Buster Narum

Buster Narum
Pitcher
Born: (1940-11-16)November 16, 1940 Philadelphia
Died: May 17, 2004(2004-05-17) (aged 63) Clearwater, Florida
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 14, 1963, for the Baltimore Orioles
Last MLB appearance
September 26, 1967, for the Washington Senators
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	14–27
Earned run average	4.45
Strikeouts	220
Stats at Baseball Reference
Teams
Baltimore Orioles (1963) Washington Senators (1964–1967)

Leslie Ferdinand "Buster" Narum (November 16, 1940 – May 17, 2004) was an American professional baseball player. Listed as 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and 194 pounds (88 kg), he was a right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Baltimore Orioles (1963) and Washington Senators (1964–1967).

Born in Philadelphia, Narum graduated from high school in Clearwater, Florida. He signed with Baltimore at age 17 in 1958 and debuted with the Orioles early in the 1963 season, finishing with no decisions in nine innings of work. The next year, he was sent to the Senators in the same trade that brought Lou Piniella to Baltimore. On May 3, 1963, Narum became the first-ever Oriole player to hit a home run in his first Major League at-bat, connecting off Don Mossi of the Detroit Tigers in an 8–5 Baltimore triumph.

In actuality, Narum was a notoriously poor hitter, with a career batting average of .059 (7-for-118), though three of Narum's seven lifetime hits were home runs.

In 96 career games Narum compiled a 14–27 record, with 220 strikeouts, a 4.45 ERA, two shutouts, and nine complete games in 396 innings pitched. He allowed 398 hits and 177 bases on balls. After retiring from his 12-season professional career in 1969, he worked as a freight salesman in the trucking industry.

Buster Narum died in Clearwater at the age of 63.

See also

• Home run in first Major League at-bat

External links

• Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet