1961 Major League Baseball expansion draft
1961 Draft
Table:
Regular Phase, $75,000 per player

Pick

Player

Position

Selected by

Previous team

1
Eddie Bressoud
IF
Houston Colt .45s
San Francisco Giants

2
Hobie Landrith
C
New York Mets
San Francisco Giants

3
Bob Aspromonte
IF
Houston Colt .45s
Los Angeles Dodgers

4
Elio Chacón
IF
New York Mets
Cincinnati Reds

5
Bob Lillis
IF
Houston Colt .45s
St. Louis Cardinals

6
Roger Craig
P
New York Mets
Los Angeles Dodgers

7
Dick Drott
P
Houston Colt .45s
Chicago Cubs

8
Gus Bell*
OF
New York Mets
Cincinnati Reds

9
Al Heist
OF
Houston Colt .45s
Chicago Cubs

10
Joe Christopher
OF
New York Mets
Pittsburgh Pirates

11
Román Mejías
OF
Houston Colt .45s
Pittsburgh Pirates

12
Félix Mantilla
IF
New York Mets
Milwaukee Braves

13
George Williams
IF
Houston Colt .45s
Philadelphia Phillies

14
Gil Hodges*
1B
New York Mets
Los Angeles Dodgers

15
Jesse Hickman
P
Houston Colt .45s
Philadelphia Phillies

16
Craig Anderson
P
New York Mets
St. Louis Cardinals

17
Merritt Ranew
C
Houston Colt .45s
Milwaukee Braves

18
Ray Daviault
P
New York Mets
San Francisco Giants

19
Don Taussig
OF
Houston Colt .45s
St. Louis Cardinals

20
John DeMerit
OF
New York Mets
Milwaukee Braves

By analysing the provided table and the supplementary paragraphs listed below.

Give the answer to the question: What is the middle name of the number 5 pick of the 1961 Major League Baseball expansion draft ? Output only the correct answer as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Base your answer solely on the given information.

