Buster Narum
Encyclopedia
Leslie Ferdinand "Buster" Narum (November 16, 1940 - May 17, 2004) was a Major League Baseball
right-handed starting pitcher
for the Baltimore Orioles
and Washington Senators
(-).
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, Narum debuted with the Orioles in the season, finishing with no decisions in nine innings of work. The next year, he was sent to the Senators in the same trade that brought Lou Piniella
to Baltimore. On May 3, 1963, Narum became the first-ever Oriole player to hit a home run in his first Major League at-bat (a feat since matched by Luis Montanez
).
Narum was a notoriously poor hitter, with a career batting average of .059, though three of Narum's seven lifetime hits were home runs.
In 96 career games Narum compiled a 14-27 record, with 220 strikeout
s, a 4.45 ERA
, two shutout
s, and nine complete game
s in 396 innings pitched
. After retiring, he worked as a freight salesman in the trucking industry.
Buster Narum died in Clearwater, Florida
at the age of 63.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
right-handed starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
for the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
and Washington Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
(-).
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Narum debuted with the Orioles in the season, finishing with no decisions in nine innings of work. The next year, he was sent to the Senators in the same trade that brought Lou Piniella
Lou Piniella
Louis Victor Piniella is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He has been nicknamed "Sweet Lou," both for his swing as a major league hitter and, facetiously, to describe his demeanor as a player and manager...
to Baltimore. On May 3, 1963, Narum became the first-ever Oriole player to hit a home run in his first Major League at-bat (a feat since matched by Luis Montanez
Lou Montañez
Luis Anibal Montañez is a Puerto Rican professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent.-Minor leagues:...
).
Narum was a notoriously poor hitter, with a career batting average of .059, though three of Narum's seven lifetime hits were home runs.
In 96 career games Narum compiled a 14-27 record, with 220 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s, a 4.45 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
, two shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s, and nine complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
s in 396 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
. After retiring, he worked as a freight salesman in the trucking industry.
Buster Narum died in Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
at the age of 63.