Richard Morrow Groat was born on November 4,1930 and is a former professional baseball and basketball player who was an eight-time All-Star shortstop and two-time World Series champion in Major League Baseball.
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16 Facts About Dick Groat
2.
Dick Groat led the NL in double plays a record five times, putouts four times and assists twice.
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3.
Dick Groat ranked ninth in major league history in games played at shortstop and fourth in double plays.
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4.
Dick Groat was among the NL career leaders in putouts, assists and total chances.
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5.
Dick Groat had an uncanny knack to drive the ball through the vacated hole for a hit, or move the runner into scoring position via a groundout.
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6.
Dick Groat respectfully declined out of deference to Duke and its scholarship commitment.
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8.
Dick Groat chose that time so his release would coincide with the start of baseball training camp two years later.
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9.
Dick Groat was deeply hurt by the trade, having hoped to become a Pirates coach and possibly manager after retirement as a player.
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10.
Dick Groat severed ties the organization until a 1990 reunion of the 1960 World Series team.
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11.
Dick Groat earned the final All-Star selection of his career and led the league in assists and double plays .
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12.
Dick Groat spent the final months of the 1967 season mostly as a late-inning defensive replacement and pinch-hitter before he announced his retirement.
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13.
Dick Groat helped turn 1,237 double plays at shortstop, the 14th most at the position in MLB history.
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14.
Dick Groat quickly became a fan favorite in Fort Wayne, whose partisans took a liking to his pull-up jump shot, leaping ability and boundless energy.
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15.
Dick Groat became more active in golf after his baseball career.
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16.
Dick Groat is the great uncle of golfer Brooks Koepka, who won the 2017 and 2018 US Open, and the 2018 and 2019 PGA Championship.
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