# Tom Upton

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{{short description|American baseball player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Tom Upton
|position=[Shortstop](/source/Shortstop)
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date|1926|12|29}}
|birth_place=[Esther, Missouri](/source/Esther%2C_Missouri)
|death_date={{death date and age|2008|3|24|1926|12|29}}
|death_place=[Downey, California](/source/Downey%2C_California)
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 19
|debutyear={{mlby|1950}}
|debutteam=[St. Louis Browns](/source/St._Louis_Browns)
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=April 30
|finalyear={{mlby|1952}}
|finalteam=[Washington Senators](/source/Washington_Senators_(1901%E2%80%9360))
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[Batting average](/source/Batting_average_(baseball))
|stat1value=.225
|stat2label=[Home run](/source/Home_run)s
|stat2value=2
|stat3label=[Runs batted in](/source/Run_batted_in)
|stat3value=42
|teams=
* [St. Louis Browns](/source/St._Louis_Browns) ({{mlby|1950}}–{{mlby|1951}})
* [Washington Senators](/source/Washington_Senators_(1901%E2%80%9360)) ({{mlby|1952}})
|highlights=
}}
'''Thomas Herbert "Muscles" Upton''' (December 29, 1926 – March 24, 2008) was a professional athlete. He was a right-handed [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) [shortstop](/source/shortstop) who played for the [St. Louis Browns](/source/St._Louis_Browns) from 1950 to 1951, and for the [Washington Senators](/source/Washington_Senators_(1901%E2%80%9360)) in 1952.

== Early life and education ==
Upton was born in [Esther, Missouri](/source/Esther%2C_Missouri). In between playing professional baseball, he attended [Bucknell University](/source/Bucknell_University) and [University of Pennsylvania](/source/University_of_Pennsylvania). He also attended [Southeast Missouri State University](/source/Southeast_Missouri_State_University), but did not play for them.

== Athletic career ==
Upton began his professional (minor league) career in 1944, after being signed by the [New York Yankees](/source/New_York_Yankees). He split the 1944 season between the [Norfolk Tars](/source/Norfolk_Tars) and [Kansas City Blues](/source/Kansas_City_Blues_(American_Association)), hitting a combined .140 with a .162 slugging percentage in 222 at-bat. He did not play in 1945 or 1946, however in 1947 he played for the Tars and [Binghamton Triplets](/source/Binghamton_Triplets), hitting .227 in 100 games. For the [Ventura Yankees](/source/Ventura_Yankees), [Quincy Gems](/source/Quincy_Gems_(minor_league_team)) and Triplets in 1948, he hit .271 in 398 at-bats.  In 638 at-bats for the [Beaumont Exporters](/source/Beaumont_Exporters) in 1949, he hit .265 with a career-high four home runs.

Upton was drafted from the Yankees by the Browns in the 1949 [Rule 5 draft](/source/Rule_5_draft), and on April 19, 1950, he made his big league debut. He was the Browns' regular shortstop that year, hitting .237 with two home runs and seven stolen bases in 389 at-bats. He showed a good eye at the plate, walking 52 times and striking out only 45 times.<ref>[Southeast Missouri State University The Baseball Cube]</ref>

In 52 games in 1951, Upton hit only .198, so he spent 34 games with the Kansas City Blues that year as well, hitting .233. On November 27, 1951, he was traded with [Sherm Lollar](/source/Sherm_Lollar) and [Al Widmar](/source/Al_Widmar) to the [Chicago White Sox](/source/Chicago_White_Sox) for [Joe DeMaestri](/source/Joe_DeMaestri), [Gordon Goldsberry](/source/Gordon_Goldsberry), [Dick Littlefield](/source/Dick_Littlefield), [Gus Niarhos](/source/Gus_Niarhos) and [Jim Rivera](/source/Jim_Rivera). Upton was then traded by the White Sox to the Senators for [Sam Dente](/source/Sam_Dente).<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/u/uptonto01.shtml Baseball Reference]</ref>

He appeared in five games for the Senators in 1952, going hitless in five at-bats. On May 3 of that year, Upton was traded with [Irv Noren](/source/Irv_Noren) to the Yankees for [Jackie Jensen](/source/Jackie_Jensen), [Spec Shea](/source/Spec_Shea), [Jerry Snyder](/source/Jerry_Snyder) and [Archie Wilson](/source/Archie_Wilson_(baseball)). In the minors the rest of the year, he hit .226 in 72 games split between the Beaumont Roughnecks and the [Syracuse Chiefs](/source/Syracuse_Chiefs).

On April 30, 1952, Upton played in his final big league game. Overall, he hit .225 in 181 major league games. In the minors, he hit .239 in 530 games.

== After baseball ==
Upton died in 2008 at age 81 in [Downey, California](/source/Downey%2C_California).

== Personal life ==
Upton's brother [Bill](/source/Bill_Upton) also played major league baseball.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Upton, Tom}}
Category:Major League Baseball shortstops
Category:St. Louis Browns players
Category:20th-century American sportsmen
Category:Washington Senators (1901–1960) players
Category:Syracuse Chiefs players
Category:Ventura Yankees players
Category:Quincy Gems players
Category:Binghamton Triplets players
Category:Norfolk Tars players
Category:Kansas City Blues (baseball) players
Category:Beaumont Roughnecks players
Category:Baseball players from Missouri
Category:1926 births
Category:2008 deaths
Category:People from Park Hills, Missouri

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tom Upton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Upton) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Upton?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.