Vada Pinson played as a center fielder in Major League Baseball for 18 years, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds, for whom he played from 1958 to 1968 as a four-time National League All-Star.
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31 Facts About Vada Pinson
2.
Vada Pinson was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1977.
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3.
Vada Pinson has the most hits of any retired batter not inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, excluding those suspected of performance enhancing drug use or gambling.
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4.
Vada Pinson was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and his family moved to California when he was a child.
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5.
Vada Pinson attended Oakland's McClymonds High School, a school attended by Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Frank Robinson, star centerfielder Curt Flood, and Basketball Hall of Fame center Bill Russell.
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6.
Vada Pinson had interest in the trumpet in the school's band, to the point where he considered playing trumpet as a career, but his baseball coach George Powles convinced him otherwise, developing him into a player by cultivating his athletic ability and talent.
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7.
Batting second and starting in centerfield, Vada Pinson had one hit in five at-bats, his first hit a single off future Baseball Hall-of-Famer Robin Roberts.
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8.
Vada Pinson was selected to both All-Star Games played that year and finished 15th in Most Valuable Player voting.
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9.
Vada Pinson led the National League in putouts as an outfielder with 423.
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10.
Vada Pinson was named to both of the All-Star Games that year, batting once in the first game and having no at-bat in the second game.
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12.
Vada Pinson finished 2nd for the batting title to Roberto Clemente, who edged him out by eight percentage points.
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13.
Vada Pinson had 344 putouts as an outfielder, 5th best in the league.
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14.
The charges were dropped, but Vada Pinson stated that this was the most embarrassing moment of his career.
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15.
Vada Pinson had 357 putouts an outfielder, 3rd most in the league.
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17.
Robinson noted in his autobiography Extra Innings a story of him and Vada Pinson inviting then rookie Pete Rose to dinner during the season while helping to show him the ropes around the team and league.
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18.
Vada Pinson allegedly grabbed Lawson by the neck and pushed him against a wall in September 1963, with Lawson filling assault and battery charges, although the trial ended in a hung jury three months later.
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19.
Vada Pinson had 299 putouts as an outfielder, 5th most in the league.
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20.
Vada Pinson had 1,177 hits before he turned 26, which is fifth most all time, with the four ahead of him all being in the Hall of Fame.
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21.
Vada Pinson had 341 putouts as an outfielder, 2nd most in the League, with a decrease in errors to five.
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22.
On May 22,1968, Vada Pinson collected a double off Dave Giusti of the Houston Astros to pass Edd Roush for most hits as a Red.
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23.
Vada Pinson retained the record for four seasons until Pete Rose passed him on September 1,1972.
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24.
Vada Pinson recorded his 2,000th hit off Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Joe Gibbon in the bottom of the 7th inning on September 18,1969.
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26.
Vada Pinson was third in both assists as a center fielder and errors committed, with nine and five respectively.
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27.
Vada Pinson was traded by the Angels on February 23,1974, for Barry Raziano and cash.
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28.
Vada Pinson had four 200+ hit seasons in 1959, '61, '63 and '65, batting over.
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29.
Vada Pinson coached on the inaugural editions of two expansion teams, the Mariners and the Marlins.
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30.
Vada Pinson had three daughters, Valerie, Kimberly and Renee, and one son, Vada Pinson III.
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31.
Vada Pinson was interred at Rolling Hills Memorial Park, Richmond, California.
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