Edward Francis Bressoud ( born May 2 , 1932 ) is a retired American professional baseball player . Born in Los Angeles , he is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played from 1956 through 1967 for the New York and San Francisco Giants ( 1956-1961 ) , Boston Red Sox ( 1962-1965 ) , New York Mets ( 1966 ) and St. Louis Cardinals ( 1967 ) . He batted and threw right-handed , stood 6 feet 1 inch ( 1.85 m ) tall and weighed 175 pounds ( 79 kg ) . Bressoud attended San Jose State University and the University of California , Los Angeles . He began his pro career in 1950 , missed two minor league seasons in military service during the Korean War , and reached the majors in 1956 with the Giants . Bressoud spent two years with the MLB club in New York City , then four years after its 1958 transfer to San Francisco . He was the Giants ' regular shortstop in both 1959 and 1960 , but hit only .251 and .225 . Ousted from his regular job by rookie José Pagán in 1961 , Bressoud was the first selection of the Houston Colt .45s in the 1961 expansion draft , then was traded to the Red Sox in exchange for their regular shortstop , Don Buddin . Bressoud played four seasons for Boston , hitting 40 doubles , nine triples , 14 home runs , 79 runs and a career-high 68 RBI in 1962 , and 59 extra-bases in 1963 , including a career-high 20 home runs and four two-HR games . In 1964 he posted career-numbers in batting average ( .293 ) , hits ( 166 ) , runs ( 86 ) and doubles ( 41 ) , and represented the Red Sox in the All-Star Game . After that , he played for the New York Mets and ended his major league career with the 1967 world champion Cardinals . In the 1967 World Series - against Bressoud 's former team , the Red Sox - he appeared in Games 2 and 5 as a late-inning replacement for light-hitting Cardinal shortstop Dal Maxvill , but did not record a plate appearance .
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive infield positions on the baseball field .
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston , Texas . The Astros compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the American League ( AL ) West division , having moved to the division in 2013 after spending their first 51 seasons in the National League ( NL ) . The Astros were established as the Houston Colt .45s and entered the National League as an expansion team in 1962 along with the New York Mets . The current name , reflecting Houston 's role as the host of the Johnson Space Center , was adopted three years later , when they moved into the Astrodome , the first domed sports stadium and the so-called eighth wonder of the world . The Astros moved to a new stadium called Minute Maid Park in 2000 . The Astros played in the NL West division from 1969 to 1993 , then the NL Central division from 1994 to 2012 , before being moved to the AL West as part of a minor realignment in 2013 . The Astros posted their first winning record in 1972 and made the playoffs for the first time in 1980 . The team made its first World Series appearance in 2005 as an NL team , only to be swept by the Chicago White Sox . The team embraced sabermetrics and new technologies in the 2010s , transforming from a tanking 100-loss team into a powerhouse . The Astros won the 2017 World Series , their first championship , against the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games in the wake of Hurricane Harvey . They returned to the World Series in 2019 , losing to the Washington Nationals in seven games . On January 13 , 2020 , the Astros manager A.J .
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco , California . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the National League ( NL ) West division . Founded in 1883 as the New York Gothams , and renamed three years later the New York Giants , the team eventually moved to San Francisco in 1958 . As one of the longest-established and most successful professional baseball teams , the franchise has won the most games of any team in the history of American baseball . The team was the first major league team based in New York City , most memorably playing at the legendary Polo Grounds . They have won 23 NL pennants and have played in 20 World Series competitions - both NL records . The Giants ' eight World Series championships rank second in the National League and fifth overall ( the New York Yankees are first with 27 , then the St. Louis Cardinals ( the National League record-holders ) with 11 , and the Oakland Athletics and the Boston Red Sox both with 9 ) . The Giants have played in the World Series 20 times - 14 times in New York , six in San Francisco - but boycotted the event in 1904 . Playing as the New York Giants , they won 14 pennants and five World Series championships behind managers such as John McGraw and Bill Terry and players such as Christy Mathewson , Carl Hubbell , Mel Ott , Bobby Thomson , and Willie Mays . The Giants ' franchise has the most Hall of Fame players in all of professional baseball . The Giants ' rivalry with the Los Angeles Dodgers is one of the longest-standing and biggest rivalries in American sports . The teams began their rivalry as the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers , respectively , before both franchises moved west for the 1958 season .
