Burt Hooton was born on Tuesday, February 7, 1950, in Greenville, Texas. Hooton was 21 years old when he broke into the big leagues on June 17, 1971, with the Chicago Cubs. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Burt Hooton baseball stats page.
"The memory that sticks out for me was just my first day at Wrigley Field. Coming off the University of Texas campus and into that Cubs clubhouse [Straight To The Major Leagues]... I was just a 21-year-old-kid. I was watching Ernie Banks and Billy Williams and Ron Santo and Don Kessinger and Glenn Beckert and Randy Hundley and Fergie Jenkins. These were guys I had been watching on TV the previous eight or nine years. Then all of a sudden, here I am wearing the same uniform and I am one of their teammates. I will always remember just the way they accepted me and how nice and professional they all were." - Burton Hooton in Game of Chicago Cubs: Memorable Stories of Cubs Baseball (Lew Freedman, Sports Publishing, 'Where Have You Gone? BURT HOOTON,' 05/01/2007)
Burt HootonBurt "Happy" Hooton Autograph on a 1981 Fleer Baseball Card (#113) |
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Biographical Data | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Burt HootonBurt Hooton Pitching Stats |
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Year | Age | Team | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
1971 | 21 | Cubs | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 2.11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 21.1 | 82 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1972 | 22 | Cubs | 33 | 31 | 1 | 11 | 14 | .440 | 2.80 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 218.1 | 916 | 201 | 68 | 78 | 13 | 81 | 7 | 132 | 8 | 1 | 0 | - |
1973 | 23 | Cubs | 42 | 34 | 1 | 14 | 17 | .452 | 3.68 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 239.2 | 1,013 | 248 | 98 | 107 | 12 | 73 | 7 | 134 | 9 | 4 | 1 | - |
1974 | 24 | Cubs | 48 | 21 | 9 | 7 | 11 | .389 | 4.80 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 176.1 | 791 | 214 | 94 | 112 | 16 | 51 | 6 | 94 | 7 | 3 | 0 | - |
1975 | 25 | Cubs | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | 8.18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 | 54 | 18 | 10 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1975 | 25 | Dodgers | 31 | 30 | 0 | 18 | 7 | .720 | 2.82 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 223.2 | 895 | 172 | 70 | 76 | 16 | 64 | 2 | 148 | 3 | 0 | 1 | - |
1976 | 26 | Dodgers | 33 | 33 | 0 | 11 | 15 | .423 | 3.26 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 226.2 | 925 | 203 | 82 | 93 | 16 | 60 | 6 | 116 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
1977 | 27 | Dodgers | 32 | 31 | 1 | 12 | 7 | .632 | 2.62 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 223.1 | 897 | 184 | 65 | 74 | 14 | 60 | 5 | 153 | 5 | 3 | 1 | - |
1978 | 28 | Dodgers | 32 | 32 | 0 | 19 | 10 | .655 | 2.71 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 236.0 | 942 | 196 | 71 | 74 | 17 | 61 | 4 | 104 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1979 | 29 | Dodgers | 29 | 29 | 0 | 11 | 10 | .524 | 2.97 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 212.0 | 874 | 191 | 70 | 85 | 11 | 63 | 4 | 129 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
1980 | 30 | Dodgers | 34 | 33 | 1 | 14 | 8 | .636 | 3.66 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 206.2 | 858 | 194 | 84 | 90 | 22 | 64 | 1 | 118 | 4 | 0 | 1 | - |
1981 | 31 | Dodgers | 23 | 23 | 0 | 11 | 6 | .647 | 2.28 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 142.1 | 571 | 124 | 36 | 42 | 3 | 33 | 2 | 74 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
1982 | 32 | Dodgers | 21 | 21 | 0 | 4 | 7 | .364 | 4.03 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 120.2 | 514 | 130 | 54 | 57 | 5 | 33 | 2 | 51 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
1983 | 33 | Dodgers | 33 | 27 | 0 | 9 | 8 | .529 | 4.22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 160.0 | 684 | 156 | 75 | 86 | 21 | 59 | 4 | 87 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - |
1984 | 34 | Dodgers | 54 | 6 | 20 | 3 | 6 | .333 | 3.44 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 110.0 | 463 | 109 | 42 | 43 | 5 | 43 | 6 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - |
1985 | 35 | Rangers | 29 | 20 | 2 | 5 | 8 | .385 | 5.23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 124.0 | 546 | 149 | 72 | 78 | 18 | 40 | 2 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - |
Career | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD | ||
15 Years | 480 | 377 | 35 | 151 | 136 | .526 | 3.38 | 86 | 29 | 7 | 2,652.0 | 11,025 | 2,497 | 996 | 1,112 | 193 | 799 | 58 | 1,491 | 62 | 20 | 4 | 0 |
Burt HootonBurt Hooton Hitting Stats |
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Year | Age | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG |
1971 | 21 | Cubs | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .125 | .000 |
1972 | 22 | Cubs | 33 | 72 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 37 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .125 | .171 | .181 |
1973 | 23 | Cubs | 42 | 70 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .129 | .238 | .129 |
1974 | 24 | Cubs | 48 | 50 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .060 | .113 | .080 |
1975 | 25 | Cubs | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
1975 | 25 | Dodgers | 31 | 70 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 27 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .129 | .176 | .214 |
1976 | 26 | Dodgers | 33 | 62 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 28 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .097 | .147 | .113 |
1977 | 27 | Dodgers | 32 | 67 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .164 | .188 | .194 |
1978 | 28 | Dodgers | 32 | 67 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .149 | .230 | .164 |
1979 | 29 | Dodgers | 30 | 75 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .147 | .158 | .187 |
1980 | 30 | Dodgers | 34 | 64 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .063 | .104 | .109 |
1981 | 31 | Dodgers | 23 | 42 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .190 | .261 | .262 |
1982 | 32 | Dodgers | 21 | 35 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .086 | .086 | .200 |
1983 | 33 | Dodgers | 33 | 50 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .160 | .208 | .200 |
1984 | 34 | Dodgers | 54 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .071 | .071 | .071 |
1985 | 35 | Rangers | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
Career | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG | ||
15 Years | 481 | 748 | 42 | 92 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 49 | 44 | 0 | 243 | 117 | 2 | 2 | 6 | .123 | .173 | .163 |
Burt HootonBurt Hooton Fielding Stats |
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Team | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
1971 Cubs | P | 3 | 3 | 64 | 4 | 1.3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .750 | 1.27 |
1972 Cubs | P | 33 | 31 | 655 | 49 | 1.5 | 48 | 13 | 35 | 1 | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .980 | 1.98 |
1973 Cubs | P | 42 | 34 | 719 | 57 | 1.4 | 53 | 21 | 32 | 4 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .930 | 1.99 |
1974 Cubs | P | 48 | 21 | 529 | 55 | 1.1 | 54 | 15 | 39 | 1 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .982 | 2.76 |
1975 Cubs | P | 3 | 3 | 33 | 7 | 2.3 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 5.73 |
1975 Dodgers | P | 31 | 30 | 671 | 36 | 1.2 | 35 | 12 | 23 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .972 | 1.41 |
1976 Dodgers | P | 33 | 33 | 680 | 37 | 1.1 | 37 | 6 | 31 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.47 |
1977 Dodgers | P | 32 | 31 | 670 | 42 | 1.3 | 42 | 11 | 31 | 0 | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.69 |
1978 Dodgers | P | 32 | 32 | 708 | 46 | 1.4 | 45 | 12 | 33 | 1 | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .978 | 1.72 |
1979 Dodgers | P | 29 | 29 | 636 | 38 | 1.3 | 38 | 12 | 26 | 0 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.61 |
1980 Dodgers | P | 34 | 33 | 620 | 53 | 1.6 | 49 | 23 | 26 | 4 | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .925 | 2.13 |
1981 Dodgers | P | 23 | 23 | 427 | 22 | 1.0 | 22 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.39 |
1982 Dodgers | P | 21 | 21 | 362 | 30 | 1.4 | 30 | 9 | 21 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 2.24 |
1983 Dodgers | P | 33 | 27 | 480 | 34 | 1.0 | 32 | 8 | 24 | 2 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .941 | 1.80 |
