Ray Oyler
| Ray Oyler | |||
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| Shortstop | |||
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Born: August 4, 1938 Indianapolis, Indiana |
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Died: January 26, 1981 (aged 42) Seattle, Washington |
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| MLB debut | |||
| April 18, 1965, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| October 1, 1970, for the California Angels | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .175 | ||
| Home runs | 15 | ||
| Runs batted in | 86 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Raymond Francis Oyler (August 4, 1938 – January 26, 1981) was an American Major League Baseball shortstop. He played for the Detroit Tigers (1965–1968), Seattle Pilots (1969) and California Angels (1970). He is best remembered as the slick-fielding, no-hit shortstop for the 1968 World Series champion Tigers and as the subject of the "Ray Oyler Fan Club" organized by Seattle radio personality Robert E. Lee Hardwick (of the Pilots flagship radio station KVI) in Seattle.
Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Oyler graduated from Cathedral High School in Indianapolis in 1955 and served in the Marine Corps before playing in the major leagues.
Oyler was signed by the Tigers in 1960 as an amateur free agent, making his major league debut with Detroit on April 18, 1965.
During his first two seasons, Oyler was a backup shortstop to Dick McAuliffe.
In 1965, Oyler debuted with a .186 batting average, with five home runs and six doubles in 82 games. In 1966, Oyler's average dropped to .171 in 71 games, with one home run in 210 at bats.
In 1967, the Tigers moved McAuliffe from shortstop to second base, opening a spot for Oyler as the Tigers' starting shortstop. Oyler played a career-high 147 games at shortstop in 1967 and had career-highs with 185 putouts, 374 assists, and 61 double plays. As an everyday player in 1967, Oyler also increased his batting average to .207—the only year in which he hit above .200. He was also third in the American League with 15 sacrifice hits in 1967.
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