Hobart Neal Landrith ( born March 16 , 1930 ) is an American former professional baseball player . He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1950 through 1963 for the Cincinnati Reds/Redlegs , Chicago Cubs , St. Louis Cardinals , San Francisco Giants , New York Mets , Baltimore Orioles , and Washington Senators . He batted left-handed , threw right-handed , stood 5 feet 10 inches ( 1.78 m ) tall and weighed 170 pounds ( 77 kg ) . For most of his career the well-traveled Landrith was a second- or third-string catcher , but he is best known as the first pick of the New York Mets in the 1961 expansion draft . He was a backup catcher for Andy Seminick and Smoky Burgess in Cincinnati , and later a regular with the Cubs in 1956 . The following two years he backed up All-Stars Hal Smith and Walker Cooper with the Cardinals . He then had a three-season campaign in San Francisco , including his most successful season in 1959 . Landrith closed out his career with short stints with the Mets , Orioles , and expansion Senators before drawing his career to a close . In a career that spanned 14 seasons , Landrith had a career .233 batting average with 34 home runs , 203 runs batted in , and 450 hits in 772 games played .
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player . When a batter takes his/her turn to hit , the catcher crouches behind home plate , in front of the ( home ) umpire , and receives the ball from the pitcher . In addition to this primary duty , the catcher is also called upon to master many other skills in order to field the position well . The role of the catcher is similar to that of the wicket-keeper in cricket , but in cricket , wicketkeepers are increasingly known for their batting abilities . Positioned behind home plate , the catcher can see the whole field , and is therefore in the best position to direct and lead the other players in a defensive play . The catcher typically calls for pitches using hand signals . The calls are based on the pitcher 's mechanics and strengths , as well as the batter 's tendencies and weaknesses . Foul tips , bouncing balls in the dirt , and contact with runners during plays at the plate are all events to be handled by the catcher , necessitating the use of protective equipment . This includes a mask , chest and throat protectors , shin guards , and a heavily padded catcher 's mitt . Because the position requires a comprehensive understanding of the game 's strategies , the pool of former catchers yields a disproportionate number of managers in both Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball , including such prominent examples as Connie Mack , Steve O'Neill , Al López , Mike Scioscia , and Joe Torre . The physical and mental demands of being involved on every defensive play can wear catchers down over a long season , and can have a negative effect on their offensive output . Because of the strategic defensive importance of catching , if a catcher has exceptional defensive skills , teams are often willing to overlook their relative offensive weaknesses .
The New York Mets are a Major League Baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the National League ( NL ) East division . They are one of two MLB teams based in New York City , the other being the New York Yankees of the American League ( AL ) . One of baseball 's first expansion teams , the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York 's departed NL teams , the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants . The team 's colors combine the Dodgers ' blue and the Giants ' orange . For the 1962 and 1963 seasons , the Mets played home games at the Polo Grounds . From 1964 to 2008 , their home ballpark was Shea Stadium . In 2009 , they moved into their current ballpark , Citi Field . In their inaugural season , the Mets posted a record of 40-120 , the worst regular season record since MLB went to a 162-game schedule . The team never finished better than second-to-last until the Miracle Mets beat the Baltimore Orioles in the 1969 World Series , one of the biggest upsets in World Series history . Since then , they have played in four World Series , including a dramatic run in 1973 that ended in a seven-game loss to the Oakland Athletics , a second championship in 1986 over the Boston Red Sox , a Subway Series loss against their cross-town rivals the New York Yankees in 2000 , and a five-game loss to the Kansas City Royals in 2015 . The Mets qualified to play in the MLB postseason in 1988 and 2006 , coming within one game of the World Series both years .
Robert Thomas Aspromonte ( born June 19 , 1938 ) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who appeared in 1,324 games over parts of 13 seasons ( 1956 ; 1960-71 ) in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) . A native of Brooklyn , New York , he played for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers , Houston Colt .45s/Astros , Atlanta Braves and New York Mets , all of the National League . He was the last Brooklyn Dodger to play in the major leagues . The younger brother of former MLB infielder and manager Ken Aspromonte , he was listed as 6 feet 2 inches ( 1.88 m ) tall and 170 pounds ( 77 kg ) . He threw and batted right-handed .
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles , California . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the National League ( NL ) West division . Established in 1883 in Brooklyn , New York , the team moved to Los Angeles before the 1958 season . They played for four seasons at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before moving to their current home of Dodger Stadium in 1962 . The Dodgers have won six World Series championships and twenty three National League pennants . Eleven NL MVP award winners have played for the Dodgers , winning a total of thirteen MVP Awards ; eight Cy Young Award winners have also pitched for the Dodgers , winning a total of twelve Cy Young Awards . The team has eighteen Rookie of the Year Award winners , more than twice as many as the second place New York Yankees 8 . The Dodgers have had four consecutive Rookies of the Year from 1979 to 1982 and five in a row from 1992 to 1996 .
Elio Chacón Rodríguez ( October 26 , 1936 - April 24 , 1992 ) was a Major League Baseball second baseman and shortstop who played in the National League from 1960 to 1962 . He was the seventh baseball player from Venezuela to play in the majors .
