Clay Dalrymple
Encyclopedia
Clayton Errol Dalrymple (born December 3, 1936 in Chico, California
) was a professional
baseball
catcher
who played in the Major Leagues
for the Philadelphia Phillies
(1960–68) and Baltimore Orioles
(1969–71). Dalrymple was known for his strong throwing arm and solid defensive skills. Over his career, he threw out 48.8% of the base runners
who attempted a stolen base
, second only to Roy Campanella
on the all-time list.
of the Pacific Coast League
in 1956
, and was obtained by the Milwaukee Braves before the 1959
season. The Braves invited him to their 1959 spring training
camp where he received catching tips from veteran catchers Del Crandall
and Del Rice
. In November 1959 he was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies from the Braves in the Rule 5 draft
.
season backing up Jimmie Coker
, before taking over the starting catcher position for the Phillies in 1961
. Although his offensive output peaked in 1962
, he remained in the Phillies lineup due to his strong defensive skills. He was instrumental in helping the Phillies transform from perennial losers to pennant
contenders by the 1964
season. With Dalrymple's guidance, the Phillies' pitching
staff posted a 3.36 earned run average
, and the team was in first place in the National League
with 12 games left in the season. Unfortunately, the team suffered a 10 game losing streak in the final two weeks of the season, being overtaken by the St. Louis Cardinals
and the Cincinnati Reds
, and ending the season in a second-place tie with Cincinnati.
By 1968
Dalrymple had grown weary of the constant criticism of the Philadelphia fans and asked to be traded. His wish was granted when the Phillies traded him to the Baltimore Orioles in 1969
.
and Andy Etchebarren
, helping the Orioles win the American League championship
, before losing to the Miracle Mets in the 1969 World Series
. He suffered a broken ankle during the 1970
season and hadn't recovered in time to be activated for the Orioles' victory in the 1970 World Series
. He played sparingly in 1971
during which the Orioles again won the American League championship
, before losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates
in the 1971 World Series
. Dalrymple didn't play in any of the Orioles' postseason games that year. When the Orioles announced that they would assign him to their Triple-A team, the Rochester Red Wings
, Dalrymple decided to retire from baseball.
, accumulating 710 hits
in 3,042 at bat
s for a .233 batting average
along with 55 home run
s and 327 runs batted in. He led National League catchers in assists
in 1963
, 1965
and 1967
, and set a league record with 99 consecutive errorless
games (and 628 chances
) during 1966
and 1967 (since broken). On July 19, 1960, Dalrymple broke up a no hit bid by Juan Marichal
(in his major league debut) with two outs
in the eighth inning
. He played the spoiler again on July 22, , breaking up another no hit bid by Giants' pitcher Gaylord Perry
— likewise in the 8th. In 1961
, Dalrymple set a since-broken National League record for pick offs with 9. He led the National League in sacrifice flies
(8) in 1964. He is the only batter ever to get a base hit off pitcher Nolan Ryan
in a World Series game (1969, Game 3, 9th inning).
Chico, California
Chico is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 86,187 at the 2010 census, up from 59,954 at the time of the 2000 census...
) was a professional
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
who played in the Major Leagues
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
for the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1960–68) and Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(1969–71). Dalrymple was known for his strong throwing arm and solid defensive skills. Over his career, he threw out 48.8% of the base runners
Baserunning
In baseball, baserunning is the act of running around the bases performed by members of the team at bat.In general, baserunning is a tactical part of the game with the goal of eventually reaching home to score a run. In fact, the goal of batting is generally to produce baserunners, or help move...
who attempted a stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
, second only to Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella , nicknamed "Campy", was an American baseball player, primarily at the position of catcher, in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball...
on the all-time list.
Early years (1956–1959)
Dalrymple began his professional baseball career with the Sacramento SolonsSacramento Solons
The Sacramento Solons were a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods . The current Sacramento River Cats began play in 2000...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
in 1956
1956 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers ; Don Larsen, MVP*All-Star Game, July 10 at Griffith Stadium: National League, 7-3-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Cienfuegos *College World Series: Minnesota...
, and was obtained by the Milwaukee Braves before the 1959
1959 Milwaukee Braves season
The 1959 Milwaukee Braves season was the seventh season for the franchise in Milwaukee and its 84th season overall. The Braves ended the National League regular season in a first-place tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers. With both clubs finishing with records of 86-68, a special best-of-three...
season. The Braves invited him to their 1959 spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
camp where he received catching tips from veteran catchers Del Crandall
Del Crandall
Delmar Wesley Crandall is a former professional baseball catcher and manager in Major League Baseball who played most of his career with the Boston & Milwaukee Braves...
and Del Rice
Del Rice
Delbert Rice Jr. was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played for 17 seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball from to , most notably for the St. Louis Cardinals...
. In November 1959 he was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies from the Braves in the Rule 5 draft
Rule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
.
Philadelphia Phillies (1960–1968)
Dalrymple spent the 19601960 Philadelphia Phillies season
The 1960 Philadelphia Phillies season was the 78th in franchise history. The team finished in eighth place in the National League with a record of 59-95, 36 games behind the NL and World Series Champion Pittsburgh Pirates.- Offseason :...
season backing up Jimmie Coker
Jimmie Coker
Jimmie Goodwin Coker was a catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies , San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds ....
, before taking over the starting catcher position for the Phillies in 1961
1961 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was the 69th in franchise history. The Phillies finished the season in last place in the National League at 47-107, 46 games behind the NL Champion Cincinnati Reds...
. Although his offensive output peaked in 1962
1962 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was the 80th season for the National League franchise. The Phillies finished the season in seventh place in the National League with a record of 81-80, a dramatic improvement over the 47-107 mark of the previous season...
, he remained in the Phillies lineup due to his strong defensive skills. He was instrumental in helping the Phillies transform from perennial losers to pennant
Pennant (sports)
A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...
contenders by the 1964
1964 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was the 82nd season for the franchise in Philadelphia. The Phillies finished in a second-place tie in the National League with the Cincinnati Reds, while posting a record of 92-70. The teams finished one game behind the NL and World Series champion St. Louis...
season. With Dalrymple's guidance, the Phillies' pitching
Pitch (baseball)
In baseball, a pitch is the act of throwing a baseball toward home plate to start a play. The term comes from the Knickerbocker Rules. Originally, the ball had to be literally "pitched" underhand, as with pitching horseshoes. Overhand throwing was not allowed until 1884.The biomechanics of...
staff posted a 3.36 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
, and the team was in first place in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
with 12 games left in the season. Unfortunately, the team suffered a 10 game losing streak in the final two weeks of the season, being overtaken by the St. Louis Cardinals
1964 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 83rd season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 73rd season in the National League. The Cardinals went 93-69 during the season and finished first in the National League, edging the co-runner-ups Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies by one game each on...
and the Cincinnati Reds
1964 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season consisted of the Reds finishing in a tie for second place in the National League with the Philadelphia Phillies. Both teams finished at 92-70, one game behind the NL and World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals...
, and ending the season in a second-place tie with Cincinnati.
By 1968
1968 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was a season in Major League Baseball. The Phillies finished eighth in the National League with a record of 76 wins and 86 losses.- Offseason :...
Dalrymple had grown weary of the constant criticism of the Philadelphia fans and asked to be traded. His wish was granted when the Phillies traded him to the Baltimore Orioles in 1969
1969 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1969 Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. In the first season after the American League was split into two divisions, the Orioles won the first-ever American League East title, finishing first with a record of 109 wins and 53 losses, 19 games ahead of the runner-up...
.
Baltimore Orioles (1969–1971)
Dalrymple backed up Elrod HendricksElrod Hendricks
Elrod Jerome "Ellie" Hendricks was a catcher and coach in Major League Baseball. Hendricks played during a 12-year career that lasted from through for the Baltimore Orioles , Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees...
and Andy Etchebarren
Andy Etchebarren
Andrew Auguste Etchebarren is an American former Major League Baseball catcher who played for a total of 15 seasons. He played for the Baltimore Orioles , California Angels and Milwaukee Brewers ....
, helping the Orioles win the American League championship
1969 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 4, 1969 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandIn the opener, 20-game winner Jim Perry held a 3–2 lead over the Orioles entering the ninth inning, Boog Powell tied the score with a smash over the right-field fence. Reliever Ron Perranoski, who worked in all three games,...
, before losing to the Miracle Mets in the 1969 World Series
1969 World Series
The 1969 World Series was played between the New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles, with the Mets prevailing in five games to accomplish one of the greatest upsets in Series history, as that particular Orioles squad was considered to be one of the finest ever...
