Tony LaRussa, baseball player, 1963-1973

Tony LaRussa

⭐ Hall of Fame 2014

Born: 10/4/1944 in Tampa, FL, USA

MLB Debut: 1963-05-10 | Final Game: 1973-04-06

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: Anthony LaRussa

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Biography

Tony La Russa, born in 1944, had a playing career that spanned from 1963 until April 6, 1973. As a position player, he appeared in 132 games where he recorded 35 hits and drove in 7 RBIs, finishing with a batting average of .199. Despite his modest offensive numbers, La Russa's impact on the game would come in a different capacity, as he would later become one of baseball’s most successful managers. After retiring as a player, La Russa transitioned into a managerial career that would define his legacy in Major League Baseball. His strategies, innovative use of statistics, and ability to connect with players led to multiple championships and earned him a place in the Hall of Fame in 2014. La Russa's influence on the game, particularly during the late 20th century and into the 21st century, solidified his status as a significant figure in baseball history, demonstrating that contributions to the sport extend far beyond individual player statistics.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
132 176 15 35 5 2 0 7 0 23 37 0.199 0.292 0.250 0.542 -375.2

Career AVG .199 vs. league average .249 across their career seasons — 20.1% below league average.

Career OBP .292 vs. league average .317 across their career seasons — 7.8% below league average.

Career SLG .250 vs. league average .369 across their career seasons — 32.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.542 vs. league average 0.686 across their career seasons — 21.0% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1963 KC1 AL 34 44 4 11 1 1 0 1 0 7 12 0.250 — — — — -0.9
1968 OAK AL 5 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.333 — — — — 0.0
1969 OAK AL 8 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1970 OAK AL 52 106 6 21 4 1 0 6 0 15 19 0.198 .253 (-22%) .325 (-8%) .385 (-34%) .711 (-22%) -374.3
1971 OAK AL 23 8 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1971 ATL NL 9 7 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.286 — — — — 0.0
1973 CHC NL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 63 30 85 99 7 26
3B 2 0 0 1 1 0
SS 18 10 27 27 2 8

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1963 KC1 2B 3 1 6 3 0 1
1963 KC1 SS 14 10 23 22 2 7
1970 OAK 2B 44 28 67 89 5 21
1971 OAK 2B 7 0 4 1 1 1
1971 OAK 3B 2 0 0 1 1 0
1971 OAK SS 4 0 4 5 0 1
1971 ATL 2B 9 1 8 6 1 3

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 63
Third Base 2
Shortstop 18