Choo-Choo Coleman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Choo-Choo Coleman |
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Coleman in 1963
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| Catcher | |||
| Born: August 25, 1937 Orlando, Florida |
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| Died: August 15, 2016 (aged 78) Orangeburg, South Carolina |
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| debut | |||
| April 16, 1961, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| April 23, 1966, for the New York Mets | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .197 | ||
| Home runs | 9 | ||
| Runs batted in | 30 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Clarence "Choo-Choo" Coleman (born August 25, 1937 – died August 15, 2016) was an American professional baseball player. He was a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). Choo-Choo played for the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets.
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Choo-Choo Coleman's Baseball Journey
Clarence Coleman was born in Orlando, Florida on August 25, 1937. He started his professional baseball career at age 18. He first joined the Washington Senators. Later, he played for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Playing for the Phillies
In 1961, the Philadelphia Phillies chose Coleman in a special draft called the Rule 5 draft. He played 34 games for the Phillies that year. In his very first time at bat in the Major Leagues, he was hit by a pitch! He didn't hit very well for the Phillies, with a batting average of just .128. The Phillies finished last in their league that season.
Time with the New York Mets
After 1961, the new New York Mets team picked Coleman in a special draft for new teams. He became a big part of the early Mets. He played for them for parts of three seasons. During his time with the Mets, he hit .205.
Many people remember Choo-Choo Coleman as a unique player for the early Mets. He was a small catcher, about 5 feet 8 inches tall and 160 pounds. He didn't hit many home runs (only 9 in his career) or get many runs batted in (30 RBIs). But he was known for his speed. Legendary Mets manager Casey Stengel once said he had never seen a catcher so fast at getting passed balls.
Life After Baseball
After his baseball career, Choo-Choo Coleman moved back to his hometown of Orlando. Later, he moved to Newport News, Virginia. There, he helped run a Chinese restaurant for more than 20 years. Sometimes, he even worked as a cook!
Coleman eventually retired to Bamberg, South Carolina. He lived a quiet life there for many years. In 2012, he was invited to a special event. It was the Mets' 50th anniversary celebration in New York. At the event, he shared stories and talked about his famous nickname. He said his friends called him "Choo-Choo" when he was a kid because he was very fast.
Choo-Choo Coleman passed away on August 15, 2016. He died in Orangeburg, South Carolina, after battling cancer.
