Curt Motton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Curt Motton |
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| Left fielder | |||
| Born: September 24, 1940 Darnell, Louisiana |
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| Died: January 21, 2010 (aged 69) Parkton, Maryland |
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| debut | |||
| July 5, 1967, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 2, 1974, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .213 | ||
| Home runs | 25 | ||
| Runs batted in | 80 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Curtell Howard Motton (pronounced MOH-tən; September 24, 1940 – January 21, 2010) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder. His career lasted from 1967 through 1974. He is most famous for being part of the Baltimore Orioles team. This team was very strong. They won three American League championships in a row from 1969 to 1971. They also won the World Series in 1970. Motton also played for the Milwaukee Brewers and the California Angels.
Early Baseball Years
Curt Motton played baseball at Encinal High School in Alameda, California. Many other famous players also went to this school. These include Willie Stargell and Jimmy Rollins. After high school, he continued his education. He attended Santa Rosa Junior College and the University of California in Berkeley.
Motton started his professional career with the Chicago Cubs in 1961. He played well for the St. Cloud Rox in 1962. He hit .291, which is a good batting average. He also hit 13 home runs and had 69 runs batted in (RBIs). The Baltimore Orioles then chose him in the 1962 draft. In 1963, Motton and Paul Blair helped the Stockton Ports win the California League championship. Motton was the best hitter on the team with a .333 average.
He took a break from baseball for about one and a half years. During this time, he served in the United States Army. He was stationed at Fort Richardson. In 1964, he still played baseball with the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks. Famous players like Tom Seaver were also on that team. Motton returned to the Orioles' minor league teams in 1965. He made his big league debut in 1967.
Playing for the Baltimore Orioles
Motton played the most in his career during the 1968 season. He shared the left field position with Curt Blefary. He batted .198 that year. He hit eight home runs and had 25 RBIs. He also set a special record. He hit a pinch-hit home run in two straight games. This happened on May 15 and May 17.
In 1969, Don Buford became an outfielder. This meant Motton mostly played as a pinch hitter. A pinch hitter is a player who bats in place of another player. Motton was very good in this new role. He batted .303 with six home runs and 21 RBIs. One of his most famous moments was on October 5, 1969. It was during the 1969 American League Championship Series. The score was tied in the eleventh inning. Motton hit a single that brought Boog Powell home. This was the only run of the game.
Later Career and Retirement
Motton stayed with the Orioles until 1971. He helped them win the World Series in 1970. Before the 1972 season, he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. He was expected to be a starting outfielder. However, he did not get much playing time. Motton was then traded to the California Angels about a month later. He did not play well for either team that year. He batted only .156.
In 1973, the Angels sent him to their minor league team. He played for the Salt Lake City Angels. After playing only 28 games, the Angels released him. Motton then returned to the Orioles. He played in only seven more games for the Orioles over the next two seasons. He retired from baseball in 1974.
Death
Curt Motton passed away on January 21, 2010. He died at his home in Parkton, Maryland. He had been battling stomach cancer for a long time. His wife, Marti, was with him.
