Tom Upton

Thomas Herbert Upton
(Muscles)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 160 lb.
• School Bucknell University, University of Pennsylvania
• Debut April 19, 1950
• Final Game April 30, 1952
• Born December 29, 1926 in Esther, MO USA
• Died March 24, 2008 in Downey, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Tom "Muscles" Upton began his professional career in 1944, and he split that season between the Norfolk Tars and Kansas City Blues, hitting a combined .140 with a .162 slugging percentage in 222 at-bat. He had been at Bucknell University during the war years (his time there overlapped with that of Bob Keegan), and was at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946.

In 1947 he played for the Tars and Binghamton Triplets, hitting .227 in 100 games. For the Ventura Yankees, Quincy Gems and Triplets in 1948, he hit .271 in 398 at-bats. In 638 at-bats for the Beaumont Exporters in 1949, he hit .265 with a career-high four home runs.

Upton was drafted from the New York Yankees by the St. Louis Browns in the 1949 Rule V Draft, and on April 19, 1950, he made his big league debut. He was the Browns' regular shortstop that year, hitting .237 with two home runs and seven stolen bases in 389 at-bats. He showed a good eye at the plate, walking 52 times and striking out only 45 times.

In 52 games in 1951, he hit only .198, so he spent 34 games with the Kansas City Blues that year as well, hitting .233. On November 27th, he was traded with Sherm Lollar and Al Widmar to the Chicago White Sox for Joe DeMaestri, Gordon Goldsberry, Dick Littlefield, Gus Niarhos and Jim Rivera. He was then traded by the White Sox to the Washington Senators for Sam Dente that same day.

He appeared in five games for the Senators in 1952, with no hits in five at-bats. On May 3rd of that year, he was traded with Irv Noren back to the Yankees for Jackie Jensen, Spec Shea, Jerry Snyder and Archie Wilson. In the minors the rest of the year, he hit .226 in 72 games split between the Beaumont Roughnecks and the Syracuse Chiefs.

April 30, 1952 was the date of his final big league game. Overall, he hit .225 in 181 major league games. In the minors, he hit .239 in 530 games.

His brother is Bill Upton.