Rico Carty | |
---|---|
Left fielder | |
Born: Consuelo, San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic | September 1, 1939|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
September 15, 1963, for the Milwaukee Braves | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 23, 1979, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .299 |
Home runs | 204 |
Runs batted in | 890 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
Ricardo Adolfo Jacobo Carty (born September 1,1939),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. [1]
Carty also played for the Chicago Cubs,Oakland Athletics,Cleveland Indians,Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers. He was one of the earliest Dominicans to play in the major leagues;however,his career was marked by battles with injuries,illnesses (tuberculosis) and teammates. [2] In 1996,Carty was inducted into the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame as part of their inaugural class,and in 2023 he was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame. [3] [4]
Carty represented the Dominican Republic at the 1959 Pan American Games.[ citation needed ] He signed a contract with the Milwaukee Braves as a free agent in 1959. [5] While he was considered an excellent hitter,he had poor defensive skills. [6] Originally a catcher,Carty was converted into an outfielder in order to lessen his defensive liabilities and to get his bat into the everyday lineup. [6]
After four years in the minor leagues,Carty made an impressive major league debut in 1964,finishing second to Roberto Clemente in the National League Batting Championship with a .330 batting average,finishing the season as runner-up to Dick Allen in the 1964 National League Rookie of the Year Award ballot. [7] [8]
He continued to hit over .300 for the next three seasons but,then faltered in 1967,slumping to a .255 batting average in part due to a separated shoulder. [6] Carty then missed the entire 1968 season while battling with tuberculosis. [6] He recovered in 1969 with a .342 batting average,helping the Braves win the National League Western Division title,the franchise's first post-season berth since the 1958 World Series,and finishing 13th in the National League Most Valuable Player Award voting. [1] [9] [10] The Braves would eventually lose to the "Miracle" Mets in the 1969 National League Championship Series. [11]
Carty had his best season in 1970 when he hit 25 home runs with 101 runs batted in and,won the National League Batting Championship with a .366 batting average,the highest average in the major leagues since Ted Williams recorded a .388 batting average in 1957. [12] Despite not appearing on the All-Star ballot,he was voted to be a starting outfielder for the National League as a write-in candidate in the 1970 All-Star Game,playing alongside Hank Aaron and Willie Mays in the outfield. [13] [14] It would be the only All-Star appearance of his career.
Carty also compiled a 31-game hitting streak in 1970 (the longest by a Braves hitter in the franchise's Atlanta history until Dan Uggla surpassed it with a 33-game streak in 2011). He was named NL Player of the Month in May with a .448 batting average,7 home runs,and 22 RBI,and finished 10th in the 1970 National League Most Valuable Player Award voting. [6] [15] On May 31,Carty hit 3 home runs against the Phillies,going 4-for-4 with 6 RBI in a 9-1 rout of the Phillies. [16]
A crushed knee injury suffered during the Dominican Winter Baseball season meant Carty would miss another entire season in 1971. [2] He returned in 1972,but only managed a .277 batting average. By then,Carty had worn out his welcome with the Braves management as well as his teammates,having been involved in fights with Hank Aaron and Ron Reed. [2]
Carty was traded from the Braves to the Texas Rangers for Jim Panther on October 27,1972. [17] Carty was expected to fill the role of the newly adopted designated hitter,but batted only .232 before being traded in mid-season to the Chicago Cubs. [18] While with the Cubs,he had a personality clash with their star third baseman,Ron Santo,forcing the team to trade Carty to the Oakland Athletics one month later. [5] [18] With a combined .229 batting average for the three teams,Carty was released by the Athletics in December 1973 and,it seemed as if his career might be over. [1]
In 1974 he signed to play with the Cafeteros de Córdoba in the Mexican Baseball League. [19] In August 1974,the Cleveland Indians signed him to be their designated hitter. [19] Carty's career was rejuvenated with Cleveland,posting a .308 batting average with 64 runs batted in during the 1975 season and,improving to a .310 batting average with 83 runs batted in for the 1976 season. [1] In 1977,his batting average dropped to .280 however,he still produced 80 runs batted in. [1]
He was dealt from the Indians to the Toronto Blue Jays for Dennis DeBarr on March 15,1978. [20] His time with the Blue Jays lasted five months before he was sent to the Oakland Athletics for Willie Horton and Phil Huffman on August 15,1978. [21] At the age of 39,he hit for a combined .282 batting average with 31 home runs and 99 runs batted in. [1] After being granted free agency in November 1978,he signed a contract to play for the Blue Jays,hitting .256 with 12 home runs and 55 RBI in 132 games before retiring at the end of 1979 at the age of 40. [1]
In a fifteen-year major league career,Carty played in 1,651 games,accumulating 1,677 hits in 5,606 at bats for a .299 career batting average along with 204 home runs,890 runs batted in,.369 on-base percentage and .464 slugging percentage. [1] He ended his career with a .974 fielding percentage. [1] During his career,he played as a catcher,first baseman,third baseman,outfielder and designated hitter.
One of the early major leaguers out of the baseball-rich Dominican Republic,Carty was committed to helping the developing nation. In the 1964–65 off-season,as the country reeled between rapid governmental transitions and militarism,he undertook a trip with Catholic Relief Services to his home country,on a mission to deliver clothing and supplies. [22]
In 1996 he gained induction into the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame as part of their first class.[ citation needed ]
Carty was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame on August 19,2023. [23]
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