Douglas Warren Linton (born February 9, 1965) is a former
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Modern professional ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
. He played all or parts of seven seasons in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
between 1992 and 2003 for the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
,
California Angels,
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
,
Kansas City Royals, and
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
, mostly as a
relief pitcher
In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weat ...
. He also played one season in the
KBO League
The KBO League (), officially the Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers ar ...
for the
LG Twins
LG Corporation (or LG Group) (), formerly Lucky-Goldstar from 1983 to 1995 (Korean: ''Leokki Geumseong''; ), is a South Korean multinational conglomerate founded by Koo In-hwoi and managed by successive generations of his family. It is t ...
in 2002. He is currently the pitching coach for the
Colorado Springs Sky Sox.
Early life
Linton attended
Canyon High School in
Anaheim, California
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...
. He attended the
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine (UCI or UC Irvine) is a public land-grant research university in Irvine, California. One of the ten campuses of the University of California system, UCI offers 87 undergraduate degrees and 129 graduate and p ...
, where he played
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...
for the
Anteaters from 1984–1986.
Playing career
Toronto Blue Jays
Linton was drafted by the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
in the 43rd round of the
1986 Major League Baseball draft, signing with the Blue Jays on September 5, 1986. He made his professional baseball debut with the
Myrtle Beach Blue Jays
The Myrtle Beach Blue Jays were a minor league baseball team based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. They began play in the South Atlantic League in 1987 after being relocated from Florence, South Carolina (Florence Blue Jays). They played at the ...
of the
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...
in 1987, where he had a very impressive season, earning a 14–2 record and a 1.73 ERA in 21 games. He was promoted to the
Knoxville Blue Jays
The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Kodak, Tennessee, a suburb of Knoxville. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They play at Smokies Stadium, directly off In ...
of the
Southern League late in the year. He pitched in only one game for Knoxville, allowing three runs in three innings.
Linton spent the 1988 season with the
Dunedin Blue Jays
The Dunedin Blue Jays are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and are the Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball club. They are located in Dunedin, Florida, and play their home games at TD Ballpar ...
of the
Florida State League. An injury cut his season short, and he appeared in just twelve games, all in relief. He had a 2–1 record with a 1.63 ERA in 27.2 innings. He split the 1989 season with Dunedin and Knoxville, where he posted a combined record of 6–6 with a 2.68 ERA in 23 games, 14 of them
starts.
Linton was promoted to the
Syracuse Chiefs
Syracuse may refer to:
Places Italy
*Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa''
*Province of Syracuse
United States
*Syracuse, New York
**East Syracuse, New York
**North Syracuse, New York
* Syracuse, Indiana
*Syracuse, Kansas
*Syracuse, Miss ...
of the
International League for the 1990 season, where he had a 10–10 record with a 3.40 ERA in 26 starts. He returned to Syracuse in 1991, posting a 10–12 record with a 5.01 ERA in 30 games.
He began the season with the Chiefs once again in 1992, where he had a 12–10 record with a 3.74 ERA in 25 starts, earning a call-up from the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
. Linton made his Blue Jays debut on August 3, 1992, where he pitched 3.2 innings out of the bullpen, allowing one run and striking out four as Toronto lost 7–1 to the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...
at
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Bas ...
. He made his first major league start on August 13, as Linton pitched eight innings, allowing two runs and striking out four, as the Blue Jays defeated the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
4–2 at
SkyDome to earn his first major league victory. Linton struggled after that game, allowing 19
earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an erro ...
s in six innings over four appearances, and was sent back to the Chiefs at the end of August. Linton had a 1–3 record with an 8.62 ERA with Toronto.
Linton began the 1993 season with the Syracuse Chiefs, posting a 2–6 record with them with a 5.36 ERA, as well as playing in four games with Toronto, with a 0–1 record and a 6.55 ERA before being selected off waivers by the
California Angels on June 17.