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati , Ohio . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the National League ( NL ) Central division . They were a charter member of the American Association in 1882 and joined the NL in 1890 . The Reds played in the NL West division from 1969 to 1993 , before joining the Central division in 1994 . They have won five World Series championships , nine NL pennants , one AA pennant , and 10 division titles . The team plays its home games at Great American Ball Park , which opened in 2003 replacing Riverfront Stadium . Bob Castellini has been chief executive officer since 2006 . From 1882 to 2019 , the Reds ' overall win-loss record is 10,599-10,393 ( a 0.505 winning percentage ) .
Robert Perry Lillis ( born June 2 , 1930 ) is an American former infielder , manager , coach and scout in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) . Lillis was an original member of the 1962 expansion Houston Colt .45s who remained with the club ( renamed the Astros in 1965 ) for more than two decades and later became its manager . He threw and batted right-handed and was listed as 5 feet 11 inches ( 1.80 m ) tall and 160 pounds ( 73 kg ) .
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis , Missouri . The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the National League ( NL ) Central division . Busch Stadium has been their home ballpark since 2006 . One of the nation 's oldest and most successful professional baseball clubs , the Cardinals have won 11 World Series championships , more than any other NL team and second in MLB only to the New York Yankees . The team has won 19 National League pennants , third-most of any team . St. Louis has also won 14 division titles in the East and Central divisions . In 1881 , entrepreneur Chris von der Ahe purchased the Brown Stockings barnstorming club , renamed it the St. Louis Browns , and made it a charter member of the American Association ( AA ) baseball league . The team won four league championships , qualifying them to play in the era 's professional baseball championship tournament , a forerunner of the modern World Series . In two of these championships , the Browns met the Chicago White Stockings , launching the enduring Cardinals-Cubs rivalry . In 1892 , the Browns - also called the Perfectos - joined the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs , later renamed the National League . In 1900 , the team was renamed the Cardinals . ( Two years later , an unrelated St. Louis Browns team joined the American League . )
Roger Lee Craig ( born February 17 , 1930 ) is an American former pitcher , coach and manager in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) . Craig played for five National League teams over all or parts of 12 seasons ( 1955-1966 ) - most notably as a member of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers , and New York Mets - and then forged a successful post-playing career as a pitching coach and manager . As a player and coach , Craig was part of four World Series championship teams . As a manager , he led the 1989 San Francisco Giants to the team 's first National League championship in 27 years . He was born in Durham , North Carolina , and attended North Carolina State University .
In baseball , the pitcher is the player who throws the baseball from the pitcher 's mound toward the catcher to begin each play , with the goal of retiring a batter , who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk . In the numbering system used to record defensive plays , the pitcher is assigned the number 1 . The pitcher is often considered the most important player on the defensive side of the game , and as such is situated at the right end of the defensive spectrum . There are many different types of pitchers , such as the starting pitcher , relief pitcher , middle reliever , lefty specialist , setup man , and the closer . Traditionally , the pitcher also bats . Starting in 1973 with the American League and spreading to further leagues throughout the 1980s and 1990s , the hitting duties of the pitcher have generally been given over to the position of designated hitter , a cause of some controversy . The National League in Major League Baseball and the Japanese Central League are among the remaining leagues that have not adopted the designated hitter position .
Richard Fred Drott ( July 1 , 1936 - August 16 , 1985 ) was a Major League Baseball player who pitched for the Chicago Cubs and the Houston Colt .45s . Drott , nicknamed Hummer , started his major league career in 1957 with the Cubs . He won 15 games as a rookie , led the league in walks allowed , and finished third in balloting for Rookie of the Year . He graduated from Western Hills High School in Cincinnati , Ohio . On April 24 , 1957 , Drott was ejected from a game for using a wheelchair to wheel Moe Drabowsky to first base after Drabowsky claimed he was hit on the foot by a pitch . Arm injuries limited Drott 's effectiveness after 1957 . He was drafted during the regular phase of the 1961 MLB Expansion Draft by the Houston Colt .45s . After posting a 2-12 record in 1963 , Drott was sent back to the minor leagues . By 1965 he was finished playing professional baseball . Drott finished his career with a record of 27-46 with a lifetime 4.78 ERA in 176 games played . Dick Drott died of stomach cancer at age 49 .
