Alvin Ralph Dark (born January 7, 1922 in Comanche, Oklahoma), nicknamed "Blackie" and "The Swamp Fox", is a former shortstop and manager in Major League Baseball who played for five National League teams from 1946 to 1960. Named the major leagues' Rookie of the Year with the 1948 Boston Braves when he batted .322. After joining the New York Giants he hit .300 three more times and became the first NL shortstop to hit 20 home runs more than once. His .411 career slugging average was the seventh highest by an NL shortstop when he retired, and his 126 home runs placed him behind only Ernie Banks and Travis Jackson. After leading the NL in putouts and double plays three times each, he ended his career with the seventh most double plays (933) and tenth highest fielding percentage (.960) in league history. He went on to become the third manager to win pennants with both National and American League teams. Major league affiliations National League (1883–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers NY, NY, 3, 4, 11, 24, 27, 30, 36, 42, 44 Name San Francisco Giants (1958–present) New York Giants (1885–1957) New York Gothams (1883–1885) Other nicknames Jints, Gigantes, G-Men Ballpark AT... The following are the baseball events of the year 1961 throughout the world. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1964 throughout the world. ... The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. ... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 20 - The Baseball Writers Association of America voters elect Ted Williams to the Hall of Fame. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1967 throughout the world. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 5, 14, 18, 19, 21, 42, 455 Name Cleveland Indians (1915–present) Cleveland Naps (1905-1914) Cleveland Bronchos (1902-1904) Cleveland Blues (1901) Other nicknames The Tribe, The Wahoos Ballpark Jacobs Field (1994–present... The following are the baseball events of the year 1968 throughout the world. ... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 31 - The new Special Veterans Committee selects seven men for enshrinement to the Hall of Fame: former players Dave Bancroft, Jake Beckley, Chick Hafey, Harry Hooper, Joe Kelley, Rube Marquard, and executive George Weiss. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 9, 27, 34, 42, 43, (As) Name Oakland Athletics (1968–present) Kansas City Athletics (1955-1967) Philadelphia Athletics (1901-1954) (Referred to as As) Other nicknames The As, The White Elephants, The... The following are the baseball events of the year 1974 throughout the world. ... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January-June January 23 - Ralph Kiner is elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America. ... Major league affiliations National League (1969–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 6, 19, 31, 35, 42 Name San Diego Padres (1969–present) Other nicknames The Pads, The Friars, The Fathers, The Dads Ballpark PETCO Park (2004–present) Qualcomm Stadium (1969-2003) a. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1977 throughout the world. ... is the 7th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Comanche is a city located in Stephens County, Oklahoma. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... New York Yankees manager Joe Torre returning to the dugout (September 2005) In baseball, the head coach of a team is called the manager (or more formally, the field manager); this individual controls matters of team batting order to more closely communicate with baserunners, but most managers delegate this responsibility... MLB and Major Leagues redirect here. ... For other uses, see National League (disambiguation). ... In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given to the best first-year players in the American and National Leagues. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1948 throughout the world. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) East Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 21, 35, 41, 42, 44 Name Atlanta Braves (1966–present) Milwaukee Braves (1953-1965) Boston Braves (1941-1952) Boston Bees (1936-1940) Boston Braves (1912-1935) Boston Rustlers (1911) Boston Doves (1907-1910) Boston... Major league affiliations National League (1883–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers NY, NY, 3, 4, 11, 24, 27, 30, 36, 42, 44 Name San Francisco Giants (1958–present) New York Giants (1885–1957) New York Gothams (1883–1885) Other nicknames Jints, Gigantes, G-Men Ballpark AT... Mark McGwire swinging for the fences. ... Barry Bonds holds the MLB record for highest slugging average in a season (.863). ... Ernest Ernie Banks (born January 31, 1931 in Dallas, Texas) is an American former Major League baseball player who played his entire career with the Chicago Cubs (1953-1971). ... Travis Calvin Jackson (November 2, 1903 - July 27, 1987) was a Major League Baseball player during the 1920s and 1930s. ... In baseball statistics, a putout (denoted by PO or fly-ball when appropriate) is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the following methods: tagging a runner with the ball touching a base that a runner on a force play is trying to reach catching... After stepping on second base, the fielder throws to first to complete a double play In baseball, a double play (denoted on statistics sheets by DP) for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. ... In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player handles a batted ball properly. ... The American League (or formally the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States of America and Canada. ...

