Daniel Miers Ardell (born May 27, 1941) is a retired
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
player
Player may refer to:
Role or adjective
* Player (game), a participant in a game or sport
** Gamer, a player in video and tabletop games
** Athlete, a player in sports
** Player character, a character in a video game or role playing game who is ...
. A
first baseman
A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
, he was one of the first
amateur
An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...
players signed by the
expansion
Expansion may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''L'Expansion'', a French monthly business magazine
* ''Expansion'' (album), by American jazz pianist Dave Burrell, released in 2004
* ''Expansions'' (McCoy Tyner album), 1970
* ''Expansio ...
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
in the Angels' maiden season, . Ardell spent most of that year in the lower
minors, but was recalled for a seven-
game
A game is a structured form of play (activity), play, usually undertaken for enjoyment, entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator s ...
Major League trial in September. After appearing in three games as a
pinch runner
In baseball, a pinch runner is a player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing another player on base. The pinch runner may be faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been sub ...
, Ardell
singled in his first big-league
at bat
In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...
as a
pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute Batting (baseball), batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the dead ball (baseball), ball is dead (not in active play); the manager (baseball), manager may use any player who has not yet ...
on September 20 against
Ron Kline
Ronald Lee Kline (March 9, 1932 – June 22, 2002) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher over parts of seventeen seasons (1952, 1955–1970) with the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Lou ...
of the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
.
Retrosheet
Retrosheet is a nonprofit organization whose website features box scores of Major League Baseball (MLB) games from 1906 to the present, and play-by-play narratives for almost every contest since the 1930s. It also includes scores from every major ...
br>box score: 1961-09-20
/ref>
Ardell threw and batted left-handed and was listed at tall and . He was signed by the Angels on July 15, 1961, after his college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
career at the University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
. He was one of two players signed off the campus of 1961 NCAA Tournament champion USC that season; Tom Satriano
Thomas Victor Nicholas Satriano (born August 28, 1940) is an American former professional baseball player. Although he began his professional career as a third baseman, he converted to catcher and played 321 games as a backstop during a ten-year, ...
, who joined the Angels a week after Ardell, would fashion a ten-year Major League career. Ardell was loaned to the Class D Artesia Dodgers
The Artesia Dodgers was the final nickname of the minor league baseball team based in Artesia, New Mexico. Artesia teams played from 1951-1955 and 1958-1961 as an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers.
History
The Artesia ...
for the 1961 season (where he batted .240 in 33 games) before his September recall. After his pinch single against the Tigers, he appeared in three more games (starting one at first base) and was hitless in three at bats.
Ardell did not return to the Majors after 1961. He played from 1962 to 1964 in the Angel farm system
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
before leaving pro baseball.
Ardell married writer Jean Hastings Ardell in 1981. They live in Laguna Beach, California.
References
External links
1941 births
Living people
Artesia Dodgers players
Baseball players from Seattle
Los Angeles Angels players
Major League Baseball first basemen
Nashville Vols players
San Jose Bees players
Tri-City Angels players
USC Trojans baseball players
University High School (Los Angeles) alumni
Baseball players from Los Angeles
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