Bobby Prescott facts for kids

George Bertrand "Bobby" Prescott (born March 27, 1931 – died August 2, 2020) was a Panamanian professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder, first baseman, and third baseman. Bobby Prescott had a long career, playing for 19 years from 1952 to 1970. Most of his career was spent in North American minor league baseball. He also had a short time playing in the Major Leagues with the Kansas City Athletics in 1961.

Prescott was known for hitting many home runs. In his minor league career, he hit 398 home runs. He hit more than 30 home runs in five different seasons. He even led the Mexican League in home runs twice!

Early Life and Baseball Start

Bobby Prescott was born in Colón, Panama. He batted and threw with his right hand. He was 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighed 180 pounds.

In 1952, Bobby started his professional baseball journey. He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates team. By 1954, he was playing in Class A baseball. He led the Western League by scoring 137 runs.

Moving Through the Minor Leagues

In 1955, Prescott played for the Hollywood Stars. This team was in the Pacific Coast League, a high-level minor league. After that, the New York Giants picked him up.

He spent five years playing for different Giants' minor league teams. These teams were at Class A, Double-A, and Triple-A levels. He was a great hitter, batting over .300 for the Phoenix Giants in 1958 and 1959. Before the 1961 season, the Kansas City Athletics team got him.

Major League Baseball Experience

The year 1961 was a big one for Bobby Prescott. He had his best season in Triple-A baseball. Playing for the Hawaii Islanders, he batted .301. He also hit 32 home runs and brought in 101 runs.

During this successful year, Prescott also got to play in the Major Leagues. The Kansas City Athletics called him up in June. He played in ten games for them. He started two games in left field. He also came in to pinch hit in seven games. In one game, he was a pinch runner.

Prescott's Only MLB Hit

On June 27, Bobby Prescott made a special memory. He got his only Major League hit. It was a single off a pitcher named Billy Hoeft. This happened while Prescott was pinch-hitting against the Baltimore Orioles.

Later Career in Mexico

After his short time in the Major Leagues, Prescott went back to the Pacific Coast League. He played there for the rest of 1961 and all of 1962.

He then spent the last eight years of his playing career in the Mexican League. He continued to hit many home runs there. From 1964 to 1968, he hit 37, 39, 41, 32, and 26 home runs in a row. Bobby Prescott retired from baseball in 1970.