Ricky Lee Adams (January 21, 1959 – October 28, 2011) was an American former professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
player who played three seasons for the
California Angels and
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
of the
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). In a three season career, Adams had a
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
of .215 and four
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 ...
s.
Career
On June 7, 1977 he was drafted by the
Houston Astros in the first round, as the 14th pick, of the
1977 MLB draft. They released him April 4, 1980 after three years in the Astros farm system. On May 2, 1980 he signed as a free agent with the
California Angels.
Adams made his debut with the Angels on September 15, 1982, a loss to 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 ...
. Adams came into the game in the bottom of the 5th inning, replacing
Tim Foli
Timothy John Foli (born December 6, 1950), is an American former professional baseball player, coach and minor league manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop for the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, San Francisco Giants, Pi ...
at shortstop. He did not get a chance to bat, however, being pulled for pinch hitter
Daryl Sconiers
Daryl Anthony Sconiers (born October 3, 1958) is an American former professional baseball first baseman.
Sconiers attended Fontana High School in Fontana, California though he told the ''Los Angeles Times'' his friends were not interested in sch ...
in the top of the 7th inning. Adams played in 64 games for the Angels over the next two seasons, primarily on the left side of the infield. He spent all of 1984 in the minor leagues and was granted free agency on October 15. He would sign with the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
on December 25. Adams played in 54 games for the Giants, and would end his career with 75 games for Angels affiliates in 1987.
Death
Adams died on October 28, 2011 in
Rancho Cucamonga, California after a long battle with
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
.
[Former Angel Ricky Adams dies of cancer]
. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Ricky
1959 births
2011 deaths
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
California Angels players
Daytona Beach Astros players
Deaths from cancer in California
Deaths from melanoma
Edmonton Trappers players
El Paso Diablos players
Gulf Coast Astros players
Holyoke Millers players
Major League Baseball shortstops
Midland Angels players
Sportspeople from Upland, California
Baseball players from San Bernardino County, California
Salinas Angels players
San Francisco Giants players
Spokane Indians players
Phoenix Firebirds players
Phoenix Giants players