Richard John McAuliffe (November 29, 1939 – May 13, 2016) was an American

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 leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...

/ second baseman, who played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the Detroit Tigers (1960–73) and

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...

(1974–75). He was a part of the Tigers'

1968 World Series The 1968 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1968 season. The 65th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between American League (AL) champion Detroit Tigers and the National League ...

championship, and was known for his unusual batting stance. A left-handed hitter, McAuliffe held his hands very high with an open stance that faced the

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

. As the pitcher delivered to

home plate A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refers ...

, he moved his forward (right) foot to a more conventional position before swinging.

Early years

Born in Hartford, Connecticut, McAuliffe graduated from Farmington High School in

Farmington, Connecticut Farmington is a town in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 26,712 at the 2020 census. It sits 10 miles west of Hartford at the hub of major I-84 interchanges, 20 miles ...

, where he was coached by Leo Pinsky and won the state championship in 1957. McAuliffe signed with the Detroit Tigers as an amateur

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

out of high school and spent three seasons in the Tigers' farm system. In 1960, he led the

Sally League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...

in runs (109), triples (21), and shortstop assists (430) while playing for the Knoxville Smokies. He was called up to the big leagues at the end of the 1960 season and made his major league debut on September 17, 1960.

Detroit Tigers

In the

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 (K ...

and 1962 seasons, McAuliffe shifted between

and second base before replacing Chico Fernandez as the Tigers starting shortstop from

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Co ...

– 1966. Known for his wide-open batting stance and leg kick, McAuliffe never hit higher than .274 but was a significant contributor to the Tigers' offensive output in the 1960s. In

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...

, he hit a career-high 24 home runs, the most by any Tiger that season. In 1965, he was the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

's starting shortstop in the All Star game, and he went 2-for-3 with a

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

and two

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...

. In 1966, he finished the season ranked fourth in the league with a .373 on-base percentage and fifth in the league with a .509 slugging percentage. After making the American League All Star team in 1965 and 1966 at

, McAuliffe agreed to move to second base in

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

to make room for Ray Oyler to take over at shortstop. Even with the move, McAuliffe was selected for his third consecutive All Star team in 1967. The 1967 season was memorable for the tight four-way pennant race between the Tigers, the

, the Minnesota Twins, and the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

, with all four teams still in contention entering the final week of the season. The Tigers needed to win the final game of the season against the California Angels, to force a one-game playoff with the Red Sox for the American League championship however, the Tigers lost the game to finish the season one game behind the Red Sox. Along with

Al Kaline Albert William Kaline ( ; December 19, 1934 – April 6, 2020), nicknamed "Mr. Tiger", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers. For most of his career, Kali ...

and

Bill Freehan William Ashley Freehan (November 29, 1941 – August 19, 2021) was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire 15-year career with the Detroit Tigers. The premier catcher in the American League for several years from the 19 ...

, McAuliffe played an integral role for the Tigers during the 1967 season, finishing among the American League leaders in walks with 105 (3rd), 245 times on base (3rd), 7 triples (3rd), 92 runs (5th), 118

strikeouts In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...

(5th), 22 home runs (8th), and a .364 on-base percentage (9th). In the Tigers'

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Janu ...

World Championship season, McAuliffe played a key role. He had a .344 on-base percentage, led the American League with 95 runs scored, and showed power with 50 extra base hits. He also tied a major league record by going the entire 1968 season without grounding into a double play and is the only American League player who has done so. McAuliffe also improved defensively in 1968, reducing his

error An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'. In statistics ...

total from 28 in 1967 to nine in 1968 and, finished second among American League second basemen in fielding percentage. He finished seventh in the 1968 American League

Most Valuable Player Award In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

voting, behind teammates

Denny McLain Dennis Dale McLain (born March 29, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player. He played for ten seasons in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher, most prominently as a member of the Detroit Tigers. In 1968, McLain beca ...

(1st),

(2nd), and

Willie Horton William R. Horton (born August 12, 1951), commonly referred to as "Willie Horton", is an American convicted felon who became notorious for committing violent crimes while on furlough from prison, where he was serving a life sentence without the ...