Baseball Career

Dark attended LSU, in 1942 and was a football standout there as well as a great baseball player. During WWII he transferred through the V-12 program to the University of Louisiana-Lafayette (then SLI) in Lafayette Louisiana, where he once again showed his baseball skills batting .461 in 1944. His football skills were evident there as well as he quarterbacked SLI to an undefeated season in 1943 and a New Years day victory in the Oil Bowl. This led to his getting drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles. However after serving in Asia during the war he came home and chose his first love, baseball. For other uses, see LSU. Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, generally known as Louisiana State University or LSU, is a public, coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the main campus of the Louisiana State University System. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... The NFL Draft (officially the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting[1]) is an annual sports draft in which National Football League (NFL) teams take turns, through seven rounds[2], selecting amateur college American football players and other first-time eligible players. ... City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Team colors Midnight Green, Black, White, and Silver Head Coach Andy Reid Owner Jeffrey Lurie General manager Tom Heckert (official) Andy Reid (de facto) Fight song Fly, Eagles Fly Mascot Swoop League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1933–present) Eastern Division (1933-1949) American Conference (1950-1952...

He was named the MLB Rookie of the Year and finished third in the MVP voting in 1948 after playing a vital part of the Braves' unlikely run to the pennant, their first since 1914; but he hit only .167 in the World Series loss to the Cleveland Indians. He was traded after the 1949 season, which turned out to be one of the best trades in Giants history and one of the worst in Braves history. Dark was immediately named team captain by manager Leo Durocher, and had several great seasons in New York. In 1951 he batted .303 with 114 runs and a league-leading 41 doubles as the Giants won their first pennant in 14 years; he hit .417 in the World Series against the New York Yankees, including a 3-run home run in Game 1, though the Giants lost in six games. He followed up with seasons hitting .301 and .300 in 1952-53, scoring 126 runs with 23 home runs and 41 doubles in the latter season. In 1954 he batted .293 with 20 home runs and was fifth in the MVP voting as the Giants won another pennant; in the World Series against the heavily favored Indians, he batted .412 with a hit in every game, and the Giants pulled off an astonishing sweep to win their first championship since 1933. He was the NL's starting shortstop for the All-Star game in 1951, 1952, and 1954. In 1955 he was awarded the first Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, given to the player who best exemplified Gehrig's character and integrity both on and off the field. In the game of baseball, both amateur and professional, it is tradition to annually recognize the one player in the league who has contributed the most to the success of the players team. ... The 1948 World Series matched the Cleveland Indians, who had won the American League pennant in a one-game playoff against the Boston Red Sox, and the Boston Braves, who had won the National League pennant for the first time since the Miracle Braves team of 1914. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 5, 14, 18, 19, 21, 42, 455 Name Cleveland Indians (1915–present) Cleveland Naps (1905-1914) Cleveland Bronchos (1902-1904) Cleveland Blues (1901) Other nicknames The Tribe, The Wahoos Ballpark Jacobs Field (1994–present... The following are the baseball events of the year 1949 throughout the world. ... In team sports, a captain is an honorary title given to the member of the team primarily responsible for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field. ... Leo Ernest Durocher (July 27, 1905 — October 7, 1991), nicknamed Leo the Lip, was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1951 throughout the world. ... Bengie Molina of the Anaheim Angels (in gray and red) scores a run by touching home plate after rounding all the bases. ... In baseball, a double is the act of a batter safely reaching second base by striking the ball and getting to second before being made out, without the benefit of a fielders misplay (see error) or another runner being put out on a fielders choice. ... The 1951 World Series matched the two-time defending champion New York Yankees against the New York Giants, who had won the National League pennant in a thrilling three-game playoff with the Brooklyn Dodgers on a legendary home run by Bobby Thomson (the Shot Heard Round the World). ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 23, 32, 37, 44, 49 Name New York Yankees (1913–present) New York Highlanders (1903-1912) Baltimore Orioles (1901-1902) (Also referred to as... The following are the baseball events of the year 1954 throughout the world. ... The 1954 World Series matched the National League champion New York Giants against the American League champion Cleveland Indians. ... In Major League Baseball history, Ty Cobb had a record 4,191 hits by 1928; Pete Rose would surpass it 57 years later, and finish with 4,256 career hits. ... The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the Midsummer Classic, is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by fan vote for the starting position players and by the respective managers (from the previous years World... The following are the events of the year 1952 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... The following are the events of the year 1955 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... The Lou Gehrig Memorial Award is a award created by the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity to recognize the former Major League Baseball player Lou Gehrig. ...