California Angels
He made his Angels debut on June 20, 1993, allowing a run in 1.1 innings pitched as the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
defeated the Angels 11–6 at
Anaheim Stadium
Angel Stadium of Anaheim is a baseball stadium located in Anaheim, California. Since its opening in 1966, it has served as the home ballpark of the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB), and was also the home stadium to the Los Angel ...
. He earned his first Angels victory on July 7, pitching a scoreless ninth inning as California defeated the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...
7–6. The Angels released Linton on September 14, at which time Linton had a 2–0 record with a 7.71 ERA in 19 games, all out of the bullpen.
New York Mets
The
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
signed Linton on December 17, 1993. Linton made his Mets debut on April 8, 1994 in a 6–3 loss to the
Houston Astros at
The Astrodome, working out of the bullpen. He made 32 appearances with New York, having a solid record of 6–2 with a 4.47 ERA. In July he was sent to the
Norfolk Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Chesapea ...
of the
International League, where Linton had a 2–1 record with 2.00 ERA.
After the season, Linton became a free agent, and signed with the
Kansas City Royals on April 25, 1995.
Kansas City Royals
Linton made his Royals debut working out of the bullpen on April 29, 1995, allowing 3 runs in 3.2 innings as Kansas City lost 10–3 to the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
at
Kauffman Stadium
Kauffman Stadium (), often called "The K", is a baseball stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri. It is home to the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). It is part of the Truman Sports Complex together with the adjacent Arrowhead ...
. He made his first Royals start on May 5 against the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
, allowing only one run in eight innings with four strikeouts, however, he had to settle for a no-decision before the Royals won the game in extra innings. Linton was crushed in his next start, allowing ten runs in five innings in a 10–0 loss to the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...
. He was sent to the
Omaha Royals
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest c ...
at the end of May, where he spent the rest of the season, compiling a 7–7 record with a 4.40 ERA in 18 starts. His numbers in Kansas City were 0–1 with a 7.25 ERA in seven games.
After re-signing with Kansas City for the 1996 season, he began the year in Omaha, where he started four games with a 2–1 record and a 4.76 ERA before earning a call-up to Kansas City. Linton set a career high in wins with Kansas City, as he had a 7–9 record with a 5.02 ERA in 21 games and a career high 104 innings pitched. The Royals released Linton on March 4, 1997.
Yankees and Twins
Linton sat out the 1997 season due to injury, then later signed a contract with the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
on January 26, 1998, however, he was released during
spring training on March 14.
Linton next signed a contract with the
Minnesota Twins on May 26, and spent the season with the Twins AAA affiliate, the
Salt Lake Buzz
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...
of the
Pacific Coast League. Linton played in 18 games, making 14 starts, as he had a 4–4 record with a 5.99 ERA with the Buzz. He became a free agent after the season.
Baltimore Orioles
On December 17, 1998, Linton signed with the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
and began the 1999 season with the club making his Orioles debut on April 11, 1999 at
Camden Yards
The Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a baseball stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home field of Major League Baseball's Baltimore Orioles, and the first of the "retro" major league ballparks constructed during the 1990s and early ...
, starting against the Toronto Blue Jays. Linton allowed two runs through five innings receiving a no-decision in the Orioles 9–5 loss. He lost his next start, 7–4, also to Toronto at SkyDome, and was demoted first to the Orioles bullpen, then to their Triple-A affiliate, the
Rochester Red Wings of the
International League. There, he pitched well, compiling a 7–5 record with a 3.65 ERA, earning a promotion back to the O's, finishing the year in Baltimore as a full-time starter pitching his best game on September 4, allowing one run in seven innings as Baltimore defeated the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...
3–1. He finished the year with a 1–4 record and a 5.95 ERA with the Orioles, but was released on December 7.
Colorado Rockies
On February 21, 2000, Linton agreed to a contract with the
Colorado Rockies and was sent to their AAA affiliate, the
Colorado Springs Sky Sox of the
Pacific Coast League at the end of Spring Training, spending the season with the Sky Sox, posting a record of 10–13 with a 5.38 ERA in 28 starts.
