Rich Dauer

{{Short description|American baseball player and coach (1952–2025)}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name = Rich Dauer

| image = Rich Dauer 2012 (3x4 cropped).jpg

| caption = Dauer during his induction into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame, 2012

| position = Second baseman, third baseman

| bats = Right

| throws = Right

| birth_date = {{birth date|1952|7|27}}

| birth_place = San Bernardino, California, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2025|2|3|1952|7|27}}

| death_place = Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.

| debutleague = MLB

| debutdate = September 11

| debutyear = 1976

| debutteam = Baltimore Orioles

| finalleague = MLB

| finaldate = September 29

| finalyear = 1985

| finalteam = Baltimore Orioles

| statleague = MLB

| stat1label = Batting average

| stat1value = .257

| stat2label = Home runs

| stat2value = 43

| stat3label = Runs batted in

| stat3value = 372

| teams = ;As player

Baltimore Orioles ({{mlby|1976}}–{{mlby|1985}})

;As coach

Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|1990}}–{{mlby|1991}})
Kansas City Royals ({{mlby|1997}}–{{mlby|2002}})
Milwaukee Brewers ({{mlby|2003}}–{{mlby|2005}})
Colorado Rockies ({{mlby|2009}}–{{mlby|2012}})
Houston Astros ({{mlby|2015}}–{{mlby|2017}})

| awards = *2× World Series champion ({{wsy|1983}}, {{wsy|2017}})

Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame

}}

Richard Fremont Dauer (July 27, 1952 – February 3, 2025) was an American professional baseball infielder and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent his entire 10-year MLB playing career with the Baltimore Orioles, winning the 1983 World Series. He was primarily a second baseman and also played third base. Following his career as a player, he spent 19 seasons as an MLB coach for numerous teams, winning the World Series in {{wsy|2017}} as the first base coach for the Houston Astros. He was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame in 2012.

Early years

Born on July 27, 1952, in San Bernardino, California,{{cite web | title=Rich Dauer – Society for American Baseball Research | website=Society for American Baseball Research | date=October 30, 2013 | url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/rich-dauer/ | access-date=February 4, 2025}}{{Cite web |last=Staff And Wire Reports |date=2025-02-03 |title=Rich Dauer, San Bernardino native and Orioles great, dies at 72 |url=https://www.sbsun.com/2025/02/03/rich-dauer-who-won-titles-with-orioles-as-player-and-astros-as-coach-dies-at-72/ |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=San Bernardino Sun |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Baseball lifer & O's HOFer Rich Dauer, 72, dies |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/rich-dauer-dies-age-72 |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=MLB.com |language=en}} Dauer graduated from Colton High School in Colton, California, in 1970. He played college baseball for the Indians of San Bernardino Valley College and transferred to the University of Southern California (USC), where he was an All-American{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=o61VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OeADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6172%2C3736087 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |title=Duck-Trojan game set back a day |last=Newnham |first=Blaine |date=May 14, 1974 |page=1D}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5cMPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FI0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3288%2C6118190 |newspaper=Boca Taron News |location=Florida |agency=UPI |title=Hurricanes prepare for final game |date=June 16, 1974 |page=13A }} at third base. He helped the USC Trojans win the College World Series in 1973 and 1974,{{cite web|title=Rich Dauer #25|url=http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/team/coach_staff_bio.jsp?c_id=col&coachorstaffid=113070|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216031834/http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/team/coach_staff_bio.jsp?c_id=col&coachorstaffid=113070|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 16, 2012|work=colorado.rockies.mlb.com|publisher=MLB Advanced Media, L.P.|access-date=August 27, 2012}} USC's fifth consecutive title and sixth in seven years.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3cMPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FI0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3951%2C4552423 |newspaper=Boca Raton News |location=Florida |agency=UPI |title=Dauer paces Trojans |date=June 4, 1974 |page=11A }}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GeQRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7uwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4908%2C5838934 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Troy wins; Miami foe in finals |date=June 15, 1974 |page=12}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VahYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sPgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4790%2C68727 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=USC dynasty stays intact |date=June 17, 1974 |page=14 }}

Pro playing career

Dauer was the 24th overall pick in the 1974 MLB draft in early June and began his pro career in with the Asheville Tourists in Double A, batting .328 with 11 HRs in 53 games.{{Cite web |last=Gazdziak |first=~ Sam |date=2025-02-09 |title=Obituary: Rich Dauer (1952-2024) |url=https://ripbaseball.com/2025/02/09/obituary-rich-dauer-1952-2024/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=RIP Baseball |language=en}} He began the 1975 season with the Triple A Rochester Red Wings, but struggled and moved back down to Asheville. The following season he flourished with the Red Wings, winning the league batting title with a .336 average and the International League Rookie of the Year, and sharing Most Valuable Player honors with Mickey Klutts and Joe Lis.[https://www.nytimes.com/1976/10/06/archives/people-in-sports-lions-name-hudspeth-to-replace-forzano.html McGowen, Deane. "People in Sports," The New York Times, Wednesday, October 6, 1976.] Retrieved November 23, 2020 He was called up by the Orioles in September but struggled, getting only four hits in 39 at bats.Rosenfeld, p. 58

Dauer's struggles continued at the start of 1977, as he had just one hit in his first 41 at bats. He began the year as the Orioles' starting second baseman but lost the role to Billy Smith.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?id=smithbi05&t=b&year=1977|title=Billy Smith 1977 Batting Gamelogs|work=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference, LLC |access-date=December 20, 2013}} He credited Brooks Robinson and Lee May with helping him out, saying, "You can't make it in the Majors by yourself." By the end of the year, he had regained the second base job from Smith. He batted .243 with 74 hits, 15 doubles, five home runs, and 25 RBIs in 96 games while compiling a .982 fielding percentage at second base.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dauerri01.shtml|title=Rich Dauer Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference, LLC |access-date=December 20, 2013}}

