Clinton Dawson Courtney (March 16, 1927 – June 16, 1975), nicknamed "Scrap Iron", was an American professional baseball catcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1951), St. Louis Browns / Baltimore Orioles (1952–1954, 1960, 1961), Chicago White Sox (1955), Washington Senators (1955–1959) and Kansas City Athletics (1961).

Used as the backup to Sherm Lollar by Chicago, Courtney only lasted half a season with the White Sox before he was traded to the Senators.

Injuries afflicted him in 1959, and he was traded back to Baltimore for the 1960 season, where he became the first catcher to wear an oversized mitt while catching knuckleball pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm.

Once his playing career ended, Courtney managed in the minor leagues, first in Houston's organization, and then for affiliates of the Atlanta Braves.

Clinton Dawson Courtney was born on March 16, 1927, in Hall Summit, a village in tiny Red River Parish, Louisiana.

Clint attended Standard-Ulmstead High School in Smackover, where he garnered All-State recognition playing for the basketball team.

[1] In a game against the Phoenix Senators, Courtney slid hard into second base, spiking and breaking player-manager Arky Biggs's hand.

[7] According to Rory Costello of the Society for American Baseball Research, Courtney began the 1948 season with Beaumont before being sent down to the Augusta Tigers of the Class A South Atlantic League in late April.

[9] He was suspended indefinitely and fined $100 after a September 3 game when he spat twice in the face of umpire John Fette and struck him with his baseball bat.

[9] He made his major league debut on September 29, starting behind the plate for the second game of a doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox.

[1] Baseball historian Frank Russo wrote, "In restrospect, Courtney's trade to St. Louis was the best thing that could have happened to his career.

Either teammate Duane Pillette or Browns announcer Buddy Blattner dubbed him "Scrap Iron", a nickname that would stick with him throughout his career and would well describe the tough, confrontational Courtney.

In the fourth game of the year, he had his first major league hit, a triple with the bases loaded against Bob Kennedy, helping the Browns defeat the Chicago White Sox 7–1.

[1][15] On May 6, he hit his first major league home run, a go-ahead, two-run blast against Bob Hooper as St. Louis beat the Philadelphia Athletics 5–1.

[1][19] He had a game-ending RBI in painful fashion on September 9, getting hit by a pitch by Ray Scarborough with the bases loaded to force in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth, as the Browns defeated the Yankees 5–4.

Fans threw soda bottles onto the field, the game was paused for 17 minutes, and umpire Johnny Stevens dislocated his shoulder.

[1][4] Courtney was involved in another fight in the third inning of the first game of a doubleheader on July 5, when Johnny Bucha of the Detroit Tigers crashed into him while trying to score.

[36] His three-run home run against Bob Keegan in the first game of an August 28 doubleheader helped Washington beat the White Sox 6–2.

[6] Against the Tigers on September 10, he had two hits and four RBI, including a two-run home run off of Paul Foytack in the eighth inning that turned a 4–3 deficit into a 5–4 victory.

[6] During spring training in 1960, Courtney was traded back to the Orioles, along with Ron Samford, as the Senators acquired Billy Gardner.

[47] Though Triandos was the main catcher for the Orioles, he was on the disabled list part of the year with a sore thumb, giving Courtney more playing time.

The unpredictable nature of a knuckleball made it notoriously difficult not just to hit but to catch, and catchers often allowed passed balls when Wilhelm was throwing.

[6] On January 21, 1961, Courtney was traded to Kansas City with Jim Archer, Bob Boyd, Wayne Causey, and Al Pilarcik for Whitey Herzog and Russ Snyder.

[6] He made one appearance for Kansas City, pinch-hitting for Haywood Sullivan in a 5–3 loss to the Yankees in the first game of an April 15 doubleheader, before the Athletics returned him to Baltimore the same day.

[57] Courtney held the glove in this manner on instruction from Hornsby, who theorized that "the pitchers will miss it enough that they will hit the edge of the plate a lot of the time.

After just three games with them, he was sent to the Durham Bulls of the Class B Carolina League, where manager Lou Fitzgerald wanted a veteran around to help the team's catchers.

[1][59] Courtney finished his playing career in 1964 as a player-coach with San Antonio, where he served as the backup catcher to Dave Adlesh.

[7] Over 30 years later, David King of The San Antonio Express-News called Courtney the "heart" of the Bullets, going on to discuss how his work ethic and simple approach to the game influenced the team.

[61] In 1965, Courtney returned to the major leagues as the bullpen coach for Houston, their first season under the name Astros and their first year in the indoor Astrodome.

[1] "Clint ‘Scraps’ Courtney is a man who means what he says and doesn't beat around the bush getting the job done,” opined Jim Joyce of The Greenwood Index-Journal.