Ron Plaza

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Ron Plaza

|image=Ron Plaza 1969.jpg

|caption=Plaza in 1969

|position=Third baseman

|bats=Left

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1934|08|24|mf=yes}}

|birth_place=Clifton, New Jersey, United States

|death_date={{death date and age|mf=yes|2012|04|15|1934|08|24}}

|death_place=Largo, Florida, United States

|statleague = MiLB

|stat1label=Seasons

|stat1value=11

|stat2label=Batting average

|stat2value=.251

|stat3label=Home runs

|stat3value=65

|teams=

As manager (minors)

Billings Mustangs ({{baseball year|1963}})
Winnipeg Goldeyes ({{baseball year|1964}})
Cedar Rapids Cardinals ({{Baseball year|1965}}–{{Baseball year|1966}})
St. Petersburg Cardinals ({{Baseball year|1967}}–{{Baseball year|1968}})
Gulf Coast League Reds ({{Baseball year|1970}}–{{Baseball year|1973}})
Trois-Rivières Aigles ({{baseball year|1975}})

As MLB coach

Seattle Pilots ({{baseball year|1969}})
Cincinnati Reds ({{Baseball year|1978}}–{{Baseball year|1983}})
Oakland Athletics ({{baseball year|1986}})

}}

Ronald Charles Plaza (August 24, 1934 – April 15, 2012) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. Though he never made it to Major League Baseball as a player, he was a coach at the MLB level for the Seattle Pilots, Cincinnati Reds{{cite news |date=October 5, 1983 |title=Reds' coaches, player take move in their stride |page=C1 |work=Kentucky New Era |agency=Associated Press |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lnAvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UdwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4340,3876273&dq=ron-plaza+baseball&hl=en |via=Google News}} and Oakland Athletics. Later in life, he resided in St. Petersburg, Florida, and worked with the Athletics as a scout and coach for their minor league operations.{{cite web |date=April 16, 2012 |title=A's instructor Ron Plaza dies at 77 |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/7822091/longtime-oakland-instructor-ron-plaza-dies-77 |access-date=July 27, 2015 |website=ESPN |agency=Associated Press}}

Career

Born in Clifton, New Jersey, Plaza joined the Johnson City Cardinals in {{baseball year|1951}} at just 16 years old, and batted .302 with four home runs and 34 runs batted in (RBI) in 56 games.{{Cite web |title=Ron Plaza Minor Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=plaza-001ron |access-date=March 17, 2023 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} In {{baseball year|1953}}, with the Hamilton Cardinals, he led the Pennsylvania–Ontario–New York League with 37 doubles, was third in the league with 106 RBI and was fifth in the league in walks.{{Cite web |title=1953 Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York League Batting Leaders |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/leader.cgi?id=d0828795&type=bat |access-date=March 17, 2023 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} He also committed a league-leading 37 errors at third base.

Plaza shifted to second base with the Rochester Red Wings in {{baseball year|1956}}, and batted .297 with five home runs and 30 RBI in 121 games during his first season in Triple-A. His batting average slipped to .221 his second season with Rochester, however, he hit a career-high 14 home runs and had 49 RBI in 144 games.

He wrapped up an eleven-year playing career (all in the St. Louis Cardinals organization) in {{baseball year|1962}} with the Atlanta Crackers, and immediately moved into coaching. He managed the {{baseball year|1963}} Billings Mustangs to the Pioneer League finals his first season as a coach, and won the Florida State League championship in {{baseball year|1967}} with the St. Petersburg Cardinals.{{cite web |author=Bamford |first=Hal |date=September 9, 1967 |title=Card Bats Drown Twin Hopes |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xVxQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MVcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6914%2C1512226 |website=Evening Independent |via=Google News}}

Plaza's first major league coaching job was the first base and hitting coach for the Seattle Pilots in {{baseball year|1969}}. Pilots General Manager Marvin Milkes let Plaza go along with the rest of the coaching staff as the team struggled with bankruptcy and a host of other issues after completing their one and only season in Major League Baseball.{{cite web |author=Hug |first=Larry |date=October 16, 1969 |title=Plaza Dismissed |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qFdQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PVcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2250,3731668&dq |website=Evening Independent |via=Google News}} His term with the Pilots earned him mention in Jim Bouton's book Ball Four, as "The Drill Instructor."

Plaza coached in the Cincinnati Reds' farm system following his stint in Seattle, and joined the big league club following the {{baseball year|1977}} season.{{cite web |date=November 2, 1977 |title=Reds Sign Plaza as Fifth Coach |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xgoiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qnIFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6007,612399&dq |website=The Day |via=Google News |agency=Associated Press}} After succeeding Alex Grammas as Cincinnati's third base coach in {{baseball year|1979}}, he was shifted to first base coach in June of {{baseball year|1979}} by manager John McNamara because of Reds' baserunners being thrown out at home plate after being waved in by Plaza.{{cite web |date=June 21, 1979 |title=Reds Head Shifts Coaches Plaza, Nixon |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LfswAAAAIBAJ&sjid=g-AFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6274,7419565&dq |website=The Daily Gazette |via=Google News |agency=Associated Press}}