In June 1956 he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in a nine-player deal; he continued to hit well, and led the NL in putouts and double plays for the third time in 1957. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs in May 1958, batting .295 over the remainder of the season and .264 in 1959; with Ernie Banks at shortstop, the Cubs shifted Dark to third base, where he remained in his last seasons. In January 1960 he was traded with two other players to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Richie Ashburn; after hitting .242 in 55 games, he was traded back to the Braves (now in Milwaukee) in June, and hit .298 in his final 50 games. On October 31 of that year, he was traded back to the Giants (who had moved to San Francisco two years earlier), who wanted him as their new manager rather than as a player. Dark retired with a .289 career batting average, 2089 hits, 1064 runs and 757 runs batted in over 1828 games played. According to baseball writer Bill James, he may have lost a Hall of Fame career due to his debut being delayed by his military service during World War II. Major league affiliations National League (1892–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 42, 42, 45, 85 Name St. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 10, 14, 23, 26, 42 Name Chicago Cubs (1902–present) Chicago Orphans (1898-1901) Chicago Colts (1890-1897) Chicago White Stockings (1870-1871, 1874-1889) (a. ... Ernest Ernie Banks (born January 31, 1931 in Dallas, Texas) is an American former Major League baseball player who played his entire career with the Chicago Cubs (1953-1971). ... The position of the third baseman “Third base” redirects here. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1960 throughout the world. ... Major league affiliations National League (1883–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 14, 20, 32, 36, 42 Name Fightin Philadelphia Phillies (1884–present) Philadelphia Quakers (1883-1889) (Also referred to as Blue Jays 1943-1945 despite formal name remaining Phillies) Other nicknames The Phils, The Phightin... Don Richard Richie Ashburn (March 19, 1927 - September 9, 1997) was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball. ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... “RBI” redirects here. ... In baseball statistics, games played (denoted by G) indicates the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity). ... George William “Bill” James (born October 5, 1949 in Holton, Kansas) is a baseball writer, historian and statistician whose work has been widely influential. ... The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located at 62 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, is a semi-official museum operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of baseball-related... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Managerial Career