(4th). On August 22, 1968, McAuliffe was involved in a brawl with

pitcher

Tommy John Thomas Edward John Jr. (born May 22, 1943), nicknamed "The Bionic Man," is an American retired professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 26 seasons between 1963 and 1989. He played for the Cleveland Indians, ...

. After one pitch barely missed McAuliffe's head, and another was thrown behind him, McAuliffe charged the

mound A mound is a heaped pile of earth, gravel, sand, rocks, or debris. Most commonly, mounds are earthen formations such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. A mound may be any rounded area of topographically higher ...

, drove his knee into John's shoulder and separated it. John was out for the season, and McAuliffe was suspended for five games. Interviewed 30 years later, McAuliffe was still convinced John was throwing at his head: "''The first pitch at me was right at my head, and I mean right at my head. The catcher never laid any leather on it, and it hit the backstop. The next pitch, he spun me down, threw it behind me.''" White Sox'

general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...

Ed Short Edwin Gerald Short (July 27, 1919 – July 16, 1984) was an American professional baseball front office executive. Short worked for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball for over 20 years, including nine seasons as the team's general manag ...

took a different view, pointing out the pitch before the fight came on a 3-2 count, resulting in a runner reaching base. In the

, McAuliffe played all seven games at second base, and had 5 runs scored, and 6 hits, 4 walks, 3 runs batted in, and one home run. His steadying influence in the middle infield helped make it possible for manager Mayo Smith to take the radical step of playing center fielder Mickey Stanley at shortstop in the World Series in order to get a better bat in the lineup against the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

, led by

Bob Gibson Robert Gibson (born Pack Robert Gibson; November 9, 1935October 2, 2020) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1959–1975). Nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot" ( ...

Boston Red Sox

McAuliffe continued as the Tigers' starting second baseman through the 1973 season. He was traded from the Tigers to the

for Ben Oglivie on October 23, 1973. McAuliffe hit .210 in 100 games for the Red Sox in 1974. He began

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

as the manager of Boston's Double-A

farm team 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 ...

, the Bristol Red Sox, located in McAuliffe's native state of

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

. He guided Bristol into first place in the Eastern League, but was recalled to Boston in August to resume his playing career as a

utility infielder In baseball, a utility player is a player who typically does not have the offensive abilities to justify a regular starting role on the team but is capable of playing more than one defensive position. These players are able to give the various s ...

. However, McAuliffe was released after playing seven more games. His career ended on September 1, 1975, in a Yankees-Red Sox game. McAuliffe dropped an easy popup for an error. Later in the inning, McAuliffe's throw pulled Carl Yastrzemski off the bag. Though it was scored a single, the Boston fans booed McAuliffe. He was left off Boston's post-season roster, and his major league career was over.

Career statistics

McAuliffe was among the American League leaders in triples eight times, and his ability to draw walks also increased his offensive output, ending his career with a .343 on-base percentage. Bill James ranked McAuliffe 22nd all-time among second baseman in his Historical Baseball Abstract.

Post baseball career

After retiring from baseball, McAuliffe owned a business that repaired and installed coin-operated washers and dryers for ten years, and also ran baseball schools. McAuliffe also played professional softball for the New England Pilgrims of the American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL) in their 1979 seson.

Death

After a battle with Alzheimer's disease, McAuliffe died on May 13, 2016, at the age of 76, after suffering a stroke.

References

External links

Dick McAuliffe
at SABR (Baseball BioProject)
Dick McAuliffe Stats & Facts
at This Day in Baseball *
''McAuliffe, Despite '67 Nightmare, Is Dream Player Now'', Baseball Digest, Oct 1968
{{DEFAULTSORT:McAuliffe, Dick 1939 births 2016 deaths Baseball players from Hartford, Connecticut Major League Baseball second basemen Major League Baseball shortstops People with Alzheimer's disease Detroit Tigers players Boston Red Sox players American League All-Stars Erie Sailors players Valdosta Tigers players Augusta Tigers players Durham Bulls players Knoxville Smokies players Denver Bears players Minor league baseball managers