Matt Batts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Matt Batts |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||
| Catcher | |||
| Born: October 16, 1921 San Antonio, Texas |
|||
| Died: July 14, 2013 (aged 91) Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| September 10, 1947, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 8, 1956, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .269 | ||
| Home runs | 26 | ||
| Runs batted in | 219 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
Matthew Daniel Batts (born October 16, 1921 – died July 14, 2013) was an American professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1947 to 1956. During his career, he played for five different teams: the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Browns, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and Cincinnati Reds. Matt Batts played in 546 games, hitting for a .269 batting average with 26 home runs and 219 runs batted in.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Start
Matt Batts was born in San Antonio, Texas. He was the uncle of another major league player, Danny Heep.
Matt started playing baseball on local fields in San Antonio. Even though he batted and threw right-handed, he found his best position as a catcher. He was recruited by the Boston Red Sox while attending Baylor University. He signed with the Red Sox in 1942, which meant they paid for his college tuition.
Matt began his minor league career in 1942 with the Canton Terriers. He played well, hitting .294 with 10 home runs. However, his baseball career was paused when he served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II from 1942 to 1945. He reached the rank of sergeant.
After the war, Matt returned to baseball. In 1946, he played for the Lynn Red Sox, hitting an impressive .337 with 12 home runs. In 1947, he played for two more minor league teams before being called up to the Boston Red Sox.
Playing in Major League Baseball
Boston Red Sox Years
Matt Batts made his big league debut with the Red Sox on September 10, 1947. He played in 7 games that season and hit very well, getting 8 hits in 16 tries (.500 batting average).
In 1948, Matt was a backup catcher for the Red Sox. He played in 46 games and kept hitting well, with a .314 average. The Red Sox had a great season, tying for first place, but lost a playoff game.
Matt played more in 1949 and 1950. In 1949, he played in 60 games, and in 1950, he played in 75 games. He hit 4 home runs and had 34 runs batted in during the 1950 season. In May 1951, after a slow start, Matt was traded to the St. Louis Browns. He played 199 games for Boston, hitting .272 with 9 home runs.
St. Louis Browns
Matt spent the rest of the 1951 season with the St. Louis Browns. He played in 79 games and had a strong batting average of .302 with 5 home runs. Even though he didn't play a full season, he led all catchers in the Major Leagues in errors and passed balls. He also caught for Satchel Paige, one of the first African American pitchers in the American League. After the season, Matt was traded to the Detroit Tigers.
Detroit Tigers
In 1952, Matt was a backup catcher for the Detroit Tigers. He played in 56 games. On August 25, 1952, Matt had a special moment when he caught the second no-hitter thrown by pitcher Virgil Trucks that season.
In 1953, Matt became the Tigers' main catcher. He played in 116 games, hitting .278 with 6 home runs and 42 runs batted in. He handled 514 chances on defense, which was the most in his career. He played a few games for the Tigers in early 1954 before being traded to the Chicago White Sox.
Chicago White Sox
Matt finished the 1954 season with the Chicago White Sox. He played in 55 games for them. Between the Tigers and White Sox that year, he hit .235.
Cincinnati Reds
In 1955, Matt joined the Cincinnati Reds. He played in 26 games for them, hitting .254. In 1956, he played only a few games for the Reds, making his last major league appearance on May 8. He spent most of that season playing for a Reds' minor league team, the Nashville Volunteers.
Life After Baseball
Matt Batts played one more season in the minor leagues in 1957. After his baseball career, Matt and his wife, Arlene, moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He helped coach baseball and worked with community programs. His wife also started her own printing company.
Matt Batts passed away at his home in Baton Rouge in 2013 at the age of 91.