1984 Dodgers | P | 54 | 6 | 330 | 21 | 0.4 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.72 |
1985 Rangers | P | 29 | 20 | 372 | 23 | 0.8 | 22 | 9 | 13 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .957 | 1.60 |
Career | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
P Totals | 480 | 377 | 7,956 | 554 | 1.2 | 538 | 165 | 373 | 16 | 21 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .971 | 1.83 | |
15 Years | 480 | 377 | 7,956 | 554 | 1.2 | 538 | 165 | 373 | 16 | 21 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .971 | 1.83 |
Burt HootonBurt Hooton Miscellaneous Stats |
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Baserunning Statistics | Other Positions | Common Hitting Ratios | Common Pitching Ratios | |||||||||
Team | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
1971 Cubs | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 2.20 | 9.28 | 4.22 |
1972 Cubs | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 72.0 | 1.9 | 12.0 | 1.63 | 5.44 | 3.34 |
1973 Cubs | 0 | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 2.9 | 23.3 | 1.84 | 5.03 | 2.74 |
1974 Cubs | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 2.3 | 50.0 | 1.84 | 4.80 | 2.60 |
1975 Cubs | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.25 | 4.09 | 3.27 |
1975 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 70.0 | 2.6 | 10.0 | 2.31 | 5.96 | 2.58 |
1976 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 2.2 | 15.5 | 1.93 | 4.61 | 2.38 |
1977 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 4.5 | 22.3 | 2.55 | 6.17 | 2.42 |
1978 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 4.5 | 33.5 | 1.70 | 3.97 | 2.33 |
1979 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 1 | n/a | 0.0 | 4.2 | 15.0 | 2.05 | 5.48 | 2.67 |
1980 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 1 | 0 | n/a | 64.0 | 4.3 | 10.7 | 1.84 | 5.14 | 2.79 |
1981 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 3.2 | 14.0 | 2.24 | 4.68 | 2.09 |
1982 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 35.0 | 7.0 | 35.0 | 1.55 | 3.80 | 2.46 |
1983 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 3.3 | 7.1 | 1.47 | 4.89 | 3.32 |
1984 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 4.7 | 14.0 | 1.44 | 5.07 | 3.52 |
1985 Rangers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.55 | 4.50 | 2.90 |
Career | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
15 Years | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 187.0 | 3.1 | 15.3 | 1.87 | 5.06 | 2.71 |
Burt HootonBurt Hooton Miscellaneous Items of Interest |
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Team | Roster | Uniform Numbers | Salary | All-Star | World Series |
1971 Chicago Cubs | 44 | $12,750.00 | - | - |
1972 Chicago Cubs | 44 | $13,500.00 | - | - |
1973 Chicago Cubs | 44 | $15,000.00 | - | - |
1974 Chicago Cubs | 44 | Undetermined | - | - |
1975 Chicago Cubs | 44 | Undetermined | - | - |
1975 Los Angeles Dodgers | 46 | $60,000.00 | - | - |
1976 Los Angeles Dodgers | 46 | $65,000.00 | - | - |
1977 Los Angeles Dodgers | 46 | $80,000.00 | - | Stats |
1978 Los Angeles Dodgers | 46 | $135,000.00 | - | Stats |
1979 Los Angeles Dodgers | 46 | Undetermined | - | - |
1980 Los Angeles Dodgers | 46 | Undetermined | - | - |
1981 Los Angeles Dodgers | 46 | Undetermined | Stats | Stats |
1982 Los Angeles Dodgers | 46 | Undetermined | - | - |
1983 Los Angeles Dodgers | 46 | Undetermined | - | - |
1984 Los Angeles Dodgers | 46 | Undetermined | - | - |
1985 Texas Rangers | 46 | $565,000.00 | - | - |
Burt Hooton Stats by Baseball Almanac |
Burt Hooton was selected by New York Mets in the 5th round of the 1968 baseball draft, but chose not to sign directly out of King High School (Corpus Christi, Texas), electing to attend (and play baseball) the University of Texas at Austin. Was it the right choice? Here is what happened next:
Burt Hooton was a three-time All-American (1969, 1970, 1971) in Texas, the team MVP in 1971, finished with a 35-3 record (including including a perfect game and a no-hitter), set several school and conference records, and was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor in 1981, the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998, and the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008.
