Bob Bailey
From SoSH
| Born: | October 13, 1942 |
| Birthplace: | Long Beach CA USA |
| Hometown: | |
| Height: | 6' 0" |
| Weight: | 188 lbs |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Drafted: | |
| College: | n/a |
| High School: | Wilson High School, Long Beach, California |
| Other Teams: | Pittsburgh Pirates 1962-1966 Los Angeles Dodgers 1967-1968 Montreal Expos 1969-1975 Cincinatti Reds 1976-1977 |
| Years with Boston: | 1977-1978 |
Robert Sherwood "Beetle" Bailey (born Ocber 13, 1942 in Long Beach, California) was a highly touted third baseman who never lived up to the hype.
Contents |
Overall Career
In 1963, Bailey was handed the job as the Pirates' regular third baseman, but as one sportswriter put it: "a funny thing happened on the way to the Hall of Fame: Bob Bailey had a bad year", hitting .228 with 12 home runs and 45 runs batted in in 154 games.
After being traded to the Dodgers, he was no longer considered a disappointment, but a huge bust. After being passed over in the 1969 expansion draft, the Dodgers gave him to the Expos anyway.
Traded to the Boston Red Sox in the last weeks of the 1977 season, he served as a part-time designated hitter during Boston's unsuccessful pennant run in 1978. His last game in the major leagues was the American League Playoff Game between the Red Sox and the New York Yankees on October 2, 1978, when he was used as a pinch hitter for Jack Brohamer in the 7th inning and quickly struck out on three pitches from Rich Gossage.
In a 17-season career, Bailey posted a .257 batting average with 189 home runs and 773 RBI in 1,931 games played.
Bailey's Moments in the Sun
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 3 (1970, 1973 & 1974)
- Won a World Series Ring with the Cincinnati Reds in 1976 (he did not play in the World Series)
Trivia
- When the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Bob Bailey out of high school in 1961, they gave him the largest signing bonus ever paid up to that time.
- Was the Montreal Expo's first baseman for their first game ever and collected the team's first base hit while driving in its first two runs.
Transactions
- Before 1961 Season: Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent.
- December 1, 1966: Traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates with Gene Michael to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Maury Wills.
- October 21, 1968: Purchased by the Montreal Expos from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- December 12, 1975: Traded by the Montreal Expos to the Cincinnati Reds for Clay Kirby.
- September 19, 1977: Traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the Boston Red Sox for Frank Newcomer (minors) and cash.
External Links
- Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
