Doug DeCinces

Third baseman for the Orioles, Angels, and Cardinals; Silver Slugger winner and Orioles Hall of Famer.

via Wikipedia: Doug DeCinces · see source

Douglas Vernon DeCinces ( ; born August 29, 1950) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a third baseman from 1973 to 1987 for the Baltimore Orioles, California Angels and St. Louis Cardinals. He also played for one season in the Nippon Professional Baseball league for the Yakult Swallows in 1988.

Quick Facts

Position: Third baseman
Bats: Right
Born: 29 August 1950
Birthplace: Burbank, California, U.S.
Debut league: MLB
Debut date: September 9
Debut year: 1973
Debut team: Baltimore Orioles

Lore & Background

In 1982, DeCinces won the Silver Slugger Award, which is awarded annually to the best offensive player at each position, and was named an American League All-Star in 1979. In 2006, he was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame. He played for the Yakult Swallows in Japan's Nippon Pro Baseball's Central League in 1988. His experiences in Japan led to him being hired as a consultant for the 1992 film Mr. Baseball.

Reader's Guide

DeCinces came up through the Orioles system, playing for the Asheville Orioles under manager Cal Ripken Sr. He famously rescued a pre-teen Cal Ripken Jr. during a pre-game incident involving a teenager firing a rifle into the air adjacent to the stadium. He began his major league career at age 23 with the Baltimore Orioles late in the 1973 season. On June 22, 1979, he hit a game-winning home run at Memorial Stadium off Detroit Tigers reliever Dave Tobik, a win called 'the night Oriole Magic was born.'

In 1981, he feuded with teammate Jim Palmer. He was traded to the California Angels in January 1982. In 1982, he hit three home runs in a game twice within a five-day span. Released by the Angels on September 23, 1987, he concluded his major league career with four games for the St. Louis Cardinals.

In 1988 he played for the Yakult Swallows. He was charged by the SEC with insider trading in 2011, settled for $2.5 million, and in 2017 was found guilty on 13 felony counts, sentenced to eight months of home detention and a $10,000 fine.