BayBears remember Milt Bolling

Mobile baseball great, Milt Bolling, died Saturday, Jan. 12 at the age of 82 at Providence Hospital after a lengthy illness.

Bolling was born in Mississippi City, Miss., and attended Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala.

In 1947 Bolling was signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent. After several years in the Minor Leagues, he made it to the show. His Major League debut was on Sept. 10, 1952 for the Red Sox as the starting shortstop.

Bolling played five seasons with the Red Sox, and after battling some injuries in 1957 he was traded to the Washington Senators, where he fought for the starting shortstop role. In 1958, Bolling was traded to the Cleveland Indians for a short time before landing with the Detroit Tigers, where he joined his younger brother Frank. After only 31 a- bats for the Tigers, Bolling played his final Major League game on July 28, 1958.

Bolling finished his playing career with a .241 batting average, 19 home runs and 94 RBIs in 400 games played.

After his playing career, Bolling stayed in baseball. He worked for the Boston Red Sox for 30 years as an executive assistant to owner Tom Yawkey and as a scout in the Alabama area.

The Bolling baseball legacy is still felt in Mobile. Bolling was inducted into the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame in 1992, and Hank Aaron Stadium is right off of"Bolling Brothers Boulevard, named after the fraternal baseball legends. Frank Bolling played in the Majors from 1954-1966 for the Detroit Tigers and Atlanta/Milwaukee Braves. Like his brother Milt, Frank played shortstop and second base.

The Mobile BayBears mourn the loss of the man who helped grow baseball in the area. In 200, Bolling was selected as the captain for the Mobile Professional Players in the ninth Mobile BayBears Celebrity Game. This season the BayBears hope to carry on the Bolling legacy.