Dick Green | |
---|---|
Second baseman | |
Born: Sioux City, Iowa, U.S. | April 21, 1941|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
September 9, 1963, for the Kansas City Athletics | |
Last MLB appearance | |
October 2, 1974, for the Oakland Athletics | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .240 |
Home runs | 80 |
Runs batted in | 422 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Richard Larry Green (born April 21,1941) is an American former professional baseball player. [1] He played as a second baseman in Major League Baseball from 1963 through 1974,playing for the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics. Green played on the "Swingin' A's" dynasty that won three consecutive World Series championships between 1972 and 1974. [1]
Born in Sioux City,Iowa,Green was raised in Yankton and Mitchell,South Dakota,where his ability as a baseball player was first noted. [2]
An outstanding high school quarterback,Green was offered a scholarship by Michigan State University,but did not attend college,and was signed by the Kansas City Athletics before the 1960 season as an amateur free agent. Green spent a few seasons in the minor leagues before being called up on September 9,1963. Green played minimally in 13 games,but did pick up 10 hits,including his first major league home run.
In 1964,his first full year in the majors,Green played 130 games,with 115 hits,11 of them being home runs and posted a .264 batting average. He also committed just six errors at second base and finished the season with a .990 fielding percentage. The following season,Green finished with a batting average of .232 and 110 hits in 133 games.
In 1966,Green improved,hitting .250,slapping in 127 hits in 140 games,and also knocked in 62 runs. However,Green struggled the following season. With 69 hits in 122 games,Green coupled his .198 batting average with 5 home runs and 37 RBIs.
After the season,the Kansas City Athletics franchise moved to Oakland. Green posted better numbers the following two seasons with the Oakland Athletics and had a career year in 1969 when he finished the season with a .275 average,12 home runs,64 RBIs,and 61 runs scored.
Green was a member of the 1972–1974 World Series championship teams,and won the Babe Ruth Award for his performance in 1974. [3] [4] He won the award for his fielding,despite not getting a single hit during the World Series,going 0-for-13. [3] [4] Green tied a World Series record in game three by starting three double plays in one game. [4] [5] He started the first two by catching line drives,and the third was a ground ball double play to end the game. [4] In game four,Green also started a game-ending double play. [4] In the eighth inning of the clinching game five,Green made a perfect relay throw to get Bill Buckner,representing the tying run,out at third base. [4] The six double plays Green participated in during the 1974 World Series tied the record for most defensive double plays in a five-game series. [4]
Before the 1975 season,Green was released by the A's but decided to retire to run the family moving business,thus ending his 12-year career in the majors. He finished his career with a .240 lifetime batting average,960 hits,80 home runs,422 RBIs and 427 runs scored.
On September 19,2009,another rare South Dakota Major Leaguer--Mark Ellis passed Green for the franchise record for homers by a second baseman with his 77th home run playing second base for the A's. [6]
In 2018,he was named to the Oakland Athletics' 50th anniversary All-Time Team.
JoséCanseco Capas Jr. is a Cuban-American former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). During his time with the Oakland Athletics,he established himself as one of the premier power hitters in the game. He won the Rookie of the Year (1986),and Most Valuable Player award (1988),and was a six-time All-Star. Canseco is a two-time World Series champion with the Oakland Athletics (1989) and the New York Yankees (2000).
Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco,nicknamed "Bert" or "Campy",is a Cuban American former professional baseball shortstop,who played Major League Baseball (MLB) for four American League (AL) teams,primarily the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics. One of the mainstays of the Athletics' championship teams of 1972 to 1974,he holds the A's franchise records for career games played (1795),hits (1882),and at bats (7180).
David Lee Henderson,nicknamed "Hendu",was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners,Boston Red Sox,San Francisco Giants,Oakland Athletics,and Kansas City Royals during his 14-year career,primarily as an outfielder.
Joseph Oden Rudi is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left fielder between 1967 and 1982,most prominently as an integral member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won three consecutive World Series championships between 1972 and 1974.
Fury Gene Tenace,better known as Gene Tenace,is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher and first baseman in Major League Baseball from 1969 through 1983,most notably as a member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won three consecutive World Series championships between 1972 and 1974.
Jermaine Terrell Dye is an American former professional baseball right fielder. Dye played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves (1996),Kansas City Royals (1997–2001),Oakland Athletics (2001–2004),and the Chicago White Sox (2005–2009).
Willie James Wilson is an American former professional baseball player. He played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Kansas City Royals,Oakland Athletics,and Chicago Cubs. He was an outfielder known for his speed and ability as an effective leadoff hitter. Wilson's career total of 668 stolen bases currently ranks him in 12th place all-time among major leaguers.
Deron Roger Johnson was an American professional baseball infielder,outfielder,designated hitter,and coach,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees,Kansas City/Oakland Athletics,Cincinnati Reds,Atlanta Braves,Philadelphia Phillies,Milwaukee Brewers,Boston Red Sox,and Chicago White Sox,over the course of his 16-year big league playing career. While an active player,Johnson stood 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall,weighing 200 pounds (91 kg). He batted and threw right-handed.
Alonza Benjamin Bumbry is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder who played for the Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres from 1972 through 1985. Bumbry was the 1973 American League Rookie of the Year,and went on to be an All-Star and World Series champion. He is an inductee of the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. Prior to his major league career,Bumbry served in the US Army during the Vietnam War and was awarded a Bronze Star.
Ricardo Adolfo Jacobo Carty,nicknamed "Beeg Boy",is a Dominican former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1963 to 1979,most prominently as a member of the Atlanta Braves where he helped the franchise win its first National League Western Division title in 1969. Carty had a career batting average of .299 and,was the 1970 National League (NL) batting champion with a .366 batting average. He earned his starting role in the 1970 All-Star Game as a write-in candidate.
William Alex North is an American former center fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1971 to 1981,he played for the Chicago Cubs (1971–72),Oakland Athletics (1973–78),Los Angeles Dodgers (1978) and San Francisco Giants (1979–81). He was a switch hitter and threw right-handed.
Herman Thomas Davis Jr. was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a left fielder and third baseman from 1959 to 1976 for ten different teams,most prominently for the Los Angeles Dodgers where he was a two-time National League batting champion and was a member of the 1963 World Series winning team.
Johnny Lee "Blue Moon" Odom is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1964 through 1976,most notably as a member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won three consecutive World Series championships between 1972 and 1974. The two-time All-Star also played for the Cleveland Indians,Atlanta Braves,and Chicago White Sox.
Jerry Dean Lumpe was an American professional baseball player and coach. He had a 12-season career in Major League Baseball,primarily as a second baseman,for the New York Yankees (1956–1959),Kansas City Athletics (1959–1963) and Detroit Tigers (1964–1967),played in two World Series,and was selected to the 1964 American League All-Star team. Named for National Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Jerome "Dizzy" Dean,Lumpe was born in Lincoln,Missouri. He batted left-handed,threw right-handed,and was listed as 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and 175 pounds (79 kg).
Alexander Jonathan Gordon is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played his entire career for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2007 to 2020. Prior to playing professionally,Gordon attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln,where he played college baseball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Tommie D. Reynolds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He was signed by the Kansas City Athletics as an amateur free agent in 1963,and played for them from 1963 to 1965. He also played for the New York Mets (1967),Oakland Athletics (1969),California Angels (1970–1971),and Milwaukee Brewers (1972).
Steve Renko,Jr. is an American former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Montreal Expos (1969–1976),Chicago Cubs (1976–1977),Chicago White Sox (1977),Oakland Athletics (1978),Boston Red Sox (1979–1980),California Angels (1981–1982) and Kansas City Royals (1983).
Irving Arnold Noren was an American professional baseball and basketball player. He was an outfielder in the Major Leagues from 1950 through 1960 for the Washington Senators,New York Yankees,Kansas City Athletics,St. Louis Cardinals,Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. He also played for the National Basketball League's Chicago American Gears in 1946–47. Later in his baseball career,Noren was a minor league manager and the third-base coach of the 1972–73 World Series champion Oakland Athletics. As a player and coach between 1950 and 1975,Noren was a member of five world championship teams. The last surviving member of the 1952 World Series champion Yankees,he died at his home in Oceanside,California,on November 15,2019,at age 94.
The 1974 Kansas City Royals season was their sixth in Major League Baseball. The Royals finished fifth in the American League West at 77–85,13 games behind the Oakland Athletics. Pitcher Steve Busby set a single-season franchise record with 22 victories.
John David Donaldson is a retired American professional baseball infielder who appeared in 405 games over all or part of six seasons in Major League Baseball,almost exclusively as a second baseman,for two American League franchises,the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics and Seattle Pilots (1969). Donaldson batted left-handed,threw right-handed,and was listed as 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and 160 pounds (73 kg).