Thomas Herbert "Muscles" Upton (December 29, 1926 in Esther, Missouri - March 24, 2008 in Downey, California

Downey, California

Downey is a city located in southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city is best known as the birthplace of the Apollo space program, and is the city where folk singer Karen Carpenter lived and died...

) is a former right-handed Major League Baseball

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...

 shortstop who played for the St. Louis Browns

Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...

 from 1950 to 1951, and for 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...

 in 1952. He began his professional (minor league) career in 1944, after being signed by the New York Yankees

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...

. In between playing professionally, he attended Bucknell University

Bucknell University

Bucknell University is a private liberal arts university located alongside the West Branch Susquehanna River in the rolling countryside of Central Pennsylvania in the town of Lewisburg, 30 miles southeast of Williamsport and 60 miles north of Harrisburg. The university consists of the College of...

 and University of Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...

. He also attended Southeast Missouri State University

Southeast Missouri State University

Southeast Missouri State University, is a public, accredited university located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States, near the banks of the Mississippi River. The institution, having started as a normal school, has a traditional strength in teacher education...

, but did not play for them.

Upton split the 1944 season between the Norfolk Tars

Norfolk Tars

The Norfolk Tars were a minor league baseball team that existed on and off from 1906 to 1955. Based in Norfolk, Virginia, they played in the Virginia League from 1906 to 1918 and from 1921 to 1928, in the Eastern League from 1931 to 1932 and in the Piedmont League from 1934 to 1955, and from 1934...

 and Kansas City Blues

Kansas City Blues (American Association)

The Kansas City Blues are a former minor league baseball team located in Kansas City, Missouri, in the Midwestern United States. The team was one of the eight founding members of the 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

Binghamton Triplets

The Binghamton Triplets were a minor league baseball team in Binghamton, New York, affiliated with the New York Yankees ; the team also had brief affiliations with the Kansas City Athletics and the Milwaukee Braves...

, hitting .227 in 100 games. For the Ventura Yankees

Ventura Yankees

Based in Ventura, California, the Ventura Yankees were a minor league baseball team that existed from 1947 to 1949. They were affiliated with the New York Yankees and the played in the California League. They played their home games at Babe Ruth Field at Seaside Park.-Year-by-year record:...

, Quincy Gems

Quincy Gems (minor league team)

The Quincy Gems were a minor league baseball team that existed on and off from 1907 to 1964. Based in Quincy, Illinois, they played in the Iowa State League in 1907, the Central Association in 1908, the Three-I League from 1913 to 1917 and from 1946 to 1956, and the Midwest League in 1964...

 and Triplets in 1948, he hit .271 in 398 at-bats. In 638 at-bats for the Beaumont Exporters

Beaumont Exporters

The Beaumont Exporters were a franchise in American minor league baseball that played in the Texas League from 1920-49 and 1953-55. The city of Beaumont, Texas, was also represented in the Texas League from 1912-17 and 1919 as the Oilers, from 1950-52 as the Roughnecks, and from 1983-86 as the...

 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

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...

, 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.

In 52 games in 1951, he 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

Sherm Lollar

John Sherman Lollar was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , St. Louis Browns , and the Chicago White Sox...

 and Al Widmar

Al Widmar

Albert Joseph Widmar was an American starting pitcher and a pitching coach in Major League Baseball. Between 1945 and 1952, Widmar played for the Boston Red Sox , St. Louis Browns and Chicago White Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...

 to the Chicago White Sox

Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...

 for Joe DeMaestri

Joe DeMaestri

Joseph Paul DeMaestri , nicknamed "Froggy," is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago White Sox , St. Louis Browns , Philadelphia & Kansas City Athletics and New York Yankees...

, Gordon Goldsberry

Gordon Goldsberry

Gordon Frederick Goldsberry was an American professional baseball player, scout and front-office executive. As a player, he was a first baseman who appeared in 217 Major League Baseball games for the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Browns between and...

, Dick Littlefield

Dick Littlefield

Richard Bernard "Dick" Littlefield was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for nine teams between 1950 and 1958.Born in Detroit, Michigan, he died there at age 71....

, Gus Niarhos

Gus Niarhos

Constantine Gregory "Gus" Niarhos was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the New York Yankees , Chicago White Sox , Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies...

 and Jim Rivera

Jim Rivera

Manuel Joseph "Jim" Rivera is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and left-handed batter who played for the St. Louis Browns , Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Athletics...

. He was then traded by the White Sox to the Senators for Sam Dente

Sam Dente

Samuel Joseph Dente [Blackie] was a shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for five different teams between 1947 and 1955. Listed at 5' 11, 175 lb., Dente batted and threw right-handed...

.

He appeared in five games for the Senators in 1952, hitting .000 in five at-bats. On May 3 of that year, he was traded with Irv Noren

Irv Noren

Irving Arnold Noren is a retired American professional baseball and basketball player. He played outfield in the Major Leagues from 1950-1960. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Senators, New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Dodgers...

 to the Yankees for Jackie Jensen

Jackie Jensen

Jack Eugene Jensen was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for three American League teams from 1950 to 1961, most notably the Boston Red Sox...

, Spec Shea

Spec Shea

Francis Joseph "Spec" Shea was a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1947-1955. He played for the New York Yankees from 1947–1951 and the Washington Senators from 1952-1955...

, Jerry Snyder

Jerry Snyder

Gerald George Snyder is an American former infielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Washington Senators from 1952 to 1958. Listed at , , he batted and threw right-handed....

 and Archie Wilson

Archie Wilson

Archibald Clifton Wilson was a backup outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for three teams from 1951-52. Listed at , , Wilson batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Los Angeles, California....

. In the minors the rest of the year, he hit .226 in 72 games split between the Beaumont Roughnecks and the Syracuse Chiefs.

April 30, 1952 was the date of his final big league game. Overall, he hit .225 in 181 major league games. In the minors, he hit .239 in 530 games.

Following his death in 2008, he was cremated.