Dick Green

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Richard Larry Green (born on April 21, 1941 in Sioux City, Iowa), is a former Major League Baseball player.

He was raised in Rapid City, S.D., where his ability as a baseball player was first noted.

Green, a right-handed player who also batted right, was a second baseman with the Kansas City Athletics from 1963 to 1967 and with the Oakland Athletics from 1968 to 1974.

[edit] Professional career

Green did not attend college, and was signed by the Kansas City Athletics before the 1960 season as an amateur free agent in the era before the Major League Baseball draft. 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 Major League Baseball, Green played 130 games, and picked up 115 hits, 11 of them being home runs and posted a .264 batting average. He also committed just 6 errors at the position of second base and finished the season with a commendable .990 fielding percentage. The following season, Green's number took a dive for the worst, as he finished the season with a lowly batting average of .232 and 110 hits in 133 games.

In 1966, Green picked up from his previous year's performance, and hit .250, slapping in 127 hits in 140 games, and also knocked in 62 runs. However, Green struggled the following season, and failed to post a batting average above .200. With 69 hits in 122 games, Green coupled his .198 batting average with a lowly 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 started to show some trouble with his hitting in the next few years, but it is probably Green's abilities as an infielder that kept him on the now-World Series champions Oakland Athletics. Green was a member of 1972-1974 World Series championship Oakland Athletics team, and even won the Babe Ruth Award for his performance in the 1974 World Series.

Before the 1975 season, Green was released by the Oakland Athletics, thus ending his 12-year career in the major league.

Green finished his career with a .240 lifetime batting average, 960 hits, 80 home runs, 422 RBIs and 427 runs scored.

Green still holds the A's franchise for homers by a second baseman with 76 but current A's second sacker Mark Ellis, who also grew up in Rapid City, is hot in pursuit.

[edit] Trivia

• led Florida State League shortstops with a .933 fielding percentage while playing for the Sanford Greyhounds in 1960
• led Northwest League third basemen with 25 double plays while playing for the Lewiston Broncs in 1961
• was the first strikeout victim of Seattle Pilots right-hander Dick Bates {Sick's Stadium -- April 27, 1969}

[edit] References

• 1972 Baseball Register published by The Sporting News

[edit] External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
• BaseballLibrary-Dick Green