Burt Hooton was drafted again in 1971, this time by the Chicago Cubs, and made his Major League debut on June 17, 1971, after his first Spring Training trip - the third player in baseball to go straight to the Major Leagues after being drafted without spending a single day in the minor leagues. Those who came before Hooton were Mike Adamson (in 1967) and Steve Dunning (in 1970).
Burt Hooton | Texas Sports Retired Numbers | Texas Longhorns Baseball
On April 15, 1972, the Chicago Cubs played their Opening Day game, losing 2-4 to the Philadelphia Phillies in Wrigley Field. The following day the starting pitcher was Burt Hooton, a rookie pitcher with three Major League games on his baseball card - a June call-up, to fill in for an injury, and a late September call-up, where he was impressive, throwing two complete game victories (a 3-hitter on September 15 and a 2-hitter on September 21). He was even more impressive in this particular game:
Burt Hooton No Hitter (April 16, 1972)
The temperature at Wrigley Field hovered near the freezing mark and a strong wind blew in from left field when Burt Hooton took the mound Sunday April 16 against the Philadelphia Phillies. A small crowd of 9,583 huddled in the stands to watch the 22-year-old rookie make his first start of the season. He was opposed by Dick Selma. The Cubs and Phillies were tied for second place in the NL East, in a 1972 season which was shortened two weeks by a general player strike.
Hooton, who had started three games with the Cubs in 1971, had trouble controlling his knuckle-curve. But the Phillies had more trouble hitting it. They failed to get a single safely as Hooton struck out seven and walked seven.
Due to the walks, the Phillies had one runner on base in all but three innings. But only one man got as far as third. The Phils hit six balls to Cubs outfielders.
After getting Larry Bowa on a grounder to short and Tim McCarver on a bouncer to second, Hooton walked the third batter he faced, Willie Montanez. He was left at first as Deron Johnson flew out to left.
Hooton walked Greg Luzinski leading off the second, but Don Money's grounder to third forced him at second. Money was then thrown out trying to steal second.
The top defensive play of the game occurred in the third when Denny Doyle slammed a leadoff liner that Don Kessinger leaped high to catch. Hooton followed by striking out Selma and Bowa.
McCarver hit a hard liner that was caught in left by Billy Williams at the top of the fourth. Montanez walked again, but one out later was forced at second on Luzinski's grounder to short.
The Cubs snapped a scoreless tie with an unearned run in the fourth on Ron Santo's double, a walk and an error by McCarver. Randy Hundley added a two-run single after hits by Williams and Joe Pepitone and a walk in the seventh. Jose Cardenal tripled and scored on Glenn Beckert's single in the eighth.
Hooton walked Money leading off the fifth, but Doyle's one-out grounder to Kessinger was converted into an inning-ending double play. Another leadoff walk, this one to pinch-hitter Ron Stone, began the sixth. Stone moved to second on Bowa's sacrifice bunt and to third on a grounder to second by McCarver, but was stranded as Montanez struck out.
In the seventh, Hooton got into more trouble. After retiring Luzinski on a long drive that the wind kept in the park in deep center for the second out, he walked Money and Mike Anderson. But Doyle took a called third strike to end the inning.
Hooton retired the last seven batters in a row. McCarver bid for a hit with a hard liner to Rick Monday in right-center with two outs in the eighth. In the ninth, Hooton got Montanez to ground out to Beckert at second. He then struck out the last two batters. Johnson went to a 3-2 count before being called out. Luzinski followed by missing a third strike on an 0-2 pitch.
Hooton had a no-hitter in only his fourth big league start. He would go on to an 11-14 record for the season.
Burt Hooton No Hitter | Silver City Daily Press (Silver City, NM) | April 17, 1972 | Page 7
Burt Hooton won a World Series ring with the 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers, who defeated the New York Yankees 4-2 in the 1981 World Series. Prior to the Fall Classic, Hooton had started two games (Game 1 and Game 4) in the 1981 National League Championship Series, defeated the Montreal Expos twice, and allowed only one run across both games. For his efforts, Happy won the NLCS Most Valuable Player Award - the first time a Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher was awarded the LCS MVP.