Vince Colbert facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vince Colbert |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: December 20, 1945 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| May 19, 1970, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 16, 1972, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 9–14 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.57 | ||
| Strikeouts | 127 | ||
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Vincent Norman Colbert was born on December 20, 1945. He is an American former Major League Baseball player. Vince was a pitcher for the Cleveland Indians. He played for them from 1970 to 1972. He appeared in 95 games during his career. Most of these games (74) were as a relief pitcher. Vince was born in Washington, D.C.. He threw and batted with his right hand. He was 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighed 200 pounds.
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Early Life and College Sports
Vince Colbert was a student at East Carolina University. He was part of the Class of 1968. He made history there as the first African-American student to get an athletic scholarship. This means he received money to help pay for college because of his sports talent. Vince was a star athlete in two sports: baseball and basketball.
Becoming a Professional Baseball Player
The Cleveland Indians chose Vince in the 11th round of the 1968 Major League Baseball Draft. This draft is how professional teams pick new players. In his first year as a pro, Vince played in a league called the Class A Western Carolinas League. He had a great start, winning 10 games and only losing 2. His earned run average (ERA) was very low at 1.95. ERA measures how many runs a pitcher allows per game. He also had 99 strikeouts in 97 innings pitched.
Major League Career with the Cleveland Indians
Vince Colbert made his MLB debut with the Indians in May 1970. This was in the middle of his third year as a professional player. As a rookie, he played in 23 games. All of these games were as a relief pitcher.
His Best Season in Baseball
Vince's only full season in the major leagues was in 1971. The Indians team that year was not very good. They lost 102 games. But Vince had a good year personally. He won 7 games and lost 6. He also earned two saves. A save happens when a relief pitcher finishes a close game without letting the other team score. His ERA was 3.97. Vince was one of only three pitchers on the team to have more wins than losses that season.
Challenges and Final Games
In 1972, Vince's performance was not as strong. He won 1 game and lost 7 in 22 appearances. His ERA was 4.58. His only win that year was very special. It happened on June 15 against the California Angels. Vince was a starting pitcher in that game. He pitched a complete game shutout, meaning he pitched the whole game and didn't let the other team score any runs. He only allowed five hits. The Indians won that game 1–0. This was Vince's last win in the major leagues and his only shutout.
He also spent part of 1972 playing for the Triple-A Portland Beavers team. After the 1972 season, he was traded to the Texas Rangers. Then, the Indians got him back in March 1973. However, he never played in the major leagues again after 1972.
Career Highlights and Retirement
Throughout his career, Vince Colbert won 9 games and lost 14. He had four saves and three complete games. His career earned run average was 4.57. He pitched a total of 248⅓ innings. During that time, he allowed 251 hits and 125 bases on balls (walks). He also struck out 127 batters.
Vince retired from professional baseball in 1974. In 2009, he was honored for his achievements. He was elected to the East Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame. This means he is recognized as one of the best athletes in the university's history.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
