Former Pirate Dick Groat Elected To College Baseball HOF
LUBBOCK, Texas (KDKA/AP) - Former Pittsburgh Pirate Dick Groat was among eight other players and coaches elected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame.
Groat was born in Wilkinsburg and played high school baseball at Swissvale. After high school, Groat played shortstop for the Duke Blue Devils from 1951-1952. He helped lead the Blue Devils to their first College World Series appearance.
Following his 1952 season with Duke, Groat signed with his hometown Pirates and played the first nine of his 14 seasons with the Pirates.
During his Pirate career, Groat played in 1,258 games with a .290 batting average, 30 home runs and 226 doubles. In 1960, Groat won the NL MVP while propelling the Pirates to into first place in the National League and beating the New York Yankees in the World Series.
Joining Groat in the College Baseball Hall of Fame Monday were former big leaguers Terry Francona (Arizona), Danny Goodwin (Southern), Oddibe McDowell (Arizona State) and Tim Wallach (Cal State Fullerton). Former coaches Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones (Grambling State) and Bill Wilhelm (Clemson) were also elected.
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