Bill Champion (baseball)
| Billy Champion | |
|---|---|
 Champion in 1973 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: September 18, 1947 Shelby, North Carolina, U.S. | |
| Died: January 7, 2017 (aged 69) Shelby, North Carolina, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 4, 1969, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 5, 1976, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 34–50 |
| Earned run average | 4.69 |
| Strikeouts | 360 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Buford Billy Champion (September 18, 1947 – January 7, 2017) was an American professional baseball right-handed pitcher, coach, and scout who played in 202 games in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers, from 1969–1976.
Bill was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 3rd round (58th overall) of the 1965 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Shelby High School in Shelby, North Carolina. In high school, Champion helped the Shelby baseball team win the 1964 Western North Carolina High School Athletic Association (WNCHSAA) championship.[1]
Before his big league debut in 1969, Champion was already a two-time Minor League Baseball (MiLB) earned run average (ERA) league leader: Huron Phillies, Northern League (1965); and Tidewater Tides, Carolina League (1968).[2] He was traded along with Don Money and John Vukovich by the Phillies to the Brewers for Jim Lonborg, Ken Brett, Ken Sanders and Earl Stephenson on October 31, 1972.[3]
Champion went on to become a scout for the Chicago Cubs and pitching coach for the Greenville Braves.[citation needed]
Champion died on January 7, 2017, in Shelby, North Carolina, at the age of 69.[4]
References
[edit]- ↑ Walker & Whisnant. (January 12, 2017). 'Batters could not hit him'. Shelby Star. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- ↑ 1974 Bill Champion Topps baseball card (#391).
- ↑ "Phillies Obtain Jim Lonborg In 7-Man Deal With Brewers," United Press International (UPI), Tuesday, October 31, 1972. Retrieved April 13, 2020
- ↑ Billy Champion dies at age 69
External links
[edit]- Career statistics from MLB · ESPN · Baseball Reference · Fangraphs · Baseball Reference (Minors) · Retrosheet · Baseball Almanac
.jpg){kind=small}   | This biographical article relating to an American baseball pitcher born in the 1940s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
- 1947 births
- 2017 deaths
- Major League Baseball pitchers
- Baseball players from North Carolina
- Sportspeople from Shelby, North Carolina
- Milwaukee Brewers players
- Philadelphia Phillies players
- Bakersfield Bears players
- Huron Phillies players
- Tidewater Tides players
- Reading Phillies players
- Eugene Emeralds players
- Richmond Braves players
- Oklahoma City 89ers players
- Chicago Cubs scouts
- 20th-century American sportsmen
- American baseball pitcher, 1940s birth stubs