Dodgers, Mets, and Korea
Linton signed as a free agent with the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
on January 15, 2001, however, he was released at the end of Spring Training on April 1.
Linton next came back for his second stint in the New York Mets organization, signing as a free agent on May 9, 2001 and was assigned to their AAA affiliate the
Norfolk Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Chesapea ...
of the
International League, compiling a 7–3 record with a 3.21 ERA in 12 starts before being sold to the
LG Twins
LG Corporation (or LG Group) (), formerly Lucky-Goldstar from 1983 to 1995 (Korean: ''Leokki Geumseong''; ), is a South Korean multinational conglomerate founded by Koo In-hwoi and managed by successive generations of his family. It is t ...
of the
Korea Baseball Organization, where he finished the 2001 season.
Atlanta Braves
On January 16, 2002, Linton agreed to a deal with the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...
. He would have another very solid season in AAA, where he played for the
Richmond Braves of the
International League. Despite a 9–11 record, Linton had a very solid ERA of 2.53, as well as 160 strikeouts in 174 innings pitched. He started the Triple A All-Star for the International League against the Pacific Coast League.
Return to the Blue Jays
Linton returned to the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
organization as he signed as a free agent on October 23, 2002. He won a job in the Blue Jays bullpen in spring training, and started the year in Toronto. Linton made his return in a Blue Jays uniform on March 31, 2003, when he pitched two scoreless innings in relief as Toronto lost 8–4 to the Yankees. He appeared in seven games with Toronto, having a 0–0 record and a 3.00 ERA in nine innings before being sent to the
Syracuse SkyChiefs. In Syracuse, Linton struggled badly, posting a record of 2–10 with a 5.28 ERA in 32 appearances.
Return to the Royals
Linton would sign with the
Kansas City Royals on January 16, 2004, and after a start with the
Wichita Wranglers
The Wichita Wranglers were a minor league baseball team based in Wichita, Kansas. The team, which played in the Texas League, was the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres from 1987 to 1994 and the Kansas City Royals ...
of the
Texas League
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
in which Linton pitched 5.1 innings, allowing only one run, he was promoted to the
Omaha Royals
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest c ...
of the
Pacific Coast League. In Omaha, Linton had a tough season, going 3–9 with a 7.59 ERA in 27 games. After the season, he announced his retirement from the game.
Coaching career
Linton was formerly the pitching coach for the Asheville Tourists
Tri-City Dust Devils
The Tri-City Dust Devils are a Minor League Baseball team in the northwest United States, based in Pasco, Washington. The Dust Devils are members of the Northwest League and are affiliated with the Los Angeles Angels. Tri-City plays their home ga ...
and
Modesto Nuts
The Modesto Nuts are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Modesto, California, and are named for the several types of nuts grown in the region. They play the ...
, and is currently the pitching coach for the Sky Sox. Minor league pitching coordinator for the Colorado Rockies.
References
External links
, o
Retrosheet o
Pelota Binaria (Venezuelan Winter League)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Linton, Doug
1965 births
Living people
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
American expatriate baseball players in South Korea
American expatriate baseball players in Taiwan
Baltimore Orioles players
Baseball players from California
California Angels players
Cardenales de Lara players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
Colorado Springs Sky Sox players
Dunedin Blue Jays players
Kansas City Royals players
KBO League pitchers
Knoxville Blue Jays players
LG Twins players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Myrtle Beach Blue Jays players
New York Mets players
Norfolk Tides players
Omaha Royals players
Richmond Braves players
Rochester Red Wings players
Salt Lake Buzz players
Syracuse Chiefs players
Syracuse SkyChiefs players
Toronto Blue Jays players
UC Irvine Anteaters baseball players
Uni-President Lions players
Wichita Wranglers players
Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks players