Cliff Bolton
Encyclopedia
William Clifton Bolton was a catcher
in Major League Baseball
who played for the Washington Senators
and Detroit Tigers
. He was born in High Point, North Carolina
.
. The following season, he hit .403. He moved up to the class A Eastern League in 1929 and hit .356.
In 1930, he hit .380 for the Chattanooga Lookouts
of the Southern Association
, and in 1931 he made his major league debut with the Washington Senators. Bolton spent the next few years with Washington. In 1933, he hit .410 coming off the bench; Washington won the American League
pennant that season, and Bolton batted twice in the World Series
. His only two years as a major league regular were 1935 and 1936.
By 1940, Bolton had returned to the minor leagues. He had another good season in 1941 with the South Atlantic League
's Greenville Spinners
and returned to the Senators at the end of the season. However, he went 0 for 11 at the plate and never played in the majors again.
Bolton had a few more big-hitting seasons in the North Carolina State League
towards the end of the 1940s. He retired after the 1952 season.
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
in Major League Baseball
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...
who played for the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
and Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. He was born in High Point, North Carolina
High Point, North Carolina
High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina....
.
Career
Bolton started his professional baseball career in 1927 with High Point of the Piedmont LeaguePiedmont League
The Piedmont League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1920 through 1955. The league operated principally in the Piedmont plateau region in the eastern United States.- Former :...
. The following season, he hit .403. He moved up to the class A Eastern League in 1929 and hit .356.
In 1930, he hit .380 for the Chattanooga Lookouts
Chattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. They are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team, which plays in the Southern League, has been a Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club since the 2009 season. The Lookouts...
of the Southern Association
Southern Association
The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A , Class A1 and Class AA...
, and in 1931 he made his major league debut with the Washington Senators. Bolton spent the next few years with Washington. In 1933, he hit .410 coming off the bench; Washington won the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
pennant that season, and Bolton batted twice in the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
. His only two years as a major league regular were 1935 and 1936.
By 1940, Bolton had returned to the minor leagues. He had another good season in 1941 with the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
's Greenville Spinners
Greenville Spinners
The Greenville Spinners were a minor league baseball team located in Greenville, South Carolina.They played in the Carolina Association from 1908-1912, the South Atlantic League from 1919-1930, 1946-1950 and 1961-1962, the Palmetto League in 1931 and the Tri-State League from 1954-1955.The team had...
and returned to the Senators at the end of the season. However, he went 0 for 11 at the plate and never played in the majors again.
Bolton had a few more big-hitting seasons in the North Carolina State League
North Carolina State League
The North Carolina State League was a "Class D" league in Minor League Baseball. The original version of the league existed from 1913-1917 as the successor to the Carolina Association...
towards the end of the 1940s. He retired after the 1952 season.