Major League baseball Player. Wycliffe "Bubba" Morton made his mark in baseball as a man of many firsts. He was the first black player signed by the Detroit Tigers, the first black player on the Class B Carolina League Durham Bulls and later the first black coach at the University of Washington. Morton played 7 seasons in the Majors beginning in 1961 for the Tigers. He also played for the Milwaukee Braves (where he was a roommate of Hank Aaron, and the California Angels. His best season was 1967 when he hit .313 in 80 games for the Angels. He later became known as a pinch-hitter, a role he truly enjoyed. In 1970, after a season in Japan with the Toei Flyers, he retired from the game. In 1972 he succeeded Ken Lehman as the Washington Huskies' head baseball coach. In five seasons there he had a 48-101 record. Morton also worked as director of boys' sports at Bush School in Seattle and worked for the Boeing Aircraft Company. Morton was well regarded by his teammates in both the minors and majors, who considered him to be a man of integrity and intelligence. Bubba Morton accrued a career .267 average with 14 home runs and 128 runs batted in 451 games.
Major League baseball Player. Wycliffe "Bubba" Morton made his mark in baseball as a man of many firsts. He was the first black player signed by the Detroit Tigers, the first black player on the Class B Carolina League Durham Bulls and later the first black coach at the University of Washington. Morton played 7 seasons in the Majors beginning in 1961 for the Tigers. He also played for the Milwaukee Braves (where he was a roommate of Hank Aaron, and the California Angels. His best season was 1967 when he hit .313 in 80 games for the Angels. He later became known as a pinch-hitter, a role he truly enjoyed. In 1970, after a season in Japan with the Toei Flyers, he retired from the game. In 1972 he succeeded Ken Lehman as the Washington Huskies' head baseball coach. In five seasons there he had a 48-101 record. Morton also worked as director of boys' sports at Bush School in Seattle and worked for the Boeing Aircraft Company. Morton was well regarded by his teammates in both the minors and majors, who considered him to be a man of integrity and intelligence. Bubba Morton accrued a career .267 average with 14 home runs and 128 runs batted in 451 games.
Bio by: Frank Russo
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