Major league baseball and Vermont

We don’t have a major league team in Vermont, but 38 native-born Vermonters have made it to the major leagues. Vermont’s most recent major leaguer is a Springfield, Vermont native.

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Major league baseball and Vermont By Shelburne News on April 14, 2016No Comment April-14-S-Pat-Putnam-SC By Marvin Fishman Springtime. The pungent smell of pregnant earth, rivers swollen with melting snow, the evening chorus of spring peepers, budding red maples, trillium and daffodils and of course, baseball!We don’t have a major league team in Vermont, but 38 native-born Vermonters have made it to the major leagues. Most only saw only limited time in the Big Show, but several had long and productive careers. Pat Putnam is Shelburne’s connection to the MLB. Born in Bethel, he grew up in Shelburne where he played baseball in the Shelburne Little League on a team coached by his father. The family moved to Florida when Putnam was eight. Eventually he played eight seasons as a first baseman, from 1977 to 1984, playing with the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners and ending his MLB career with a .255 batting average. Fans remember Carlton Fiske as the 11-season catcher for the Boston Red Sox. “Pudge” Fisk, born in Bellows Falls, earned the Rookie of the Year Award in 1972. One of MLB’s greatest catchers, the durable Fisk played his final 13 seasons with the Chicago White Sox and was elected to the hall of Fame in 2000. Birdie Tebbetts was another Vermont-born major league catcher. Born in Burlington, his family moved to New Hampshire when he was a few months old. He played for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians from 1936–1952. A four-time All Star, Tebbetts batted .270 during his career. After the 1948 season, Tebbetts organized The Birdie Tebbetts Major League All Stars and barnstormed throughout New England. On Columbus Day they played in Burlington’s Centennial Field against a team organized by Larry Gardner. Tebbetts’ team won 8-4. At the post-game banquet in the Hotel Vermont, Tebbetts met Mary, the daughter of Burlington restaurant owner Stephen Hartnett. They were married two years later. Larry Gardner starred in the majors in an earlier period. Born in Enosburg Falls, he played major league ball for the Red Sox, Athletics and Indians from 1908 through 1924. Playing in the “dead ball” era, he batted .289 during his 17-year career. Gardner, a third baseman, had the distinction of being the first batter up for UVM in the inaugural game played a Centennial Field on April 17, 1906. He and his teammate, Ray Collins, were considered good enough to make the varsity team in their freshman year. Southpaw Collins threw the inaugural game’s first pitch against the University of Maine Black Bears. UVM won 10-4. Collins, born in Colchester, graduated from Edmunds High School in Burlington before attending UVM. Both Collins and Gardner played for the Red Sox after their graduation. Collins pitched his entire career for Boston. His record was 84-62 with a 2.51 ERA. Vermont’s most recent major leaguer is Daric Barton, a Springfield, Vermont native whose family moved to Huntington Beach, California. He started his professional baseball career as a catcher in the St. Louis Cardinals farm system. In 2004, Barton was traded to Oakland Athletics organization where he was converted into a first baseman. That year he was ranked as the A’s #1 prospect. Daric debuted with the A’s in 2007. In 2008, Barton was the Athletics’ starting first baseman. During the All-Star break, Barton dove into a shallow pool and hit his head on the bottom. He suffered a jammed neck and needed staples to close a head wound. Barton began the 2010 season again as the A’s starting first baseman. Maybe he should have been nicknamed Bad Luck Barton, because on April 25, he fractured his finger while tumbling into the Cleveland Indian’s dugout. Still, he won a Fielding Bible Award for defensive excellence and led his team in runs (79), hits (152), and doubles (33). A patient batter, Barton also led the American League in walks with 110. Vermont may not have a major league team, but we have fed local players into the majors. We also have a minor league organization that calls Centennial Field its home. Its present incarnation is the Lake Monsters, an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. Hot dog, anyone?