Bill Rigney
| Bill Rigney | |||
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Rigney in 1953.
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| Infielder / Manager | |||
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Born: January 29, 1918 Alameda, California |
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Died: February 20, 2001 (aged 83) Walnut Creek, California |
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| MLB debut | |||
| April 16, 1946, for the New York Giants | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| September 12, 1953, for the New York Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .259 | ||
| Home runs | 41 | ||
| Runs batted in | 212 | ||
| Games managed | 2,561 | ||
| Win–loss record | 1,239–1,321 | ||
| Winning percentage | .484 | ||
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As player As manager |
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
As player
As manager
William Joseph Rigney (January 29, 1918 – February 20, 2001) was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball. A 26-year Major League veteran, Rigney played for the New York Giants from 1946 to 1953, then fashioned an 18-year career as a manager (1956–72; 1976) with the Giants, Los Angeles/California Angels and Minnesota Twins. The Bay Area native was the last manager of the Giants in New York City (1957), and their first in San Francisco (1958). Three years later, Rigney became the first manager in Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim franchise history.
Born in Alameda, California, Rigney batted and threw right-handed, stood 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and weighed 178 pounds (81 kg). He began his professional baseball career in 1938 when he signed with the unaffiliated Oakland Oaks of the top-level Pacific Coast League. After seasoning in the Class B Western International League, Rigney played the full seasons of 1941–42 with the Oaks, then performed World War II service in the United States Coast Guard from 1943–45.
Acquired by the Giants during the war, he was a 28-year-old rookie in 1946 and played third base, shortstop and second base during his MLB career—appearing in over 100 games played in each of his first four MLB seasons. His most productive season came in 1947, when he reached career highs in home runs (17), RBI (59), runs (84), hits (142), doubles (24) and games played (130). He was the Giants' regular second baseman in 1948, and was selected to the National League All-Star team, where he drew a base on balls off Joe Coleman in his only plate appearance. As a utility infielder, Rigney was a member of the 1951 NL champion Giants, and he appeared in four games of the 1951 World Series, collecting one hit in four at bats (a single off Vic Raschi), with an RBI, as a pinch hitter.
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