The Pecan Park Eagle

Two days earlier, 9/27/63, the 1963 Houston Colt .45’s put a late cap on the season with an all rookie lineup, but they still lost to the Mets, 10-3.

The 1963 Houston Colt .45’s ended their season at Colt Stadium on Sunday, September 29th, with a 13-4 bashing of the New York Mets. Two days earlier, on Friday, September 27, 1963, Manager Harry Craft had sent out an all rookie lineup, the one featured above in the photo, but they were soundly beaten by the old Metros, 10-3, in a game that will be talked about forever among diehard Houston fans.

Here’s how the Baytown Sun reported this last 9/29/63 game mauling win and the only amazing day in the one-game career of young Mr. John Paciorek. A subsequent injury would keep Paciorek from every playing a second game in the major leagues, leaving him with among the rare few who finish with a 1.000 batting average for their entire career:

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Trounce Mets 13-4 —

COLTS END SEASON WITH A BANG

Houston (AP) – New York Mets pitchers generously contributed 12 hits and 11 walks and the Houston Colts galloped to a 13-4 win in their baseball season finale.

Only twice all year had the Colts produced as many as nine runs. While it lasted, it was quite a party.

Manager Harry Craft was thumbed out. Rookie John Paciorek won the unofficial major league batting title with an average of 1.000. And Jim Umbricht completed a storybook year by picking up an easy victory in relief.

Eight rookies started for Houston. Bob Aspromonte, 24, was the lone oldtimer in the lineup.

(John) Paciorek, an 18-year-old strong boy from Michigan, played his first major league game in right field. He had a perfect day with three singles, two walks, four runs scored, three runs batted in and an average of 1.000.

Catcher John Bateman also knocked home three runs with a triple and a single. His three-bagger found two on in the second.

Four pitchers saw service on each side.

Chris Zachary started for the Colts and yielded in turn to (Jim) Umbricht, Turk Farrell, and Dizzy Jackson (Dickson, not Jackson).

Umbricht worked only two-thirds of an inning, but he was the pitcher of record as Houston rallied for five runs and a 7-4 lead in the last of the fourth.

~ The Baytown Sun, Monday, September 30, 1963, Page 6.

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Baseball Almanac Box ScoresNew York Mets 4, Houston Colt .45s 13
Game played on Sunday, September 29, 1963 at Colt Stadium
New York Mets ab   r   h rbi Kranepool rf 5 0 1 1 Carmel cf 3 0 0 0 Hunt 2b 3 0 2 0 Harkness 1b 3 1 1 0 Hickman 3b 4 1 1 0   Schreiber 3b 0 0 0 0 Hicks lf 4 0 0 0 Coleman c 2 1 1 1   Cannizzaro c 2 0 0 0 Moran ss 2 0 0 0   Fernandez ph,ss 2 0 0 0 Bearnarth p 2 1 2 2   Bauta p 0 0 0 0   Stallard p 0 0 0 0   Thomas ph 1 0 0 0   Powell p 0 0 0 0   Smith ph 1 0 1 0 Totals 34 4 9 4	Houston Colt .45s ab   r   h rbi Vaughan ss 2 0 0 0   Runnels ph 0 0 0 1   Farrell p 2 0 0 0   Dickson p 1 0 0 0 Morgan 2b 2 1 0 0 Wynn lf 3 0 1 2 Staub 1b 4 1 1 1 Aspromonte 3b 4 3 2 1 Murrell cf 5 1 1 0 Paciorek rf 3 4 3 3 Bateman c 3 2 2 3   Adlesh ph,c 1 0 0 0 Zachary p 1 0 0 0   Umbricht p 0 0 0 0   Spangler ph 1 0 1 0   Lillis ss 2 1 2 2 Totals 34 13 13 13
New York 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 – 4 9 2 Houston 0 2 0 5 4 1 1 0 x – 13 13 2   New York Mets IP H R ER BB SO Bearnarth  L (3-8) 3.0 6 7 7 3 5   Bauta 1.1 4 3 3 1 1   Stallard 0.2 1 1 1 3 1   Powell 3.0 2 2 2 4 1 Totals 8.0 13 13 13 11 8   Houston Colt .45s IP H R ER BB SO Zachary 3.1 5 4 4 1 3   Umbricht  W (4-3) 0.2 1 0 0 0 1   Farrell 3.0 2 0 0 1 1   Dickson  SV (2) 2.0 1 0 0 0 0 Totals 9.0 9 4 4 2 5 E–Carmel (6), Hicks (3), Wynn (8), Bateman (23).  DP–New York 2, Houston 2.  2B–New York Hunt (28,off Farrell).  3B–New York Bearnarth (1,off Zachary), Houston Bateman (6,off Bearnarth); Aspromonte (5,off Bauta).  HBP–Hunt (13,by Zachary).  Team LOB–6.  SF–Runnels (4,off Bauta).  Team–9.  SB–Coleman (5,2nd base off Umbricht/Bateman).  WP–Powell (9).  HBP–Zachary (3,Hunt).  U-HP–Paul Pryor, 1B–Frank Secory, 2B–Frank Walsh, 3B–Ken Burkhart.  T–2:28.  A–3,899.
Game played on Sunday, September 29, 1963 at Colt Stadium
Baseball Almanac Box Score |