Choo-Choo Coleman
Encyclopedia
Clarence "Choo-Choo" Coleman was a Major League Baseball
player who played catcher
for the Philadelphia Phillies
and the New York Mets
.
on August 25, 1937. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Senators
at age 18. He was released by the Senators and signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers
, then taken by the Philadelphia Phillies
in the rule V draft
. In 1961, he appeared in 34 games for the Phillies, getting hit by a pitch in his first Major League at bat. He would hit only .128 for the Phillies that year in 47 at bats. The Phillies finished in last place that year, a spot soon to be taken over by the expansion New York Mets
franchise. In the off-season, the Mets selected Coleman in the expansion draft
. He would play parts of three seasons for the Mets, hitting .205 in 415 at bats.
, the Mets post-game show. Host Ralph Kiner
liked to tell the story, during game broadcasts, about how Choo-Choo didn't say much and was very hard to interview. Coleman also had a bad memory for names, and called everybody "Bub". Ralph explained that he had run out of questions for Coleman, so he asked Choo-Choo, "What's your wife's name and what's she like?" Choo-Choo replied "My wife's name is Mrs. Coleman and she likes me, Bub." Another time, Kiner asked Clarence how he had gotten the name Choo-Choo. "I don't know, Ralph," was the answer.
Upon first introducing Choo-Choo to the media, Mets manager Casey Stengel
did not exactly sing his praises. He said of Coleman "You have to have a catcher or you'll have all passed balls." But he did refer to him as "the best low-ball catcher in baseball", a commodity the early Mets staff probably needed.
In 1963, during Duke Snider
's only year with the Mets, he told a reporter how Choo-Choo did not know his name, despite the fact that he and Snider had spent months on the same team. The reporter did not believe him. To prove his point, Snider said to the Mets catcher, "Choo-Choo, do you know me?" Choo-Choo replied, "Yes, you're number 4." Roger Craig
once said: "Choo-Choo would give you the sign and then look down to see what it was."
The authors of The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book
, Brendan C. Boyd & Fred C. Harris, Little Brown & Co, 1973, had this to say about Coleman on p. 37, next to a picture of his baseball card: "Choo-Choo Coleman was the quintessence of the early New York Mets. He was a 5'8", 160-pound catcher who never hit over .250 in the majors, had 9 career home runs, 30 career RBIs, and couldn't handle pitchers. Plus his name was Choo-Choo. What more could you ask for?"
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player who played catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
for the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
and the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
.
Career
Coleman was born in Orlando, FloridaOrlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
on August 25, 1937. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
at age 18. He was released by the Senators and signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, then taken by the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
in the rule V draft
Rule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
. In 1961, he appeared in 34 games for the Phillies, getting hit by a pitch in his first Major League at bat. He would hit only .128 for the Phillies that year in 47 at bats. The Phillies finished in last place that year, a spot soon to be taken over by the expansion New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
franchise. In the off-season, the Mets selected Coleman in the expansion draft
1961 MLB Expansion Draft
The 1961 MLB Expansion Draft was held by Major League Baseball on October 10, 1961 to fill the rosters of the New York Mets and the Houston Colt .45s. The Mets and the Colts were the new franchises which would enter the league in the 1962 season...
. He would play parts of three seasons for the Mets, hitting .205 in 415 at bats.
Quotes
While Coleman never had success as a player, he became somewhat famous for his malapropisms. Perhaps most famous was an interview on Kiner's KornerKiner's Korner
Kiner's Korner was a post game interview show following New York Mets broadcasts hosted by Ralph Kiner. The show aired since the Mets' inaugural season at Shea Stadium in 1964. For years the show followed every Mets home game. The first was on April 30, 1963 with guests Buddy Hackett and Phil Foster...
, the Mets post-game show. Host Ralph Kiner
Ralph Kiner
Ralph McPherran Kiner is an American former Major League Baseball player and has been an announcer for the New York Mets since the team's inception. Though injuries forced his retirement from active play after 10 seasons, Kiner's tremendous slugging outpaced nearly all of his National League...
liked to tell the story, during game broadcasts, about how Choo-Choo didn't say much and was very hard to interview. Coleman also had a bad memory for names, and called everybody "Bub". Ralph explained that he had run out of questions for Coleman, so he asked Choo-Choo, "What's your wife's name and what's she like?" Choo-Choo replied "My wife's name is Mrs. Coleman and she likes me, Bub." Another time, Kiner asked Clarence how he had gotten the name Choo-Choo. "I don't know, Ralph," was the answer.
Upon first introducing Choo-Choo to the media, Mets manager Casey Stengel
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel , nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in ....
did not exactly sing his praises. He said of Coleman "You have to have a catcher or you'll have all passed balls." But he did refer to him as "the best low-ball catcher in baseball", a commodity the early Mets staff probably needed.
In 1963, during Duke Snider
Duke Snider
Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider , nicknamed "The Silver Fox" and "The Duke of Flatbush", was a Major League Baseball center fielder and left-handed batter who played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Mets , and San Francisco Giants .Snider was elected to the National Baseball Hall of...
's only year with the Mets, he told a reporter how Choo-Choo did not know his name, despite the fact that he and Snider had spent months on the same team. The reporter did not believe him. To prove his point, Snider said to the Mets catcher, "Choo-Choo, do you know me?" Choo-Choo replied, "Yes, you're number 4." Roger Craig
Roger Craig (baseball)
Roger Craig may refer to:*Roger Craig , former NFL running back*Roger Craig , former pitcher, coach and manager in Major League Baseball...
once said: "Choo-Choo would give you the sign and then look down to see what it was."
The authors of The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book
The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book
The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book is a book written by Brendon C. Boyd & Fred C. Harris about baseball cards, primarily ones issued during the 1950s and 1960s, and the players on the cards....
, Brendan C. Boyd & Fred C. Harris, Little Brown & Co, 1973, had this to say about Coleman on p. 37, next to a picture of his baseball card: "Choo-Choo Coleman was the quintessence of the early New York Mets. He was a 5'8", 160-pound catcher who never hit over .250 in the majors, had 9 career home runs, 30 career RBIs, and couldn't handle pitchers. Plus his name was Choo-Choo. What more could you ask for?"