Bubba Morton

Wycliffe Nathaniel Morton

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 180 lb.
• School Howard University
• High School Armstrong High School (Washington)
• Debut April 19, 1961
• Final Game September 28, 1969
• Born December 13, 1931 in Washington, DC USA
• Died January 14, 2006 in Seattle, WA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Outfielder Bubba Morton played seven seasons in the majors. In his best year with the bat, he hit .313 for the California Angels in 1967, in a year when the American League as a whole hit .236. His career .267 average was achieved largely during the second dead-ball era when averages were unusually low.

Morton was the first black player signed by the Detroit Tigers and one of the first black men to play for the Durham Bulls. With the Bulls in 1957, he hit .310 with 18 homers and 82 RBIs and led the club to their first championship.

After his major league career ended, he went to Japan and played for the Toei Flyers in 1970, hitting .173/.277/.296 in 48 games.

Morton was the Head Coach at the University of Washington from 1972 to 1976, leading the team to a 48-101 record over five seasons.

A long-time Seattle, WA resident, he also worked as an engineer for the Boeing Company. His Coast Guard career included four years active duty from November 1949 to November 1953, and service as a reservist from June 1977 until his retirement in June 1993. He died in Seattle in 2006 after a long illness.

Related Sites

• Bubba Morton at the SABR Bio Project
• Bubba Morton Obituary - Seattle Times
• Coast Guard Reservist magazine, article above uses public domain text from this magazine