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago , Illinois . The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the National League ( NL ) Central division . The team plays its home games at Wrigley Field , located on the city 's North Side . The Cubs are one of two major league teams in Chicago ; the other , the Chicago White Sox , is a member of the American League ( AL ) Central division . The Cubs , first known as the White Stockings , were a founding member of the NL in 1876 , becoming the Chicago Cubs in 1903 . The Cubs have appeared in a total of eleven World Series . The 1906 Cubs won 116 games , finishing 116-36 and posting a modern-era record winning percentage of .763 , before losing the World Series to the Chicago White Sox ( The Hitless Wonders ) by four games to two . The Cubs won back-to-back World Series championships in 1907 and 1908 , becoming the first major league team to play in three consecutive World Series , and the first to win it twice . Most recently , the Cubs won the 2016 National League Championship Series and 2016 World Series , which ended a 71-year National League pennant drought and a 108-year World Series championship drought , both of which are record droughts in Major League Baseball . The 108-year drought was also the longest such occurrence in all major North American sports . Since the start of divisional play in 1969 , the Cubs have appeared in the postseason ten times through the 2019 season . The Cubs are known as the North Siders , a reference to the location of Wrigley Field within the city of Chicago , and in contrast to the White Sox , whose home field ( Guaranteed Rate Field ) is located on the South Side .
David Russell Gus Bell Jr. ( November 15 , 1928 - May 7 , 1995 ) was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball from 1950 through 1964 , who played with the Pittsburgh Pirates , Cincinnati Reds , New York Mets and Milwaukee Braves . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed , stood 6 feet 1 inch ( 1.85 m ) tall and weighed 195 pounds ( 88 kg ) . In his 15-year MLB career , Bell was a .281 hitter with 1,823 hits , 311 doubles , 66 triples , 206 home runs and 942 runs batted in in 1,741 games played . Defensively , he recorded a career .985 fielding percentage at all three outfield positions . He was nicknamed Gus as a youngster because he was a fan of longtime MLB player Gus Mancuso .
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball , farthest from the batter . These defenders are the left fielder , the center fielder , and the right fielder . As an outfielder , their duty is to catch fly balls and/ ground balls then to return them to the infield for the out or before the runner advances , if there is any runners on the bases . As an outfielder , they normally play behind the six players located in the field . By convention , each of the nine defensive positions in baseball is numbered . The outfield positions are 7 ( left field ) , 8 ( center field ) and 9 ( right field ) . These numbers are shorthand designations useful in baseball scorekeeping and are not necessarily the same as the squad numbers worn on player uniforms . Outfielders named to the MLB All-Century Team are Hank Aaron , Ty Cobb , Joe DiMaggio , Mickey Mantle , Willie Mays , Stan Musial , Pete Rose , Babe Ruth , Ted Williams and Ken Griffey Jr .
Alfred Michael Heist ( October 5 , 1927 - October 2 , 2006 ) was an American professional baseball player , coach and scout . After a long career in the Pacific Coast League of the 1950s , the outfielder made his Major League debut at the age of 32 and appeared in 177 big-league games for the Chicago Cubs ( 1960-61 ) and the Houston Colt .45s ( 1962 ) . He threw and batted right-handed , stood 6 feet 2 inches ( 1.88 m ) tall and weighed 185 pounds ( 84 kg ) . Heist was born in Brooklyn , New York , and signed with the St. Louis Browns in 1949 . Acquired by the top-level Sacramento Solons in 1955 , he played almost six full seasons in California 's capital before being traded to the Cubs on July 15 , 1960 . Two days later , he made his first Major League appearance , starting in center field against the St. Louis Cardinals and batting sixth in the lineup against right-hander Larry Jackson . In the seventh inning , he collected his first big-league hit , a single , one of four Chicago hits in a 6-0 shutout loss . He appeared in 41 games for the Cubs in 1960 , then in 109 more games in 1961 , starting 82 out of the team 's 154 games played in center field , 26 more than the Cubs ' former regular , Baseball Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn . On April 15 , 1961 , Heist hit a walk-off grand slam home run in the ninth inning at Wrigley Field against the Milwaukee Braves . That season , Heist batted .255 with seven home runs and 37 runs batted in . After the campaign , he was Houston 's fifth pick and the ninth overall selection in the 1961 Major League Baseball expansion draft . But he appeared in only 23 games for the 1962 Colt .45s during their maiden season as Carl Warwick won the starting center field job .
Joseph O'Neal Christopher ( born December 13 , 1935 in Frederiksted , U.S. Virgin Islands ) is a former outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1959 through 1966 . Listed at 5 ' 10 , 175 lbs. , he batted and threw right-handed . Christopher reached the majors in 1959 with the Pittsburgh Pirates , spending three years with them before moving to the New York Mets ( 1962-65 ) and Boston Red Sox ( 1966 ) . While in Pittsburgh , Christopher was used as a backup in all three outfield positions for Bob Skinner ( LF ) , Bill Virdon ( CF ) and Roberto Clemente ( RF ) . He was first called up when Clemente was injured , making his debut in nothing less than Harvey Haddix 's near-perfect game on May 26 , 1959 . As a member of the 1960 World Series Champion Pirates , he was a utility player , pinch-running in three games and scoring two runs ( games 2 and 5 ) . Christopher became the Mets fifth pick in the 1961 MLB Expansion Draft . In 1964 he enjoyed easily his finest season as a major-leaguer , hitting .300 with 16 home runs , 76 RBI , 78 runs , 163 hits , 26 doubles , and eight triples in 154 games , all career-highs . He had a career-best day on August 19 , collecting two triples , a double , and a home run in an 8-6 victory over his former Pirates teammates . Then , on September 25 he broke up the no-hit bid of Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jim Maloney at Shea Stadium . His second-inning single was the only hit against Maloney , who had to settle for a 3-0 shutout . Christopher played briefly in 1966 for the Red Sox and was dealt with pitcher Earl Wilson to the Detroit Tigers , who sent Julio Navarro as part of the package .
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the National League ( NL ) Central division . Founded in 1881 under the name Pittsburgh Allegheny , the franchise has won five World Series championships . The Pirates are also often referred to as the Bucs or the Buccos ( derived from buccaneer , a synonym for pirate ) . The team plays its home games at PNC Park , its home since 2001 . The Pirates previously played at Forbes Field from 1909-1970 and at Three Rivers Stadium , so named because of its location near the confluence of the Allegheny , Monongahela , and Ohio rivers , from 1970-2000 . The franchise joined the NL in its eighth season in 1887 and was competitive from its early years , winning three NL titles from 1901 to 1903 , playing in the inaugural World Series in 1903 and winning their first World Series in 1909 behind Honus Wagner . The Pirates have had many ups and downs during their long history , most famously winning the 1960 World Series against the New York Yankees on a series-winning walk-off home run by Bill Mazeroski , the only time that Game 7 of the World Series has ever ended with a home run . They also won the 1971 World Series , led by the talent of Roberto Clemente , and the 1979 World Series under the slogan We Are Family , led by Pops Willie Stargell . After a run of regular-season success in the early 1990s ( winning three straight NL East Division titles ) , the Pirates struggled mightily over the following 20 years , with 20 consecutive losing seasons from 1993 to 2012 - the longest such streak in American professional sports history - before posting a winning record in 2013 of 94-68 , qualifying them for the NL Wild Card . They advanced to the NL Division Series round , where they lost in 5 games to the St. Louis Cardinals . The Pirates made the playoffs in both 2014 and 2015 , losing in the Wild Card Game both times .
Román Mejías Gómez ( born August 9 , 1930 ) is a Cuban former professional baseball outfielder . He played in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) in 1955 and from 1957-1964 for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Houston Colt .45s and Boston Red Sox . He also played one season in Japan , in 1966 , for the Sankei Atoms . Listed as standing 6 feet ( 1.8 m ) tall and weighing 175 pounds ( 79 kg ) , he threw and batted right-handed .
Félix Mantilla Lamela ( born July 29 , 1934 ) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball utility player , who appeared mostly as an infielder . In his 11-year Major League Baseball ( MLB ) career , Mantilla played for the Milwaukee Braves ( 1956-61 ) , New York Mets ( 1962 ) , Boston Red Sox ( 1963-65 ) , and Houston Astros ( 1966 ) . He played second base the majority of his big league career ( 326 games ) , but also adeptly played shortstop ( 180 ) , third base ( 143 ) , outfield ( 156 ) and ( in the latter part of his career ) , first base ( 16 ) . Mantilla batted and threw right-handed . In 1953 , Mantilla ( along with Hank Aaron and career minor league outfielder Horace Garner ) joined the Class-A Minor League Baseball ( MiLB ) Jacksonville Braves , of the South Atlantic League - which was ( at that time ) one of the first two integrated baseball teams in the Southern United States . ( Mantilla and Aaron were roommates . In 1954 , Aaron became the MLB Braves left fielder when Bobby Thomson broke his ankle . Mantilla joined the major league club two seasons later . ) Both Mantilla and Aaron were vital contributors to Milwaukee winning the 1957 World Series title over the New York Yankees . Mantilla was selected by the New York Mets in the expansion draft and became their regular third baseman ( 95 games - 88 as a starter ) in 1962 , while establishing career statistical highs in batting average , home runs , and runs batted in ( RBI ) ( .275/11/59 ) . During the 1962 Winter Meetings , he was traded to the Boston Red Sox for Pumpsie Green , Tracy Stallard , and Al Moran . Mantilla 's numbers improved dramatically in the hitter-friendly Fenway Park : batting average of .315 in 66 games ( 1963 ) ; .289 with 30 home runs ( 1964 ) ( five fewer than he had hit in his career prior to that season ) ; a career-high with 92 RBI ( 1965 ) .
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the National League ( NL ) East division . The team played its home games at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium from 1966 to 1996 , and at Turner Field from 1997 to 2016 . Since 2017 , their home stadium has been Truist Park ( formerly SunTrust Park ) , located 10 miles ( 16 km ) northwest of downtown Atlanta in Cobb County , Georgia . The Braves play spring training games at CoolToday Park in North Port , Florida . The name Braves , which was first used in 1912 , originates from a term for a Native American warrior . They are nicknamed the Bravos , and often referred to as America 's Team in reference to the team 's games being broadcast on the nationally available TBS from the 1970s until 2007 , giving the team a nationwide fan base . From 1991 to 2005 , the Braves were one of the most successful teams in baseball , winning division titles an unprecedented 14 consecutive times ( omitting the strike-shortened 1994 season in which there were no official division champions ) , and producing one of the greatest pitching rotations in the history of baseball . Most notably , this rotation consisted of pitchers Greg Maddux , John Smoltz , and Tom Glavine . Pitcher Steve Avery also was a significant contributor to the rotation during the period of 1991-1993 . The Braves won the National League West division from 1991 to 1993 , and after divisional realignment , the National League East division from 1995 to 2005 . They returned to the playoffs as the National League Wild Card in 2010 .
George Williams ( October 23 , 1939 - May 14 , 2009 ) was an American professional baseball second baseman . He played in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) for three different teams between the 1961 and 1964 seasons . Listed at 5 feet 11 inches ( 1.80 m ) , 165 pounds ( 75 kg ) , Williams batted and threw right-handed . He was born in Detroit , Michigan . Williams entered the majors in 1961 with the Philadelphia Phillies , playing for them for one year before joining the Houston Colt .45 's in 1962 and the Kansas City Athletics in 1964 . In a three season career , Williams was a .230 hitter ( 31-for-135 ) with 15 runs and five runs batted in in 59 games including seven doubles without any home runs . An 11-season minor league veteran , Williams hit .277 with 71 homers and 430 RBI in 1,143 games for 10 teams from 1958 through 1968 . In between , he played for the Leones del Caracas club of the Venezuelan Winter League during the 1966-1967 season . Williams died from lung cancer in his home city of Detroit at the age of 69 .
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member of the National League ( NL ) East division . Since 2004 , the team 's home stadium has been Citizens Bank Park , located in South Philadelphia . The Phillies are the oldest , continuous , one-name , one-city franchise in American professional sports . The Phillies have won two World Series championships ( against the Kansas City Royals in 1980 and the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008 ) and seven National League pennants , the first of which came in 1915 . Since the first modern World Series was played in 1903 , the Phillies played 77 consecutive seasons ( and 97 seasons from the club 's establishment ) before they won their first World Series - longer than any of the other 16 teams that made up the major leagues for the first half of the 20th century . They are one of the more successful franchises since the start of the Divisional Era in Major League Baseball . The Phillies have won 11 division titles , including five consecutive division titles from 2007 to 2011 ; these are ranked sixth among all teams and fourth in the National League . The franchise was founded in Philadelphia in 1883 , replacing the team from Worcester , Massachusetts , in the National League . The team has played at several stadiums in the city , beginning with Recreation Park and continuing at Baker Bowl ; Shibe Park , which was later renamed Connie Mack Stadium in honor of the longtime Philadelphia Athletics manager ; Veterans Stadium , and now Citizens Bank Park . The team 's spring training facilities are located in Clearwater , Florida , where its Class-A minor league affiliate Clearwater Threshers plays at Spectrum Field . Other Class-A affiliates are the Lakewood BlueClaws , who play in Lakewood , New Jersey , and the Williamsport Crosscutters , who play in Williamsport , Pennsylvania .
Gilbert Ray Hodges , ne Hodge ( April 4 , 1924 - April 2 , 1972 ) was an American Major League Baseball ( MLB ) first baseman and manager who played most of his 18-year career for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers . He was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1982 . Hodges is generally considered to be the best defensive first baseman of the 1950s . He was an All-Star for eight seasons and a Gold Glove Award winner for three consecutive seasons . Hodges and Duke Snider are the only players to have the most home runs or runs batted in together during the decade with the Brooklyn Dodgers . Hodges was the National League ( NL ) leader in double plays four times and in putouts , assists and fielding percentage three times each . He ranked second in NL history with 1,281 assists and 1,614 double plays when his career ended , and was among the league 's career leaders in games ( 6th , 1,908 ) and total chances ( 10th , 16,751 ) at first base . Hodges also managed the New York Mets to the 1969 World Series title over the favored Baltimore Orioles , one of the greatest upsets in Fall Classic history . In 2014 , Hodges appeared for the second time as a candidate on the National Baseball Hall of Fame 's Golden Era Committee election ballot for possible Hall of Fame consideration in 2015 . He and the other candidates all missed getting elected . The committee meets and votes on ten candidates selected from the 1947 to 1972 era every three years .
First base , or 1B , is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner to score a run for that player 's team . A first baseman is the player on the team playing defense who fields the area nearest first base , and is responsible for the majority of plays made at that base . In the numbering system used to record defensive plays , the first baseman is assigned the number 3 . Also called first sacker or cornerman , the first baseman is ideally a tall player who throws left-handed and possesses good flexibility and quick reflexes . Flexibility is needed because the first baseman receives throws from the other infielders , the catcher and the pitcher after they have fielded ground balls . In order for the runner to be called out , the first baseman must be able to stretch towards the throw and catch it before the runner reaches first base . First base is often referred to as the other hot corner - the hot corner being third base - and therefore , like the third baseman , he must have quick reflexes to field the hardest hit balls down the foul line , mainly by left-handed pull hitters and right-handed hitters hitting to the opposite field . They often are power hitters who have a substantial number of home runs and extra base hits while maintaining a .270 plus batting average . [ citation needed ]
