Matt Batts

Who was Matt Batts?

Matthew Daniel "Matt" Batts was an American Major League Baseball catcher who played from 1947 through 1956 for the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Browns, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds, with brief trades to Baltimore and Cleveland.

Growing up in the sandlots of San Antonio, Batts batted and threw right-handed with exceptional speed. But in a fluke position change up, he found his niche behind the plate on a semipro team. Batts excelled as a freshman at Baylor University and was recruited by Red Sox scouts. However, in 1942 when he signed with Boston in exchange for paying his tuition, the Baylor team dropped him. He would later be inducted into Baylor's Hall of Fame. Batts joined the Army Air Corps for the duration of World War II, moving then to Boston where he debuted on September 10, 1947, by cracking a homer on his first Major League at-bat. A slap hitter and competent defensive catcher, Batts played mostly backup roles over the course of his career. He was the starting catcher for the Detroit Tigers in 1953, appearing in 116 games while hitting .278 with a .985 fielding percentage in 514 chances.