Bob Barton

Who is Bob Barton?

Robert Wilbur Barton, is a retired American professional baseball player who played catcher in the Major Leagues from 1965-1974. He played for the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds.

He made his Major League debut on September 17, 1965 in a 9-1 Giants loss to the Milwaukee Braves at County Stadium, entering the game in the seventh inning, replacing catcher Jack Hiatt. Barton batted once, going 0-1 with a foulout. His first hit came in his next at-bat on September 28 in a 9-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco's Candlestick Park. Pinch-hitting for Baseball Hall of Famer Warren Spahn in the ninth inning, he singled off Larry Jaster.

He was primarily a backup catcher, playing behind Tom Haller with the Giants and Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Bench with the Reds. His best statistical year as a hitter was as a starter for the 1971 Padres; in 121 games, he hit .250 with five home runs and 23 runs batted in along with 17 doubles. On defense, in 1971 he led National League catchers in runners caught stealing, percentage of runners caught stealing and errors committed and was second in assists