Dale Long
| Dale Long | |
|---|---|
 Long in 1961 | |
| First baseman | |
| Born: February 6, 1926 Springfield, Missouri, U.S. | |
| Died: January 27, 1991 (aged 64) Palm Coast, Florida, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 21, 1951, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 18, 1963, for the New York Yankees | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .267 |
| Home runs | 132 |
| Runs batted in | 467 |
| Teams | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Richard Dale Long (February 6, 1926 – January 27, 1991) was an American
Long's career was marked by two milestones. In
Career
A native of
After 31⁄2 additional seasons in the minors (including an
In 1956, Long posted career highs in home runs (27) and RBI (91), made the National League All-Star team, and put his name in the record books by hitting eight home runs in eight consecutive games between May 19 and May 28, breaking the previous mark of six straight games, shared by Ken Williams (1922), George Kelly (1924), Lou Gehrig (1931), Walker Cooper (1947) and Willie Mays (1955).[3][4] Since then, his achievement has been matched only by Don Mattingly (1987) and Ken Griffey Jr. (1993), both in the American League.
Long's home-run binge capped a torrid start to his 1956 season. He collected 15 hits—raising his batting average from .384 to .411—and 17 runs batted in during the eight-game stretch. With his batting average still above .310 in June, Long was selected as the National League's starting first baseman in the
Traded to the
In 1960, Long divided his playing time between the Giants and Yankees. As a member of the Yankees, he faced his former Pirates' team in the 1960 World Series. His pinch single in the ninth inning of Game 7 helped the Yankees tie the score at 9–9, but that only set the stage for Bill Mazeroski's Series-winning blow in the Pittsburgh half of the frame.
Long was selected by the "new"
In his ten-season MLB career, Long was a .267 hitter with 805 hits, 132 home runs and 467 RBI in 1,013 games. He recorded a .988 fielding percentage as a first baseman. In World Series play, he hit .250 in eight at bats, with two singles and one run batted in.
Dale Long died of cancer at age 64.[10]
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball individual streaks
References
- ^ a b "Top 10 Left-Handed Catchers for 2006 - The Hardball Times". www.hardballtimes.com.
- ^ a b "Former Slugger Dale Long Dies at 64", Los Angeles Times (29 January 1991)
- ^ United Press. "Pirates Trip Phils, 8-5, as Long Hits Homer in 6th Came in Row: His Four-Bagger Ties Major League Record Shared by Five Other Players". The New York Times. May 26, 1956. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
- ^ Associated Press. "Consecutive game home run streaks". ESPN. April 21, 2004. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
- ^ Retrosheet box score (10 July 1956): "National League 7, American League 3"
- ^ Pittsburgh Pirates 4, Chicago Cubs 2 (first game of doubleheader); Wednesday, August 20, 1958 at Wrigley Field (box score) Retrosheet
- ^ Los Angeles Dodgers 2, Chicago Cubs 1; Sunday, September 21, 1958 at Wrigley Field (box score) Retrosheet
- ^ Retrosheet: "Career fielding log for Dale Long"
- ^ Retrosheet box score (4 October 1962): "New York Yankees 6, San Francisco Giants 2"
- ^ Dale Long; Baseball Player, 64
Further reading
- United Press. "Padre Clouts Ruin Pirates in 13-2 Game". The San Bernardino Sun. March 21, 1951.
- United Press. "PCL Chooses Long Player of the Year". The Madera Tribune. September 19, 1953.
- Jones, Walter. "Sport Sputterings". The Desert Sun. May 26, 1956.
- Associated Press. "Bragan Says Dale Long Slumping Because He's Trying to Be Ruth". The San Bernardino Sun. July 8, 1956.
- Hernon, Jack. "Roamin' Around: The Bitter Was Once Sweet". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 1, 1957.
- Braun, Norman (UP). "Long, Home Run Hitter in 1956, Settles for Singles". The Desert Sun. July 18, 1957.
- Smizik, Bob. "Dale Knows Long 'n' Short of Baseball". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. August 8, 1982. pp. D1, D5.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)