Bubba Morton

Who was Bubba Morton?

Wycliffe Nathaniel "Bubba" Morton was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Braves and California Angels. He batted and threw right-handed.

A native of Washington, D.C., Morton graduated from Armstrong High School in 1950 and, after a stint in the Coast Guard, attended Howard University from 1954 to 1957, earning two varsity letters each in baseball and football.

In 1955 Morton became the third black player signed by the Detroit Tigers, one of the first black men to play for the post-war Terre Haute Huts of the Three-I League in 1956, and one of the first black men to play for the Durham Bulls. With the Bulls in 1957, he batted .310 with 18 home runs and 82 runs batted in to lead the club to their first championship.

A light-hitting, strong-armed outfielder, Morton played with the Tigers as a reserve in parts of three seasons. He was purchased by the Milwaukee Braves from Detroit in the 1963 mid-season. During his brief tenure with the Braves, he was the roommate of Hank Aaron. The next two years Morton played at Triple-A for the Milwaukee Braves and Cleveland Indians organizations, until he was acquired by the California Angels at the end of the 1965 season.