Don Demeter played center field regularly for Boston the rest of the year but lost the role to Reggie Smith in 1967 spring training.
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71 Facts About Don Demeter
2.
Don Demeter was traded midseason to the Cleveland Indians, where he batted.
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5.
Don Demeter was the third of four children of Lewis and Aileen Demeter.
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6.
Don Demeter's parents divorced about a year after the move, and Demeter returned to Oklahoma City to live with his grandparents.
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7.
Don Demeter's foster father, George Stevens, was a Sunday school superintendent at the Exchange Avenue Baptist Church in Oklahoma City.
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8.
In fifth grade, Don Demeter became interested in baseball, as this was the first time his school had organized baseball teams.
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9.
At one of these games, Don Demeter Hoak signed an autograph for him; the two would later be roommates while they both played for the Philadelphia Phillies.
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10.
Don Demeter played basketball and football as well, but baseball was his favorite sport.
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11.
Don Demeter attended Capitol Hill High School, where, as a center fielder, he helped the baseball team win the state championship in both his junior and senior year.
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12.
Don Demeter was the only member of the Capitol Hill High School starting varsity team that was never chosen to be on the Oklahoma City All-Star prep team, yet he would be the only one to experience success in Major League Baseball.
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13.
Besides playing for the school team, in the early 1950s Don Demeter played ball for the American Legion's Mosier's Tiremen of Oklahoma City.
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14.
In December 1954, Don Demeter decided to put in some extra playing time and experience by going to Venezuela and playing for Cabimas of the Venezuelan Occidental League.
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15.
Don Demeter began the 1955 season with the Class A Pueblo Dodgers of the Western League.
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16.
Back in the United States, Don Demeter was assigned to Texas League's Fort Worth Cats for the 1956 season.
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17.
Don Demeter finished the year with 41 home runs and 128 RBI, both second only to minor league journeyman Ken Guettler, who had 143 RBI and shattered the Texas League record for home runs with 62.
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18.
Don Demeter was very busy in center field for the Cats, leading the league in putouts with 442.
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19.
Don Demeter was selected to the Texas League All-Star Team, receiving a scroll and a $100 check.
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20.
Don Demeter struck out against Vinegar Bend Mizell, taking all three strikes looking.
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22.
Don Demeter was one of only four unanimous picks by the league's broadcasters and writers.
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23.
Don Demeter finished the season among the league leaders in several categories.
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25.
Alston had Don Demeter stand outside the batting cage and hit ground balls to the infielders while waiting for his turn in the cage.
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26.
Don Demeter did not play on Opening Day, as Snider played center and the left-handed hitting Ron Fairly got the start in right field against the right-handed pitching Bob Anderson of the Chicago Cubs.
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27.
The next day, Don Demeter was given his first start of the season with the temperature around 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
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28.
Don Demeter was the first Dodger and ninth overall to accomplish the feat, sharing the accomplishment with Hall of Famers Eddie Mathews and Mickey Cochrane.
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29.
Don Demeter was hit by six pitches, tied with Richie Ashburn and Tony Taylor for the fourth-highest total in the NL.
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30.
Don Demeter played in all six games of the 1959 World Series for the Dodgers.
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31.
Don Demeter replaced Snider late in the first two games, started the next three, and came off the bench once more in the decisive game six.
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32.
Don Demeter signed a $14,000 one-year contract with Los Angeles on February 11,1960.
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33.
Don Demeter had three multiple home run games throughout the season.
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34.
Don Demeter led his team in all triple crown categories and more.
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35.
Don Demeter became the first Phillie to drive in over 100 runs since Del Ennis in 1955.
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36.
Don Demeter carried an offensive wins above replacement mark of 5.
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37.
Don Demeter finished 12th in the voting for the NL Most Valuable Player Award.
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38.
However, Don Demeter began the season playing first base, as Sievers had a broken rib.
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40.
Don Demeter was second in home runs with 22, behind right fielder Johnny Callison's 26.
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41.
Don Demeter ranked sixth in the NL in at bats per home run with a mark of 23.
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42.
Don Demeter commented that the game was his best since joining the Tigers.
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43.
Don Demeter finished the 1964 season with similar numbers to the prior season with the Phillies.
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45.
In January 1965, Don Demeter signed a new contract with the Tigers for the amount of $30,000.
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46.
Don Demeter was cited by sportswriter Allen Lewis as the Tigers most clutch hitter, but he still was unsatisfied with his power output.
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47.
Don Demeter trained in Oklahoma during the winter, chopping wood and gaining 12 pounds to raise his total weight to 202.
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48.
Don Demeter later admitted after his two-homer outing, in which he hit one over the left field wall and another over the right, that he wanted to try for a third home run over the wall in center field.
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49.
Don Demeter was the Opening Day starter in center field on April 12,1965, in Kansas City.
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50.
Later that month, Don Demeter sat out several games with a minor case of whiplash sustained from a head-first slide into third base.
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51.
Don Demeter was hit by six pitches on the year, tied with Pete Ward and Willie Horton for sixth in the AL.
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52.
Don Demeter was one of the last players to sign his contract for the 1966 season, receiving a raise to $33,000 in March.
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53.
Don Demeter had trouble with a sore right shoulder during spring training, requiring a cortisone shot.
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55.
Boston manager Billy Herman had known Don Demeter ever since he was a coach for the Dodgers several years prior, and he had wanted Don Demeter for the Red Sox since becoming Boston's manager in September 1964.
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57.
Don Demeter went 2-for-5 in the game with a double and a run scored, as well as two notedly hard line drive outs.
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58.
Don Demeter missed several games towards the end of the month with a pulled leg muscle.
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59.
Don Demeter was going to be their first baseman, but the deal was called off as it was found out that he had circulatory problems around the heart area.
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60.
In early January 1968, Don Demeter was still listed on the Indians roster, but he was heavily considering retirement.
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62.
Don Demeter holds the bizarre distinction of being the only major leaguer on record to field an apple.
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63.
Don Demeter played four seasons for the Yankees' farm system and two with Cardinals' minor league teams, but he never advanced past Class AA.
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64.
Don Demeter did not drink, smoke, or curse during his baseball career.
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65.
Don Demeter rejected endorsement deals for advertising alcohol and tobacco products.
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66.
Don Demeter was friends with Washington Senators catcher Mike Brumley, his neighbor in Oklahoma City.
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67.
Don Demeter was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
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68.
Once his baseball career was over, Don Demeter returned home to Oklahoma to start a swimming pool business.
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69.
Don Demeter entered a political race in 1976 as a Republican, losing a bid for a seat in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
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70.
In September 2002, Don Demeter started Grace Community Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist church in Oklahoma City.
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71.
Don Demeter served as the church's pastor for slightly more than 16 years and remained on staff as its pastor emeritus.
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