The Orioles introduced this afternoon that longtime infielder and coach Wealthy Dauer has handed away. He was 72.
A local of San Bernardino, Dauer attended the College of Southern California. He starred on the Trojans’ back-to-back Faculty World Collection groups in 1973 and ’74. The Orioles drafted him with the twenty fourth general decide in 1974. The righty-swinging infielder hit .336 in Triple-A throughout the ’76 season to earn a cup of espresso within the huge leagues. He opened the next season as Baltimore’s second baseman, hitting .243 over 96 video games as a rookie.
That was the primary of 9 straight seasons during which Dauer was in Baltimore’s Opening Day lineup (eight of them at second base). Whereas he was by no means an enormous energy menace, he carved out a prolonged profession behind his sure-handed protection and elite contact abilities. After his rookie 12 months, Dauer by no means struck out in additional than 7% of his plate appearances in a season. He ranked among the many American League’s high 4 second basemen in fielding proportion annually between 1980-83.
Dauer set his profession excessive with 9 dwelling runs in 1979. Baltimore gained the pennant that season. Dauer hit .294 over six video games in that 12 months’s Fall Traditional, however the O’s dropped the sequence to the Pirates. They made it again to the World Collection 4 years later. Baltimore knocked off the Phillies in 5 video games. Dauer appeared in all 5 contests to earn his first ring.
Over a enjoying profession that spanned components of 10 seasons, Dauer hit .257/.310/.343. He hit 43 homers and related on 193 doubles, together with a career-high 32 doubles in a 1980 marketing campaign during which he hit .284. He spent his total enjoying profession with the Orioles, who honored him with induction into the franchise’s Corridor of Fame in 2012.
Dauer’s involvement within the sport prolonged nicely past his enjoying days. He spent greater than three many years within the teaching ranks. He was on main league staffs for the Cleveland, Kansas Metropolis, Milwaukee, Colorado and Houston organizations and spent a while as a supervisor within the San Diego farm system. He earned a second World Collection ring with the 2017 Astros, for whom he coached first base.
Dauer slipped and injured his head the night time earlier than Houston’s championship parade that 12 months. Whereas the severity of the harm initially wasn’t clear, his situation worsened throughout the parade. Dauer was taken to the emergency room, the place medical doctors recognized a big mind bleed. He required emergency surgical procedure that got here with a grim prognosis however overcame what medical doctors ultimately revealed was round a 3% survival probability. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic lined the story on the time. Dauer had already determined to retire from teaching earlier than the top harm, however he returned to Minute Maid Park the next April for an emotional first pitch. MLBTR joins others all through the sport in sending our condolences to Dauer’s household, family members, pals and former teammates/gamers.
