Pat Putnam, the first baseman from Southwest Florida whose prodigious minor-league hitting earned him a fast pass to Major League Baseball, died Aug. 25 in Punta Gorda, Florida. Putnam was the first player from the Fort Myers area to reach the major leagues, a distinction that made his career part of local lore long before the region became a familiar stop for baseball scouts. Born in Bethel, Vermont, on Dec. 3, 1953, Putnam moved with his family to Fort Myers when he was 8.
His father, Robert, coached him in Little League, and Putnam developed into a left-handed power hitter at Fort Myers High School. After graduating in 1972, Putnam played at Miami Dade North Junior College and the University of South Alabama before the Texas Rangers selected him in the first round (22nd overall) of the 1975 secondary phase of the MLB draft. Putnam's ascent through the minor leagues was spectacular.
In 1976, playing for Asheville, Putnam hit .361 with 24 home runs and 142 RBIs, winning the Western Carolina League's first Triple Crown. He led the league in 10 offensive categories and was named The Sporting News' Minor League Player of the Year — the first Class-A player to receive the honor since Johnny Vander Meer in 1936. More news: Former Yankees, Red Sox Pitcher Dies Putnam reached the majors with Texas in September 1977.
Two years later, after injuries opened a path to regular playing time, he hit .277 with a team-leading 18 home runs. In the 1979 BBWAA Rookie of the Year balloting, Putnam finished fourth. That early promise was never fully realized.
Putnam produced his best major-league season after being traded to the Seattle Mariners in 1983: a .269 batting average, .773 OPS, 19 home runs and 67 RBIs. He was selected by his teammates as the team MVP. More news: Former Mets, Cardinals, Tigers General Manager Dies Putnam's eight-year major league career ended in 1984 after a brief stint in Minnesota.
He continued playing professionally in Japan for the Nippon Ham Fighters in 1986 and 1987, hitting 37 home runs over two seasons, and later played for the Fort Myers Sun Sox of the Senior Professional Baseball Association. When he retired, Putnam had 508 hits in MLB, including 63 home runs and 255 RBIs, in 1,989 at-bats. For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports
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