. He suffered a broken ankle during the 1970
1970 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing first in the American League East with a record of 108 wins and 54 losses, 15 games ahead of the runner-up New York Yankees. The Orioles swept the Minnesota Twins for the second straight year in the American League Championship Series...
season and hadn't recovered in time to be activated for the Orioles' victory in the 1970 World Series
1970 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 10, 1970 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioThe Jackson 5 performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" prior to the game, which almost became an embarrassment when the group realized shortly before their performance that they weren't familiar with the lyrics...
. He played sparingly in 1971
1971 Baltimore Orioles season
In , the Baltimore Orioles finished first in the American League East, with a record of 101 wins and 57 losses. As of 2010, the 1971 Orioles are the last Major League Baseball club to have four 20-game winners in a season: Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar, and Pat Dobson.- Offseason :*...
during which the Orioles again won the American League championship
1971 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Sunday, October 3, 1971 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandDave McNally, a 20-game winner for the fourth season in a row, survived a rocky start to win the opener. He trailed, 3–0, after four innings pitched, giving up three doubles and a triple. The A's had McNally tottering in the...
, before losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates
1971 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The Pittsburgh Pirates season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Pirates finishing first in the National League East with a record of 97 wins and 65 losses. They defeated the San Francisco Giants three games to one in the National League Championship Series and beat the Baltimore...
in the 1971 World Series
1971 World Series
The 1971 World Series matched the defending champion Baltimore Orioles against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Pirates winning in seven games. Game 4, played in Pittsburgh, was the first-ever World Series game scheduled to be played at night....
. Dalrymple didn't play in any of the Orioles' postseason games that year. When the Orioles announced that they would assign him to their Triple-A team, the Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
, Dalrymple decided to retire from baseball.
Career statistics
In 12 major league seasons Dalrymple played in 1,079 gamesGames played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
, accumulating 710 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in 3,042 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s for a .233 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
along with 55 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 327 runs batted in. He led National League catchers in assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
in 1963
1963 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was the 81st in franchise history. The 87-75 Phillies finished the season in fourth place in the National League, 12 games behind the NL and World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.- Offseason :...
, 1965
1965 Philadelphia Phillies season
- Offseason :* October 15, 1964: Bill Heath and a player to be named later were traded by the Phillies to the Chicago White Sox for Rudy May. The Phillies completed the deal by sending Joel Gibson to the White Sox on November 23....
and 1967
1967 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season consisted of the Phillies' 82-80 finish, good for fifth place in the National League, 19½ games behind the NL and World Series Champion St...
, and set a league record with 99 consecutive errorless
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
games (and 628 chances
Total chances
In baseball statistics, total chances , also called chances offered, represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is calculated as follows: Total Chances = assists + putouts + errors. Chances accepted refers to the total of putouts and assists only. Fielding...
) during 1966
1966 Philadelphia Phillies season
- Offseason :* October 27, 1965: Pat Corrales, Art Mahaffey, and Alex Johnson were traded by the Phillies to the St. Louis Cardinals for Dick Groat, Bob Uecker and Bill White....
and 1967 (since broken). On July 19, 1960, Dalrymple broke up a no hit bid by Juan Marichal
Juan Marichal
Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Playing for the San Francisco Giants most of his career, Marichal was known for his high leg kick, pinpoint control and intimidation tactics, which included aiming pitches directly at the opposing batters'...
(in his major league debut) with two outs
Out (baseball)
In baseball, an out occurs when the defensive, or fielding, team effects any of a number of different events, and the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a player is called out, he is said to be retired...
in the eighth inning
Inning
Inning is a municipality in the district of Erding in Bavaria in Germany....
. He played the spoiler again on July 22, , breaking up another no hit bid by Giants' pitcher Gaylord Perry
Gaylord Perry
Gaylord Jackson Perry is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1962-1983 for eight different teams in his career. During a 22-year baseball career, Perry compiled 314 wins, 3,534 strikeouts, and a 3.11 earned run average...
— likewise in the 8th. In 1961
1961 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was the 69th in franchise history. The Phillies finished the season in last place in the National League at 47-107, 46 games behind the NL Champion Cincinnati Reds...
, Dalrymple set a since-broken National League record for pick offs with 9. He led the National League in sacrifice flies
Sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
(8) in 1964. He is the only batter ever to get a base hit off pitcher Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
in a World Series game (1969, Game 3, 9th inning).
External links
- Clay Dalrymple at The Baseball Biography Project
- Man He's Got A Gun!, by Edgar Williams, Baseball Digest, September 1962
- The Catcher Who Was Brainwashed, by Ron Smith, Baseball Digest, July 1965