Chuck Coles

From BR Bullpen

Charles Edward Coles

Bats Left, Throws Left
Height 5' 9", Weight 180 lb.
School Waynesburg College
Debut September 19, 1958
Final Game September 28, 1958
Born June 27, 1931 in Fredericktown, PA USA
Died January 25, 1996 in Myrtle Beach, SC USA

[edit] Biographical Information

Before the 1950 season Chuck Coles was signed as an amateur free agent by the Brooklyn Dodgers. The fleet-footed outfielder was assigned to the class D Valdosta Dodgers in his initial season and went on to lead the Georgia-Florida League in hitting with a .355 average and was selected for the All-Star team.

Chuck would spend the 1951 year with the Newport News Dodgers where he would appear in 142 games, lead the class B Piedmont League with 165 base hits, make the All-Star team and hit .299. His next stop would be with the AA Mobile Bears in 1952 and he kept up his fast pace by playing in 153 games and hitting .296 which included 13 home runs. He again was picked for the Southern Association All-Star team, along with future major leaguers Frank Thomas and Dusty Rhodes.

In the United States Military in 1953 and 1954 he was back in the game in 1955 with the Elmira Pioneers where he hit 13 homers and had a .278 batting average. He would appear in 128 games for the Pueblo Dodgers in 1956 and hit for a .279 average.

Before the 1957 season the Brooklyn Dodgers sent Chuck to the Albuquerque Dukes of the Western League in an unknown transaction and Chuck would respond by leading the league with 208 base hits that included 26 home runs and hit for a .344 average. The Cincinnati Reds obtained him from Albuquerque as part of a minor league working agreement before the 1958 season.

The Reds would place him with the AA Nashville Volunteers in 1958 and Chuck would again respond by leading the Southern Association with 107 RBI along with 29 homers and a .307 Batting average. The stocky left hand hitting outfielder came up with Cincinnati late that summer and picked up a pair of base hits in eleven at bats for a .182 average in five games in his only shot at the majors.

Coles would play five more seasons in the minors, winding up his 12 year active career with the Tidewater Tides, of the Carolina League in 1963. Over these years he would appear in 1,537 games, go to bat 5,518 times, garner 1,619 base hits, including 176 home runs and wind up with a .293 batting average.

Coles, who had been employed as a millwright in Jefferson, PA, died January 25, 1996, at age 64 in Myrtle Beach, SC.