▁for ▁the ▁ ▁C inc inn ati ▁Red leg s . ▁Col es ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Frederick town , ▁Pennsylvania , ▁and ▁attended ▁Way nes burg ▁College . ▁He ▁threw ▁and ▁batt ed ▁left - hand ed , ▁stood ▁ ▁tall ▁and ▁we ighed ▁. ▁ ▁His ▁career ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁Brook lyn ▁D od gers ' ▁organization ▁and ▁was ▁interrupted ▁by ▁military ▁service ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 – 1 9 5 4 . ▁Col es ▁reached ▁double ▁figures ▁in ▁home ▁runs ▁in ▁nine ▁different ▁minor - le ague ▁seasons , ▁exceed ing ▁ 2 4 ▁hom ers ▁for ▁three ▁straight ▁years ▁( 1 9 5 6 – 1 9 5 8 ). ▁At ▁the ▁tail ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁of ▁those ▁seasons , ▁Col es ▁was ▁called ▁up ▁by ▁the ▁Red leg s ▁from ▁the ▁Double - A ▁Nash ville ▁Vol s ▁after ▁he ▁had ▁sm ashed ▁ 2 9 ▁hom ers , ▁scored ▁ 1 1 7 ▁runs , ▁driven ▁in ▁ 1 0 7 , ▁and ▁batt ed ▁. 3 0 7 ▁playing ▁in ▁off ense - friend ly ▁Sul ph ur ▁D ell . ▁He ▁led ▁the ▁Southern ▁Association ▁in ▁runs ▁batt ed ▁in ▁and ▁was ▁selected ▁the ▁circuit ' s ▁All - Star ▁first ▁bas eman . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁five ▁September ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁appearances , ▁Col es ▁started ▁four ▁cont ests : ▁three ▁as ▁left ▁fiel der ▁and ▁one ▁as ▁center ▁fiel der ; ▁he ▁pin ch ▁hit ▁in ▁a ▁fifth .