Rich Reese

Born: 9/29/1941 in Leipsic, OH, USA

MLB Debut: 1964-09-04 | Final Game: 1973-09-29

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: Richard Benjamin Reese

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Biography

Rich Reese, born in 1941, was a notable position player in Major League Baseball who had a career spanning from 1964 to 1973. Over the course of his 866 games, Reese established himself as a reliable hitter, accumulating 512 hits and achieving a batting average of .253. He contributed significantly to his teams with 52 home runs and 245 RBIs, demonstrating a solid power-hitting ability complemented by a respectable on-base presence. Additionally, his speed on the bases was evidenced by 16 stolen bases, showcasing his versatility as a player in an era where speed was a valued asset. Reese played primarily during the late 1960s and early 1970s, a time characterized by a transition in baseball that included the rise of the pitching dominance and the early phases of the designated hitter rule. His contributions to the teams he played for, including the Minnesota Twins and the Pittsburgh Pirates, were instrumental in shaping their competitive landscapes during his tenure. As a player who navigated through the evolving strategies of the game, Reese's impact extended beyond statistics, as he represented the transition period in baseball that sought to balance power and speed in player development.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
866	2020	248	512	73	17	52	245	16	158	270	0.253	0.312	0.384	0.695	566.4

Career AVG .253 vs. league average .248 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .312 vs. league average .314 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .384 vs. league average .368 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.695 vs. league average 0.682 across their career seasons — near 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
1964	MIN	AL	10	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1965	MIN	AL	14	7	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	2	2	0.286	—	—	—	—	0.0
1966	MIN	AL	3	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1967	MIN	AL	95	101	13	25	5	0	4	20	0	8	17	0.248	.242 (+2%)	.306 (-2%)	.357 (+16%)	.663 (+8%)	111.2
1968	MIN	AL	126	332	40	86	15	2	4	28	3	18	36	0.259	.236 (+9%)	.298 (+1%)	.340 (+4%)	.638 (+2%)	83.8
1969	MIN	AL	132	419	52	135	24	4	16	69	1	23	57	0.322	.248 (+30%)	.320 (+13%)	.369 (+39%)	.689 (+27%)	1974.8
1970	MIN	AL	153	501	63	131	15	5	10	56	5	48	70	0.261	.253 (+3%)	.325 (+2%)	.385 (-4%)	.711 (-1%)	-66.6
1971	MIN	AL	120	329	40	72	8	3	10	39	7	20	35	0.219	.249 (-12%)	.316 (-15%)	.365 (-3%)	.682 (-9%)	-639.0
1972	MIN	AL	132	197	23	43	3	2	5	26	0	25	27	0.218	.243 (-10%)	.310 (-2%)	.353 (-7%)	.664 (-4%)	-127.4
1973	DET	AL	59	102	10	14	1	0	2	4	0	7	17	0.137	.256 (-47%)	.325 (-41%)	.378 (-46%)	.703 (-43%)	-770.3
1973	MIN	AL	22	23	7	4	1	1	1	3	0	6	6	0.174	—	—	—	—	-770.3

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
5	19	0	3	0	0	0	2	2	2	0.158

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1970	ALCS	MIN	2	7	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	0.143
1969	ALCS	MIN	3	12	0	2	0	0	0	2	1	1	0.167

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	640	399	4007	266	33	353
OF	74	61	102	3	3	0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1964	MIN	1B	1	0	3	0	0	0
1965	MIN	1B	6	0	14	1	0	0
1965	MIN	OF	1	0	0	0	0	0
1967	MIN	1B	36	4	93	3	1	5
1967	MIN	OF	10	9	14	1	0	0
1968	MIN	1B	87	64	620	38	6	36
1968	MIN	OF	15	13	22	0	0	0
1969	MIN	1B	117	95	924	56	7	97
1969	MIN	OF	5	3	5	1	0	0
1970	MIN	1B	146	127	1118	82	10	94
1971	MIN	1B	95	76	673	43	4	71
1971	MIN	OF	9	6	6	1	0	0
1972	MIN	1B	98	26	392	30	5	35
1972	MIN	OF	13	12	27	0	2	0
1973	DET	1B	37	3	106	7	0	7
1973	DET	OF	21	18	28	0	1	0
1973	MIN	1B	17	4	64	6	0	8