Dark quickly became a successful manager, winning a pennant with the Giants in 1962, but losing the 1962 World Series in seven games to the Yankees. In 1964 he became embroiled in controversy when he was quoted in Newsday as complaining about the number of black and Hispanic players on the team and saying, "They are just not able to perform up to the white player when it comes to mental alertness." He responded that he had been severely misquoted; Willie Mays, whom he had named as team captain, came to his defense and calmed the team, and Jackie Robinson further noted, "I have found Dark to be a gentleman and, above all, unbiased. Our relationship has not only been on the ballfield but off it." Dark survived the controversy, but was fired after the season when Giants owner Horace Stoneham learned of an extramarital affair. He was hired as an assistant to Kansas City Athletics owner Charlie Finley in 1965, and became that team's manager the next season, but was dismissed in August 1967 in a disagreement over player discipline after Finley fined and suspended pitcher Lew Krausse for his behavior on a team flight. (Finley also released first baseman Ken Harrelson, who had been quoted as saying that Finley was a menace to the sport.) The following are the events of the year 1962 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... The 1962 World Series matched the defending champion New York Yankees against the San Francisco Giants, who had won their first NL pennant since moving from New York in 1958, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-game playoff. ... Newsday is a daily tabloid-size newspaper that primarily serves Long Island and the New York City borough of Queens, although it is sold throughout the New York City metropolitan area. ... Willie Howard Mays, Jr. ... Jack Roosevelt Jackie Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) became the first African-American major league baseball player of the modern era in 1947. ... Horace Stoneham (April 27, 1903 - January 7, 1990) was the principal owner of Major League Baseballs New York Giants. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 9, 27, 34, 42, 43, (As) Name Oakland Athletics (1968–present) Kansas City Athletics (1955-1967) Philadelphia Athletics (1901-1954) (Referred to as As) Other nicknames The As, The White Elephants, The... Charles Oscar Finley (February 22, 1918 - February 19, 1996), born in Ensley, Alabama, was an American businessman who is best remembered for his tenure as the flamboyant owner of the Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball team. ... Lew Krausse (born April 25, 1943) was a Major League Baseball pitcher from Media, Pennsylvania. ... Kenneth Smith Harrelson (born September 4, 1941 in Woodruff, South Carolina), nicknamed The Hawk due to his resemblance to a winged mammal, is a former first baseman and outfielder in Major League Baseball who currently serves as a television broadcast announcer for the Chicago White Sox. ...

Dark was hired to manage the Cleveland Indians in 1968; after an initial third-place season, he was given the additional duties of general manager, but the Indians returned to their losing ways and Dark departed Cleveland in mid-1971 with the team in last place. In the meantime, the Athletics had moved to Oakland, and after manager Dick Williams resigned following consecutive World Series triumphs in 1972-73, Finley rehired Dark. He guided the A's to a third straight championship in 1974, joining managers Joe McCarthy and Yogi Berra by winning pennants in both leagues, but was again fired after losing the 1975 American League Championship Series. He was hired by the San Diego Padres in mid-1977, but left the team after that season following a fifth-place finish. He ended his career with a 994-954 record, despite the decided weakness of his teams in Cleveland and San Diego. In a 1969 poll, Giants fans selected him as the greatest shortstop in team history. Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 5, 14, 18, 19, 21, 42, 455 Name Cleveland Indians (1915–present) Cleveland Naps (1905-1914) Cleveland Bronchos (1902-1904) Cleveland Blues (1901) Other nicknames The Tribe, The Wahoos Ballpark Jacobs Field (1994–present... The term general manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. ... Richard Hirschfeld Williams (born May 7, 1929 in St. ... For other events named World Series, see World Series (disambiguation). ... The 1974 World Series matched the two-time defending champion Oakland Athletics against the Los Angeles Dodgers. ... Joseph Vincent McCarthy (April 21, 1887 - January 13, 1978) was an American manager in Major League Baseball, most renowned for his leadership of the Bronx Bombers teams of the New York Yankees from 1931 to 1946. ... Lawrence Peter Yogi Berra (born May 12, 1925 in St. ... The 1975 American League Championship Series faced the Boston Red Sox and the 3-time defending world champion Oakland Athletics for the right to advance to the 1975 World Series. ... Major league affiliations National League (1969–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 6, 19, 31, 35, 42 Name San Diego Padres (1969–present) Other nicknames The Pads, The Friars, The Fathers, The Dads Ballpark PETCO Park (2004–present) Qualcomm Stadium (1969-2003) a. ...

See also

• List of major league players with 2,000 hits
• List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs

Below is the list of Major League Baseball players who have reached the 2,000 hit milestone. ... Below is the list of 295 Major League Baseball players who have reached the 1,000 Runs milestone. ...

External links

• Baseball-Reference.com - career playing statistics and managing record
• BaseballLibrary.com - career highlights and biography
• The Alvin Dark Foundation - created to financially support Christian ministries

References

• Baseball: The Biographical Encyclopedia (2000). Kingston, NY: Total/Sports Illustrated. ISBN 1-892129-34-5.