Jesse Owens Hickman ( born February 18 , 1939 ) is an American former professional baseball pitcher , who played in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) for the Kansas City Athletics ( 1965-1966 ) . The 6 feet 2 inches ( 1.88 m ) , 186 pounds ( 84 kg ) right-hander attended Louisiana College . Hickman originally signed with the Philadelphia Phillies , pitching the 1960 and 1961 seasons in their farm system . After being selected by the Houston Colt .45s in the 1962 Expansion Draft , he played in the Houston ( 1962-1964 Colts and 1965 Astros ) minor league system . Hickman was traded to the Athletics with a player to be named later ( infielder Ernie Fazio ) for slugging first baseman Jim Gentile , on June 4 , 1965 . The following night , Hickman made his Major League debut at home in relief against the Boston Red Sox . Although he pitched a scoreless tenth inning , Hickman surrendered a home run to Red Sox closer Dick Radatz in the eleventh frame and took the 5-3 loss , Hickmans only big league decision . The homer , Radatz ' only MLB long ball , cleared the deep left-field fence at Municipal Stadium . Hickman appeared in 12 more MLB games during 1965 and 1966 , striking out 16 men in 16⅓ innings pitched , but yielding ten earned runs , nine hits , and nine bases on balls . He retired from baseball after spending the 1967 season in the California Angels minor league system .
Norman Craig Anderson ( born July 1 , 1938 ) is an American former professional baseball pitcher , who played Major League Baseball ( MLB ) for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets .
Merritt Thomas Ranew ( May 10 , 1938 - October 18 , 2011 ) was an American professional baseball catcher who appeared in 269 games over all or parts of five Major League Baseball seasons ( 1962-65 ; 1969 ) for five different teams . He batted left-handed , threw right-handed , and was listed as 5 feet 11 inches ( 1.80 m ) tall and 170 pounds ( 77 kg ) .
Raymond Joseph Robert Daviault ( born May 27 , 1934 ) is a retired Canadian professional baseball player . The right-handed pitcher , a native of Montreal , Quebec , had an 11-season ( 1953-1963 ) professional career , but spent only part of one season in the Major Leagues , appearing in 36 games ( all but three in relief ) for the 1962 New York Mets , the first season in that expansion team 's history . He stood 6 feet 1 inch ( 1.85 m ) tall and weighed 175 pounds ( 79 kg ) . Daviault had been selected by the Mets with the 18th pick in the 1961 Major League Baseball expansion draft , even though he had yet to pitch a single inning in the Majors . In 1961 , his ninth season in the minors , he had appeared in 58 games and 105 innings pitched for the Triple-A Tacoma Giants , fashioning a 10-9 record and an earned run average of 3.17 . In 1962 , he broke spring training camp on the Mets ' inaugural roster , and made his MLB debut on April 13 at the Polo Grounds against the Pittsburgh Pirates . Entering the game in the eighth inning with the Mets down , 3-2 , he walked Dick Groat , threw a wild pitch , retired Bob Skinner on a ground ball ( with Groat advancing to third base ) , then uncorked a second wild pitch to score Groat and increase the Pirate lead to 4-2 . He also walked three batters in the ninth inning but allowed no further scoring as Pittsburgh ended up winning , 4-3 . He earned his only MLB victory on July 7 against the St. Louis Cardinals , also at the Polo Grounds . He came into a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning , and immediately dodged a bullet when Cardinal baserunner Dal Maxvill failed to touch third base and was called out to kill a St. Louis rally . Then , in the ninth , Daviault surrendered a go-ahead home run to the Cardinals ' Curt Flood . But , in the bottom of the inning , the Mets ' Marv Throneberry hit a two-run , walk-off home run off Ernie Broglio to give New York and Daviault a come-from-behind , 5-4 win .
Donald Franklin Taussig ( born February 19 , 1932 ) is an American former professional baseball player . He was an outfielder who played all or part of three seasons in Major League Baseball for the 1958 San Francisco Giants , 1961 St. Louis Cardinals , and 1962 Houston Colt .45s . He threw and batted right-handed , stood 6 feet ( 1.8 m ) tall and weighed 180 pounds ( 82 kg ) .
John Stephen DeMerit ( born January 8 , 1936 in West Bend , Wisconsin ) is an American former professional baseball player from Port Washington , Wisconsin . He was an outfielder over parts or all of five seasons ( 1957-1959 ; 1961-1962 ) with the Milwaukee Braves and New York Mets . Nicknamed Thumper , DeMerit threw and batted right-handed and was listed as 6 feet 1 inch ( 1.85 m ) tall and 195 pounds ( 88 kg ) . An alumnus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison , he signed a $ 100,000 bonus contract with his hometown Braves in 1957 . Under the bonus rule then in force , the Braves were required to keep DeMerit on their big-league roster for all of 1957 . DeMerit got into 33 games , six as a starting outfielder , but collected only five singles in 34 at bats . Still , Milwaukee won the National League pennant and drew the New York Yankees as their opponents in the 1957 World Series . DeMerit appeared in one contest , as a pinch runner for veteran catcher Del Rice in the eighth inning of Game 3 . He failed to score a run and the Braves fell , 12-3 . But they outlasted the Yankees in seven games to become world champions . A change in the bonus rule allowed the Braves to send DeMerit to the minor leagues in 1958 , and DeMerit spent most of 1958 and 1959 and all of 1960 in the higher reaches of the Milwaukee farm system . Then in 1961 , he spent his only full year in the major leagues .