Jim Britton
| Jim Britton | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: March 25, 1944 North Tonawanda, New York, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 20, 1967, for the Atlanta Braves | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 25, 1971, for the Montreal Expos | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 13–16 |
| Earned run average | 4.02 |
| Strikeouts | 138 |
| Teams | |
James Allan Britton (born March 25, 1944) is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1967 to 1971 with the Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos. He was 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) tall and weighed 225 pounds.
Career
[edit]Britton was born in North Tonawanda, New York and attended Tonawanda High School. In 1961, Britton refused a football scholarship to Penn State University and signed as an amateur free agent with the Baltimore Orioles. On November 26, 1962, the Braves drafted him in the first-year draft.
On September 20, 1967, at the age of 23, Britton made his Major League debut with the Braves. During this game he gave up a three-run home run to Johnny Bench, the first of Bench's career. Perhaps his best season in the Major Leagues was his second: in 34 games, he had an ERA of 3.10.
On December 2, 1969, Britton was traded with Don Johnson, a minor leaguer, to the Montreal Expos for pitcher Larry Jaster. Expected to be a spot starter the following season, he missed that season due to arm trouble. On September 25, 1971, Britton played his final major league game.
As a batter, Britton hit .127. The highlight of his hitting career would be the double he hit in 1969. Defensively, Britton committed two errors in his career for a .952 fielding percentage. During his career, he wore three numbers: 27 in 1967, 42 in 1968 and 1969, and 27 in 1971.
After his baseball career ended, Britton served as a special agent with the FBI.
Personal life
[edit]Britton's father suffered a fatal heart attack while watching Britton bat for the Richmond Braves during the ninth inning of 1967 game in Rochester, New York. Braves manager Lum Harris told Britton only that his father had fainted and sent him out to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ "Victory, Where Is Thy...?". Press and Sun-Bulletin. Associated Press. September 6, 1967. p. 5-E. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Baseball-Almanac.com
- Baseball Gauge
- Retrosheet.org
- Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
- 1944 births
- Living people
- American expatriate baseball players in Canada
- Atlanta Braves players
- Austin Braves players
- Baseball players from Niagara County, New York
- Bluefield Orioles players
- Boise Braves players
- Greenville Braves players
- Leones del Caracas players
- American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
- Major League Baseball pitchers
- Montreal Expos players
- Peninsula Whips players
- Penn State Nittany Lions baseball players
- Pennsylvania State University alumni
- People from North Tonawanda, New York
- Richmond Braves players
- University at Buffalo alumni
- University of Tennessee alumni
- Yakima Braves players