I was watching the documentary The Battered Bastards of Baseball last night. It’s a documentary on the Portland Mavericks of the Northwest League in the 1970s. Owned by actor Bing Russell (Kurt‘s father), it was a truly independent minor league team in affiliated baseball. A good documentary, and you should check it out if you have Netflix.
But anyway, among the players for the Mavericks was a pitcher named Larry Colton, who had played in one game with the Phillies back in 1968. After retiring from baseball, he’d become a writer, and his book Counting Coup, about a girls’ basketball team in Montana, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
Here’s Colton’s MLB stats:
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | W | L | G | GS | GF | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | IBB | SO | HBP | BK | WP | BF | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 26 | PHI | NL | 0 | 0 | 4.50 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 84 | 0.38 | 1.500 | 13.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9.0 |
| 1 Yr | 0 | 0 | 4.50 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 84 | 0.38 | 1.500 | 13.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9.0 | |||
| 162 Game Avg. | 0 | 0 | 4.50 | 68 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 136 | 204 | 68 | 68 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 136 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 612 | 84 | 0.38 | 1.500 | 13.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9.0 | |||
And here are his Minor League stats (first pitching, then hitting, as he also played as a position player):
| Year | Age | AgeDif | Tm | Lg | Lev | Aff | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | IBB | SO | HBP | BK | WP | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 23 | 1.1 | Eugene | NORW | A | PHI | 12 | 10 | .545 | 2.89 | 26 | 26 | 193.0 | 172 | 80 | 62 | 8 | 63 | 1.218 | 8.0 | 0.4 | 2.9 | ||||||||||
| 1966 | 24 | 0.7 | Macon | SOUL | AA | PHI | 11 | 8 | .579 | 3.77 | 27 | 26 | 186.0 | 179 | 94 | 78 | 11 | 73 | 125 | 1.355 | 8.7 | 0.5 | 3.5 | 6.0 | 1.71 | |||||||
| 1967 | 25 | -0.6 | San Diego | PCL | AAA | PHI | 14 | 14 | .500 | 3.09 | 31 | 31 | 12 | 1 | 201.0 | 207 | 84 | 69 | 9 | 50 | 2 | 106 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1.279 | 9.3 | 0.4 | 2.2 | 4.7 | 2.12 | |
| 1968 | 26 | -0.1 | San Diego | PCL | AAA | PHI | 5 | 7 | .417 | 3.45 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 99.0 | 99 | 45 | 38 | 4 | 24 | 2 | 52 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1.242 | 9.0 | 0.4 | 2.2 | 4.7 | 2.17 | |
| 1969 | 27 | 1.1 | Eugene | PCL | AAA | PHI | 11 | 9 | .550 | 4.18 | 26 | 25 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 155.0 | 150 | 81 | 72 | 12 | 54 | 4 | 79 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1.316 | 8.7 | 0.7 | 3.1 | 4.6 | 1.46 |
| 1970 | 28 | 2.6 | Tacoma | PCL | AAA | CHC | 12 | 14 | .462 | 4.24 | 32 | 28 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 221.0 | 226 | 116 | 104 | 24 | 76 | 7 | 118 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 1.367 | 9.2 | 1.0 | 3.1 | 4.8 | 1.55 |
| 1975 | 33 | 11.7 | Portland | NORW | A- | 0 | 2 | .000 | 10.64 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.091 | 14.7 | 2.5 | 4.1 | 1.6 | 0.40 | |
| 7 Seasons | 65 | 64 | .504 | 3.68 | 160 | 153 | 38 | 5 | 1 | 1066.0 | 1051 | 516 | 436 | 71 | 345 | 15 | 482 | 4 | 3 | 32 | 1.310 | 8.9 | 0.6 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 1.40 | ||||||
| A- (1 season) | A- | 0 | 2 | .000 | 10.64 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.091 | 14.7 | 2.5 | 4.1 | 1.6 | 0.40 | |||||
| A (1 season) | A | 12 | 10 | .545 | 2.89 | 26 | 26 | 193.0 | 172 | 80 | 62 | 8 | 63 | 1.218 | 8.0 | 0.4 | 2.9 | |||||||||||||||
| AA (1 season) | AA | 11 | 8 | .579 | 3.77 | 27 | 26 | 186.0 | 179 | 94 | 78 | 11 | 73 | 125 | 1.355 | 8.7 | 0.5 | 3.5 | 6.0 | 1.71 | ||||||||||||
| AAA (4 seasons) | AAA | 42 | 44 | .488 | 3.77 | 104 | 98 | 37 | 5 | 1 | 676.0 | 682 | 326 | 283 | 49 | 204 | 15 | 355 | 4 | 3 | 32 | 1.311 | 9.1 | 0.7 | 2.7 | 4.7 | 1.74 | |||||
| Year | Age | AgeDif | Tm | Lg | Lev | Aff | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | TB | HBP | SH | SF | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 23 | 0.8 | Eugene | NORW | A | PHI | 34 | 73 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .329 | .370 | 27 | ||||||||||||
| 1966 | 24 | 0.3 | Macon | SOUL | AA | PHI | 36 | 76 | 69 | 6 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 28 | .217 | .289 | .246 | .536 | 17 | |||
| 1967 | 25 | -1.6 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | AAA-WRk | PHI | 34 | 79 | 5 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 31 | .228 | .278 | 22 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||
| 1967 | 25 | Phillies | FLIL | WRk | PHI | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1967 | 25 | -1.6 | San Diego | PCL | AAA | PHI | 34 | 88 | 79 | 5 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 31 | .228 | .265 | .278 | .544 | 22 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 1968 | 26 | -0.4 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | AAA-WRk | PHI | 17 | 39 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13 | .256 | .359 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 1968 | 26 | Phillies | FLIL | WRk | PHI | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1968 | 26 | -0.4 | San Diego | PCL | AAA | PHI | 17 | 40 | 39 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13 | .256 | .275 | .359 | .634 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969 | 27 | 1.4 | Eugene | PCL | AAA | PHI | 27 | 63 | 52 | 7 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 17 | .288 | .383 | .442 | .826 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1970 | 28 | 2.9 | Tacoma | PCL | AAA | CHC | 32 | 82 | 70 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 | .171 | .247 | .271 | .518 | 19 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 1975 | 33 | 12.1 | Portland | NORW | A- | 11 | 24 | 20 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | .300 | .375 | .600 | .975 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 7 Seasons | 191 | 446 | 402 | 29 | 100 | 18 | 2 | 4 | 40 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 113 | .249 | .300 | .333 | .634 | 134 | 0 | 13 | 1 | ||||||
| WRk (2 seasons) | WRk | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A- (1 season) | A- | 11 | 24 | 20 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | .300 | .375 | .600 | .975 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||
| A (1 season) | A | 34 | 73 | 73 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .329 | .329 | .370 | .699 | 27 | ||||||||||||||
| AA (1 season) | AA | 36 | 76 | 69 | 6 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 28 | .217 | .289 | .246 | .536 | 17 | ||||||||
| AAA (4 seasons) | AAA | 110 | 273 | 240 | 21 | 55 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 82 | .229 | .288 | .325 | .613 | 78 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |||||
The Baseball Continuum 