Dauer settled in as the Orioles everyday second baseman in 1978, while also starting several games at third, a role he would hold down through the 1984 season. Dauer struggled at the plate in 1985 and saw his playing time reduced. Following the season, the Orioles did not offer him a new contract and with no contract offers from other clubs, he retired. In 10 MLB seasons, Dauer

Dauer was given the nickname "Wacko" by Jim Palmer because of his sense of humor.[https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/195052/2017/12/26/with-the-astros-victory-celebration-in-full-swing-a-heart-stopping-drama-was-playing-out-behind-the-scenes-the-race-to-save-a-beloved-coachs-life/ Rosenthal, Ken. "With the Astros' victory celebration in full swing, a heart-stopping drama was playing out behind the scenes: the race to save a beloved coach's life," The Athletic, Tuesday, December 26, 2017.] Retrieved February 4, 2025. During the Orioles' pursuit of the Milwaukee Brewers for the 1982 American League East title, he inspired his teammates with the rallying cry "Let's win one for the Duck," which was based on "Win one for the Gipper" and Earl Weaver's lame duck status as manager because of his impending retirement following the season.[https://www.nytimes.com/1982/09/07/sports/sports-of-the-times-win-one-for-the-duck.html Anderson, Dave. "Sports of The Times: Winning One for the Lame Duck," The New York Times, Tuesday, September 7, 1982.] Retrieved February 4, 2025.

Career highlights include trips to the World Series in 1979, where the Orioles lost 4 games to 3 to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and 1983, where the Orioles beat the Philadelphia Phillies in five games. That season, Dauer, Todd Cruz and Rick Dempsey, were regularly in the bottom third of the batting order and were affectionately known as "The Three Stooges", a moniker coined by Ken Singleton. Dauer was "Larry", Cruz was "Curly" and Dempsey was "Moe".[https://vault.si.com/vault/1983/10/24/the-orioles-all-pitched-in Wulf, Steve. "The Orioles All Pitched In," Sports Illustrated, October 24, 1983.] Retrieved February 4, 2025. Dauer's best postseason performance was in the 5–4 Game 4 win when he went 3-for-4 with a run scored and three RBI, including the one which accounted for the margin of victory.[https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/16/sports/orioles-beat-phillies-5-4-to-take-3-1-lead-in-series.html Durso, Joseph. "Orioles Beat Phillies, 5–4, to Take 3–1 Lead in Series," The New York Times, Sunday, October 16, 1983.] Retrieved February 4, 2025.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI198310150.shtml 1983 World Series Game 4, Orioles at Phillies, October 15 – Baseball Reference.] Retrieved February 4, 2025.

Dauer holds two American League single-season fielding records for a second baseman, including 86 consecutive errorless games and 425 straight errorless chances, both set in 1978.

Dauer is one of the few players to have won a College World Series (twice) and an MLB World Series.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2024-10-31/which-players-have-won-both-college-world-series-and-mlb-world-series|title=Here are the players that have won a CWS and an MLB World Series | NCAA.com|website=ncaa.com}}

In 2012, Dauer was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame, becoming the 12th member of the 1983 championship team to be inducted.{{cite web|last=Encina|first=Eduardo A.|title=Rich Dauer becomes 12th member of 1983 title team to become an Orioles Hall of Famer|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2012/08/24/rich-dauer-becomes-12th-member-of-1983-title-team-to-become-an-orioles-hall-of-famer/|work=baltimoresun.com|date=August 24, 2012 |access-date=August 27, 2012}}

Coaching career

File:Rich Dauer on August 18, 2016.jpg]]

Dauer managed the independent minor league San Bernardino Spirit affiliate in 1988 and then spent the next three decades managing and coaching in the minors and majors for the Cleveland Indians, Orioles, San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies.

He ended his coaching career as the first base coach for the Houston Astros, winning a second World Series in 2017.{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/astros-beat-dodgers-to-win-first-world-series-c260380704 |title=Houston Astros win 2017 World Series |last1=McTaggart |first1=Brian |last2=Gurnick |first2=Ken |date=November 1, 2017 |publisher=MLB |access-date=November 2, 2017}}

Personal life and death

Dauer acted in the 1988 motion picture Stealing Home, playing the coach of the San Bernardino Spirit.

At the 2017 World Series parade Dauer suffered a subdural hematoma as a result of a head injury that required emergency brain surgery.{{cite web |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/miracle-recovery-astros-coach-nearly-died-world-series-parade-153253281.html |title=Miracle recovery: Astros coach nearly died at World Series parade |first=Jay |last=Busbee |date=December 27, 2017 |website=sports.yahoo.com |access-date=December 27, 2017}} After recovering, he retired from coaching.

Dauer died on February 3, 2025, at the age of 72.{{cite news |last1=Anderson |first1=R. J. |title=Rich Dauer, Orioles Hall of Famer and former Astros coach, dies at 72 |url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/rich-dauer-orioles-hall-of-famer-and-former-astros-coach-dies-at-72/ |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=CBS Sports |date=February 3, 2025}}

References

Sources

{{cite book|last=Rosenfeld|first=Harvey|title=Iron Man: The Cal Ripken, Jr., Story|publisher=St. Martin's Press|location=New York|year=1995|isbn=0-312-13524-6|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/ironmancalripken00rose}}

External links

{{Baseballstats |mlb=113070 |espn= |br=d/dauerri01 |fangraphs=1003006 |brm=dauer-001ric |retro=D/Pdauer001}}, or [https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Rich-Dauer/ SABR Biography Project]