Dick Gray
| Dick Gray | |||
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| Third baseman | |||
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Born: July 11, 1931 Jefferson, Greene County, Pennsylvania |
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Died: July 8, 2013 (aged 81) Anaheim, California |
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| MLB debut | |||
| April 15, 1958, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| May 22, 1960, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .239 | ||
| Home runs | 12 | ||
| Runs scored | 43 | ||
| Teams | |||
Richard Benjamin Gray (July 11, 1931 – July 8, 2013) was an infielder in Major League Baseball, playing mainly as a third baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals from 1958 through 1960. Listed at 5' 11", 165 lb., he batted and threw right handed.
Gray is best known as the player who hit the first home run in Los Angeles Dodgers history and the first to homer in their opening game at LA Memorial Coliseum.
Born in Jefferson, Pennsylvania, Gray started playing sandlot ball at an early age with his neighborhood friends. He attended Jefferson High School in Pennsylvania, where he formed part of the baseball, football and wrestling teams. He graduated from Jefferson in June 1949 and immediately started his professional baseball career.
Gray was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent and played for them in their minor league system from 1950 to 1952, while playing at three different levels. At age 18, he attended a tryout at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida during the 1949 spring training.
Gray reported to Class D Sheboygan Indians in 1950, batting a .310 average and 11 home runs in 122 games. In 1951 he spent time with two clubs, hitting .221 in 21 games for the Greenwood Dodgers and made 110 appearances with the Valdosta Dodgers, batting for them .302 with six home runs, while leading the Georgia–Florida League in runs scored with 118 and also played third base for the All-Star team. Promoted to Class B Miami Sun Sox in 1952 he dropped to a .240 average with three homers in 153 games.
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