# Groat grew up near Pittsburgh and signed with Branch Rickey’s
Pirates in 1952. The 21-year-old went straight to the majors.

# Groat was 3rd in the 1952 Rookie of the Year vote, hitting .284 in
95 games, though he had just 8 extra-base hits and a 74 OPS+.

# Groat served in the Army in 1953-54. He returned to the Pirates,
playing a good SS but hitting a soft .267 and .273 in 1955-56.

# Groat improved to .315/.350/.437 (113 OPS+) in 1957. He hit .300
with 36 doubles in 1958, but fell to .275 in 1959.

# Groat won the batting title (.325/.371/.394, 110 OPS+) in 1960, and
surprisingly also won the MVP by a landslide.

# Clemente (.314/.357/.458) felt he deserved MVP. Groat’s WAR was
higher--but Mays, Aaron, and Banks were superior to both Pirates.

# Groat hit just .214 in the 1960 World Series, but his double play
partner, Bill Mazeroski, hit the HR that made Pittsburgh champions.

# After solid seasons in 1961-62, the talented but directionless
Cardinals traded for Groat, who gave St. Louis veteran leadership.

# The Cardinals of that era were fascinating: Musial on his way out,
Brock on his way in, Gibson, Flood, Boyer, McCarver, White, Uecker.

# Groat was MVP runner-up in 1963, his best year: .319/.377/.450 (128
OPS+), 85 runs, 73 RBI, 201 hits, 11 triples, NL-best 43 doubles.

# Groat hit .292 in 1964, and helped the Cardinals come together to
mount a furious comeback and steal the pennant from Philadelphia.

# Groat’s 1964 World Series highlight was probably Game 4, when he
pulled the hidden-ball trick on a napping Mickey Mantle.

# Groat s numbers plummeted in 1965, and he was traded to the Phillies
after the season (with Bill White and Bob Uecker).

# Groat was durable but mediocre for Philadelphia in 1966. He split
1967 between the Phils and Giants, hitting .156 in 44 games.

# Groat retired at age 36. He was on 6 HOF ballots but never topped
2%. He does have one HOF comp (Dave Bancroft).

# Interestingly, Groat does do well on Bill James’ HOF Monitor, due in
large part to his MVP and two World Series rings.

# After his MLB career, Groat returned to his basketball roots. He s
been a radio color commentator for U-Pitt since 1979.

# Groat was name-checked in a classic Curb Your Enthusiasm. Larry
David thought the fictional Groat’s Syndrome was named for Dick.

<<(bismotwitter)
# MITT NOM'NEE: Tonight is the night Governor Romney has spent his
entire life preparing for. Good luck, sir!  >>

Gee, I'd have thought it might be the night he actually wins  the
election.   Or is sworn in.

--
"Okay, if you're going to question the
importance of an actor's signature on a
plastic helmet from a movie based on a
comic book then all of our lives have no
meaning"!!!

<<(bismotwitter)
# There is no bigger J.D. Drew fan on the planet than this reporter, but
let's not pretend he was a "great" signing.  >>

At 14 mil a year he  was waaaaaaaaay over paid.

--
"Okay, if you're going to question the
importance of an actor's signature on a
plastic helmet from a movie based on a
comic book then all of our lives have no
meaning"!!!

<<(bismotwitter)
# Drew was underrated and unfairly maligned, but it's not like he put up
5 monster years, either, and Epstein bid against himself.  >>

Worst thing a GM can do?

--
"Okay, if you're going to question the
importance of an actor's signature on a
plastic helmet from a movie based on a
comic book then all of our lives have no
meaning"!!!

@Don: After last night, I'd say Governor Romney might want to work on
that acceptance speech and inauguration.

@Don: I agree. Drew was a valuable player, for sure, but his salary
was not cheap, and I don't think anyone else would've paid it.

@Don: Pretty much. Hell, the Yanks did it with A-Fraud after he opted
out. No way would anyone have come close to that deal.