Dick Billings
Dick Billings | |
---|---|
![]() Billings in 1974 | |
Catcher / Outfielder | |
Born: Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | December 4, 1942|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
September 11, 1968, for the Washington Senators | |
Last MLB appearance | |
June 27, 1975, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .227 |
Home runs | 16 |
Runs batted in | 142 |
Teams | |
Richard Arlin Billings (born December 4, 1942) is an American former professional baseball player.[1] He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, outfielder and third baseman for the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers (1968–74) and St. Louis Cardinals (1974–75).[1]
Baseball career
[edit]Billings was born in Detroit, Michigan where his father was a factory worker.[2] His father moved the family to Troy, Michigan where Billings attended Troy High School.[2] After high school, Billings attended Michigan State University where he played as a third baseman and outfielder for the Michigan State Spartans baseball team.[2] On June 8, 1965, the Washington Senators selected Billings in the 25th round of the 1965 Major League Baseball draft.[3]
Billings played as an outfielder and occasional third baseman in the Senators' minor league system for four years before making his major league debut at the age of 25 as a pinch hitter on September 11, 1968.[1][4] He had his first appearance as a starting player on September 20, 1968 as a left fielder in a game against the Detroit Tigers.[5]
Billings began the 1969 season with the Senators but, with the team experiencing a weakness at the catcher's position, he agreed to return to the minor leagues in June in order to be converted into a catcher.[2][6] In 1970, he posted a .305 batting average with 15 home runs and 67 runs batted in while playing for the Denver Bears.[4] His performance earned him a late-season return to the major leagues in September 1970, where he served as a backup catcher behind Paul Casanova.[1]
Billings won the starting catcher's job in July 1971 when Senators manager Ted Williams benched Casanova for weak hitting.[7] Although he led American League catchers with 16 passed balls, he ended the season with a career-high .992 fielding percentage in 116 games.[8]
After the season, the Senators sent Billings to play for the Águilas del Zulia in the Venezuelan Winter Baseball League during the 1971–1972 season to gain additional catching experience.[2][9] When his manager, Larry Doby was fired midway through the season, the Águilas installed Billings as their player-manager.[2] He then guided the team to its first playoff appearance in team history, with Billings finishing the season as one of the top 10 hitters in the league.[2] His success earned him a return to Venezuela as the Águilas player-manager for the following winter-league season as well.[2]
In 1972 the Senators relocated to the Dallas-Fort Worth area and were renamed the Texas Rangers. Billings started the season in a platoon role alongside left-hand hitting catcher Hal King.[10] King was sent to the minor leagues in July and Billings eventually played in a career-high 133 games.[1][11] He also posted career-highs with a .254 batting average, 15 doubles, 5 home runs, and led the Rangers with a team-leading 68 runs batted in.[1] On August 13, 1972, Billings produced 5 runs batted in on 4 hits in a 13-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals.[12][13]
Williams resigned and was replaced by Whitey Herzog as the Rangers' manager, who employed Billings in a platoon role alongside Ken Suarez for the 1973 season.[14] In May, Billings went on the 15-day disabled list.[15] On July 30, 1973, Billings caught Jim Bibby's no-hitter against the Oakland Athletics.[16][17] Batting as the Rangers' cleanup hitter, Billings' average dropped to .179 with 3 home runs and 32 runs batted in.[1][18]
With the arrival of new manager Billy Martin in 1974, Billings found himself in a backup role behind defensive standout Jim Sundberg. Billings suffered an ankle injury on April 27 and was placed on the disabled list.[2] He ultimately was sidelined for most of the year with a variety of injuries.[2] In August 1974 his contract was purchased by the St. Louis Cardinals and was sent to the minor leagues to play for the Tulsa Oilers.[4][19] He was called as a back up to the major leagues late in the season where he appeared in only one game on September 11.[20] Billings began the 1975 season with the Tulsa Oilers before being promoted to the Cardinals in June.[4][21] After only 3 games with the Cardinals, he was sent back to Tulsa in order to make room on the roster for outfielder Buddy Bradford.[22] Billings retired at the end of the season at the age of 32.[1]
Career statistics
[edit]In an eight-year major league career, Billings played in 400 games, accumulating 280 hits in 1,231 at bats for a .227 career batting average along with 16 home runs, 142 runs batted in and an on-base percentage of .281.[1] He had a .984 career fielding percentage in 248 games as a catcher, a .966 fielding percentage in 92 games as an outfielder and, a .906 fielding percentage in 14 games as a third baseman.
Later life
[edit]After his playing career Billings obtained his real-estate license and worked as a real-estate broker in Texas and Michigan.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Dick Billings statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Jones, Chris. "The Baseball Biography Project: Dick Billings". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
- ^ "1965 Major League Baseball Draft- 25th Round". thebaseballcube.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Dick Billings minor league statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
- ^ "September 20, 1968 Tigers-Senators box score". Baseball Reference. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
- ^ "1969 Dick Billings batting log". Baseball Reference. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
- ^ "Senators topple Indians, 7 to 3". Star-News. United Press International. August 7, 1971. p. 17. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
- ^ "1971 American League Fielding Leaders". Baseball Reference. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
- ^ "Aguilas del Zulia". purapelota.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2013.
- ^ "King Trying To Shake Tag He Can't Catch". Gadsden Times. Associated Press. March 27, 1972. p. 17. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
- ^ "Simmons Finally Signs Pact; Noonan, Clancy In Hospital". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Herald-Tribune Wire Services. July 25, 1972. p. 2. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
- ^ "Billings Ignites Texas Rout Of KC". The Morning Record. Associated Press. August 14, 1972. p. 21. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
- ^ "August 13, 1972 Royals-Rangers box score". Baseball Reference. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
- ^ "Relaxed Stanhouse Stops Yanks". The Day. Associated Press. June 7, 1973. p. 17. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
- ^ "Rangers Gets Siebert For $$ And A Player". Lakeland Ledger. Associated Press. May 5, 1973. p. 2. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
- ^ "NL Castoff No-Hits World Champions". Beaver County Times. United Press International. July 31, 1973. p. 10. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
- ^ "July 30, 1973 Rangers-Athletics box score". retrosheet.org. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
- ^ "The Shockwave Rolls On". The Free Lance-Star. April 2, 1974. p. 6. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
- ^ "Padres Not Interested In Roy Campanella". The News and Courier. August 13, 1974. p. 4. Retrieved February 6, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "1974 Dick Billings batting log". Baseball Reference. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
- ^ "Billings promoted". The Free Lance-Star. Associated Press. June 17, 1975. p. 6. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
- ^ "Cards' Pitcher an Eye Opener". The Milwaukee Journal. Press Dispatches. July 1, 1975. p. 10. Retrieved February 6, 2011.[permanent dead link]
External links
[edit]- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference
- Dick Billings at The Baseball Biography Project
- 1942 births
- Living people
- Águilas del Zulia players
- American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
- Baseball players from Detroit
- Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
- Burlington Senators players
- Denver Bears players
- Geneva Senators players
- Major League Baseball catchers
- Michigan State Spartans baseball players
- Sportspeople from Troy, Michigan
- Baseball players from Oakland County, Michigan
- St. Louis Cardinals players
- Savannah Senators players
- Texas Rangers players
- Tulsa Oilers (baseball) players
- Washington Senators (1961–1971) players
- York White Roses players