Rico Carty
Rico Carty | ||
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Runs batted in | 890 | |
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Ricardo Adolfo Jacobo Carty (born September 1, 1939), nicknamed "Beeg Boy", is a Dominican former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1963 to 1979, most prominently as a member of the Atlanta Braves where he helped the franchise win its first National League Western Division title in 1969. Carty had a career batting average of .299 and, was the 1970 National League (NL) batting champion with a .366 batting average. He earned his starting role in the 1970 All-Star Game as a write-in candidate.[1]
Carty also played for the
Major League career
Carty represented the
After four years in the minor leagues, Carty made an impressive major league debut in 1964, finishing second to Roberto Clemente in the National League Batting Championship with a .330 batting average, finishing the season as runner-up to Dick Allen in the 1964 National League Rookie of the Year Award ballot.[7][8]
He continued to hit over .300 for the next three seasons but, then faltered in 1967, slumping to a .255 batting average in part due to a separated shoulder.[6] Carty then missed the entire 1968 season while battling with tuberculosis.[6] He recovered in 1969 with a .342 batting average, helping the Braves win the National League Western Division title, the franchise's first post-season berth since the 1958 World Series, and finishing 13th in the National League Most Valuable Player Award voting.[1][9][10] The Braves would eventually lose to the "Miracle" Mets in the 1969 National League Championship Series.[11]
Carty had his best season in
Carty also compiled a 31-game hitting streak in 1970 (the longest by a Braves hitter in the franchise's Atlanta history until Dan Uggla surpassed it with a 33-game streak in 2011). He was named NL Player of the Month in May with a .448 batting average, 7 home runs, and 22 RBI, and finished 10th in the 1970 National League Most Valuable Player Award voting.[6][15] On May 31, Carty hit 3 home runs against the Phillies, going 4-for-4 with 6 RBI in a 9-1 rout of the Phillies.[16]
A crushed knee injury suffered during the
Carty was traded from the Braves to the Texas Rangers for Jim Panther on October 27, 1972.[17] Carty was expected to fill the role of the newly adopted designated hitter, but batted only .232 before being traded in mid-season to the Chicago Cubs.[18] While with the Cubs, he had a personality clash with their star third baseman, Ron Santo, forcing the team to trade Carty to the Oakland Athletics one month later.[5][18] With a combined .229 batting average for the three teams, Carty was released by the Athletics in December 1973 and, it seemed as if his career might be over.[1]
In 1974 he signed to play with the
He was dealt from the Indians to the Toronto Blue Jays for Dennis DeBarr on March 15, 1978.[20] His time with the Blue Jays lasted five months before he was sent to the Oakland Athletics for Willie Horton and Phil Huffman on August 15, 1978.[21] At the age of 39, he hit for a combined .282 batting average with 31 home runs and 99 runs batted in.[1] After being granted free agency in November 1978, he signed a contract to play for the Blue Jays, hitting .256 with 12 home runs and 55 RBI in 132 games before retiring at the end of 1979 at the age of 40.[1]
Career statistics
In a fifteen-year major league career, Carty played in 1,651
Humanitarianism
One of the early major leaguers out of the baseball-rich Dominican Republic, Carty was committed to helping the developing nation. In the 1964–65 off-season, as the country reeled between rapid governmental transitions and militarism, he undertook a trip with Catholic Relief Services to his home country, on a mission to deliver clothing and supplies.[22]
Honors
In 1996 he gained induction into the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame as part of their first class.[citation needed]
Carty was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame on August 19, 2023.[23]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Rico Carty Stats - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ ISSN 0005-609X
- Society of American Baseball Research. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ "Carty, Tenney to enter Braves Hall of Fame". mlb.com. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ a b "Rico Carty Trades and Transactions at Baseball Almanac". baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ ISSN 0005-609X
- ^ "1964 National League Batting Leaders - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "1964 Awards Voting - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "1969 National League Season Summary - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "1969 Awards Voting - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "1969 NLCS - New York Mets over Atlanta Braves (3-0) - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "1970 National League Batting Leaders - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ISSN 0005-609X
- ^ "1970 All-Star Game Box Score, July 14 - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "1970 Awards Voting - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Rico Carty 3-Home Run Game Boxscore At Retrosheet". retrosheet.org. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
- ^ "Personalities: Texas Gets Carty," The New York Times, Saturday, October 28, 1972. Retrieved October 26, 2020
- ^ ISSN 0005-609X
- ^ ISBN 9781582618401. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ "Giants Acquire Vida Blue," The Associated Press (AP), Friday, March 17, 1978. Retrieved October 25, 2020
- ^ "A's trade Willie Horton," Wilmington (NC) Morning Star, Wednesday, August 16, 1978. Retrieved October 22, 2020
- ^ "The Chronicler". Catholic Relief Services. 1965.
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(help) - ^ Bowman, Mark (18 August 2023). "Carty, Tenney to enter Braves Hall of Fame". Major League Baseball. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet