Gene Oliver
Gene Oliver | |
---|---|
Catcher / First baseman / Outfielder | |
Born: Moline, Illinois, U.S. | March 22, 1935|
Died: March 3, 2007 Rock Island, Illinois, U.S. | (aged 71)|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
June 6, 1959, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
Last MLB appearance | |
August 24, 1969, for the Chicago Cubs | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .246 |
Home runs | 93 |
Runs batted in | 320 |
Teams | |
Eugene George Oliver (March 22, 1935 – March 3, 2007) was an American professional
Early life
Oliver was born in Moline, Illinois, the eldest son and fourth of five children born to Stella (née Richter) and Marshall Oliver. His father, a farm equipment worker, was an immigrant from Belgium while his mother was an immigrant from Poland.[1]
He graduated from Alleman Catholic High School where he was a three-sport star. Initially, he was being scouted by the Detroit Tigers, turning down a $60,000 bonus for a football scholarship to Northwestern University. However, a shoulder injury during a high school football match ended his football career as well as the Tigers' interest in him. He attended Northwestern on a baseball scholarship but left after two years, feeling dejected.[1]
While working at
Baseball career
Minor leagues
Oliver began his professional baseball career in the Class-D
The following year, he moved to the Class-B
Major leagues
Although he spent seven full years and three partial seasons in the majors, Oliver was a regular for only two seasons, as the catcher for the Cardinals in 1962 and the first baseman for the Braves in 1963. Oliver had a strong arm and was good at blocking the plate. As a batter, he had some power and decent speed for a catcher.[1]
He made his major league debut in 1959 against the Philadelphia Phillies but would not stick with the parent club until 1962. He was traded to the Milwaukee Braves in 1963 and remained there till 1967.[3]
In
The Phillies and Braves switched catchers in 1967, with Bob Uecker going to Atlanta. After the trade, Oliver suffered a severe knee injury that shortened his career. Before the 1968 season, he was traded first to the Boston Red Sox and then sold to the Chicago Cubs before being released the following season.[6]
In his ten-season career, Oliver hit .246 with 93 home runs, 320 runs batted in, 268 runs scored, 111 doubles, five triples, and 24 stolen bases in 786 games.[3]
In contrast to his less-than-stellar career, Oliver hit future
Personal life
In 1955, Oliver married Marilyn (née Daxon); they were married for 52 years, until his death. They had two children, Dana and Daniel, and six grandchildren.[1]
Oliver remained close to his former Cubs teammates and acted as social director for Randy Hundley's fantasy baseball camps.[1]
He died in Rock Island, Illinois, on March 3, 2007, due to complications from lung surgery, and was interred at Calvary Mausoleum in Rock Island. He was survived by his wife and two children. Former teammates, including Hundley and Glenn Beckert attended his funeral.[9]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Gene Oliver (SABR BioProject)". Society for American Baseball Research.
- ^ a b "Gene Oliver Minor League Stats". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ a b "Gene Oliver Career Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "1965 Milwaukee Braves Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Milwaukee Braves vs Chicago Cubs Box Score: June 8, 1965". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Gene Oliver Trades and Transactions". Baseball Almanac.
- ^ "Sandy Koufax: Stats Against All Batters". Stathead Baseball.
- ISBN 0-06-019533-9.
- ^ "Ex-Cardinals, Cubs catcher Oliver dies at 71". ESPN. Associated Press. March 8, 2007.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Gene Oliver at the SABR Baseball Biography Project
- Gene Oliver at Find a Grave