bats.
After his playing days, Bolling spent more than 30 years with the Red Sox, first as an executive assistant to owner Tom Yawkey
Tom Yawkey
Thomas Austin Yawkey, born Thomas Austin , was an American industrialist and Major League Baseball executive. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Yawkey became president of the Boston Red Sox in 1933, and was the sole owner of the team for 44 seasons, longer than anyone else in baseball history.-Early...
, and later as an area scout based in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
.