Mike Colbern

Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1978-1979)

Mike Colbern was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1979 for the Chicago White Sox, a span of 2 seasons. In 80 career games, he hit .259 with 58 hits, 2 home runs, and 28 RBI.

AVG (Batting Average):
Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
HR (Home Runs):
Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
RBI (Runs Batted In):
Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.

Data updated

AVG .259
HR 2
RBI 28
H 58
OPS .627
PIV -473
Position
Catcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
6'3" / 205 lb
Born
4/19/1955 in Santa Monica, CA, USA
Died
3/8/2019 in Tempe, AZ, USA
MLB Debut
1978-07-18
Last Game
1979-09-29

Full name: Michael Malloy Colbern

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Career Batting Statistics

Mike Colbern — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
80 224 16 58 10 2 2 28 0 5 61 .259 .279 .348 .627 -473

Career AVG .259 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .279 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — 14.6% below league average.

Career SLG .348 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — 10.3% below league average.

Career OPS .627 vs. league average .715 across their career seasons — 12.3% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Mike Colbern — Season-by-Season Batting
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1978 CHA AL 48 141 11 38 5 1 2 20 0 1 36 .270 .257 (+5%) .323 (-13%) .378 (-4%) .702 (-8%) -230.6
1979 CHA AL 32 83 5 20 5 1 0 8 0 4 25 .241 .265 (-9%) .329 (-16%) .397 (-18%) .727 (-17%) -242.7
Career · 2 seasons 80 224 16 58 10 2 2 28 0 5 61 .259 — — — — -473

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (80 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Mike Colbern — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home40118731116.263
Away40106927112.255

Last 10 Games — Batting

Mike Colbern — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1979-09-29 CHWSEAL 200000000
1979-09-28 CHWSEAW 300000001
1979-09-27 CHWMINW 000000000
1979-09-26 CHWMINW 311100000
1979-09-23 CHWSEAL 401000003
1979-09-22 CHWSEAL 401100003
1979-09-17 CHWMINL 200000001
1979-09-16 CHWOAKW 300000002
1979-09-14 CHWOAKL 200000002
1979-09-12 CHWLAAW 301010210

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Mike Colbern — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
C 79 65 324 31 11 5

Season-by-Season Fielding

Mike Colbern — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1978 CHA C 47 39 203 19 7 1
1979 CHA C 32 26 121 12 4 4

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Mike Colbern — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Catcher 79
Designated Hitter 1

College History

Mike Colbern — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
Arizona State University Tempe AZ 1974, 1975, 1976

Mike Colbern: the record in brief

Mike Colbern played a first major league game on July 18, 1978 and a last one on September 29, 1979. The team column never changes: it is the Chicago White Sox from 1978 to 1979. At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Colbern is listed as a catcher. Colbern threw and hit right-handed, per the bio block. Colbern was born on April 19, 1955, in Santa Monica, CA, USA. The bio records the death on March 8, 2019, in Tempe, AZ, USA. On the record, Mike Colbern was born Michael Malloy Colbern.

Colbern's career batting table shows 80 games, 224 at bats and 58 hits, a .259 average; the totals also include 2 home runs and 28 runs batted in. Colbern got on base at a .279 rate and slugged .348 (.627 OPS). Against a .262 league average for those years, Colbern's .259 average was near the norm. The OPS comparison is .627 to a league .715, 12.3% below average. Colbern collected a career-high 38 hits in 1978. Among the seasons with the heaviest workload, the best average was .270 in 1978, 5% above that year's league mark of .257.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mike Colbern

What years did Mike Colbern play?
Mike Colbern played in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1979.
Was Mike Colbern a pitcher?
No. Mike Colbern was a position player (Catcher).
How many home runs did Mike Colbern hit?
Mike Colbern hit 2 career home runs with 58 hits.
What teams did Mike Colbern play for?
Mike Colbern played for one team, the Chicago White Sox (1978–1979).
What were Mike Colbern's career stats?
In 80 games, Mike Colbern had 58 hits, 2 home runs, 28 RBI, and 16 runs, with a .259 batting average.
What position did Mike Colbern play?
Mike Colbern played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Mike Colbern and how much did he weigh?
Mike Colbern was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 205 pounds.
How many home runs did Mike Colbern hit each season?
Mike Colbern's home runs by season: 2 in 1978 and 0 in 1979. His most in one season was 2, in 1978.
What was Mike Colbern's career batting average?
Mike Colbern batted .259 over his career, with 58 hits in 224 at bats.
How many RBI did Mike Colbern have?
Mike Colbern drove in 28 runs in his career.
Is Mike Colbern in the Hall of Fame?
No. Mike Colbern has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.