| Curt Motton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Left fielder | |
| Born:(1940-09-24)September 24, 1940 Darnell, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| Died: January 21, 2010(2010-01-21) (aged 69) Parkton, Maryland, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 5, 1967, for the Baltimore Orioles | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 2, 1974, for the Baltimore Orioles | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .213 |
| Home runs | 25 |
| Runs batted in | 80 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Curtell Howard Motton (/ˈmoʊtən/MOH-tən; September 24, 1940 – January 21, 2010) was an American professionalbaseball player. He played inMajor League Baseball as anoutfielder from1967 through1974, most notably as a member of theBaltimore Orioles dynasty that won three consecutive American League pennants from 1969 to 1971 and, won theWorld Series in 1970. He also played for theMilwaukee Brewers and theCalifornia Angels.
Motton was known by the nickname "Cuz".[1]
Motton was born in Darnell, Louisiana on September 24, 1940 to Robert and Mary Lean (Coleman) Motton, the third of nine children. The family moved toOakland, California when Motton was a young child, where Motton grew up.[2]
Motton playedbaseball atEncinal High School inAlameda, California,[3] the same school that producedWillie Stargell,Tommy Harper,Jimmy Rollins andDontrelle Willis.[4] Motton and Harper were named as outfielders on the 1958Alameda County Southern Division All-Star Team, with Stargell named as thefirst baseman.[5] Motton and Harper also played quarterback on the school's football team.[6] Motton was also a sprinter on the track team.[7] He completed his education atSanta Rosa Junior College and then transferred to theUniversity of California inBerkeley, California (1959-1961).[2][8][9][10]
Motton signed as an amateur free agent by theChicago Cubs on July 20, 1961. After only one full campaign with theSt. Cloud Rox in 1962, in which he hit .291 with 13home runs and 69runs batted in, he was selected by the Orioles in the 1962 first-year draft. Both he andPaul Blair powered the offense of theHarry Dunlop-managedStockton Ports when they won the 1963California League Championship. Motton led the team in batting with a .333 average.[11]
He spent the next1+1⁄2 years away from the Orioles organization when he served in theUnited States Army atFort Richardson. He managed to play organized baseball in 1964 with theAlaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks, which also featuredTom Seaver,Graig Nettles andRick Monday. He returned to the Orioles' farm system in 1965, and made his major league debut during the 1967 season, when he was called up to the Orioles from theRochester Red Wings on July 5, 1967.[12]
In 1967, Motton played for the OriolesTriple-A affiliateRochester Red Wings of theInternational League, and was named theInternational League Rookie of the Year.[12] He hit .323, with 72walks, 18home runs, 83runs scored, and 70 runs batted in (RBIs) for the Red Wings.[13]
Between 1962 and 1974, Motton played for 7 different minor league teams, including all or part of 1966, 1967, 1973 and 1974 for the Red Wings.[13]
Motton saw the most playing time in his career in 1968 when he platooned inleft field withCurt Blefary. For the season, hebatted only .198 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs, however, perhaps as a sign of things to come, he set a record by hitting a pinch hit home run[14] in consecutive pinch hit at-bats on May 15[15] and May 17.[16]
In 1969,infielderDon Buford was converted into an outfielder, relegating Motton to pinch hitting duties. Motton shined in his new role, batting .303 with six home runs and 21 RBIs for the season. Perhaps his most memorable pinch hit at-bat came on October 5 against theMinnesota Twins in the1969 American League Championship Series. With the score tied at zero in the eleventh inning, Mottonsingled inBoog Powell for the only run of the game.[17]
Motton's personality was an important contribution to the team and the community. Hall of Fame Oriole pitcherJim Palmer said of Motton, "'He would light up a room.'"[12] In 1970, he and his wife moved into a mostly white apartment building inWoodlawn, Baltimore County, Maryland, and were known for their "infectiously kind, sensitive, and warm" natures in the community. On one occasion, a recently widowed neighbor called him late at night because a burglar was attempting to break into her apartment. In only his underwear, Motton grabbed a baseball bat and chased the would-be burglar from the building.[18]
Motton remained with the Orioles through 1971, winning a World Series with the team in 1970. Prior to the start of the 1972 season, Motton was traded to theMilwaukee Brewers for a player to be named later and cash. Expected to compete for one of the starting outfield jobs,[19] he ended up being beaten out byJohn Briggs andJoe Lahoud. Motton was critical of managerDave Bristol over his lack of playing time, and was traded to theCalifornia Angels for minor leaguepitcherArchie Reynolds just over a month into the season.[20] He batted just .156 for his two clubs, and began the 1973 season assigned to the Angels' Triple-A affiliate, theSalt Lake City Angels. After batting just .152 in 28 games for Salt Lake, the Angels released Motton, and he returned to the Orioles. Motton appeared in just seven more games for the Orioles over the next two seasons.
Motton died after a long battle withstomach cancer at his home inParkton, Maryland, on January 21, 2010.[21] His wife Marti, a retired Baltimore County Police Officer, was by his side.
| Preceded by | Baltimore Orioles First Base coach 1991 | Succeeded by |