Rich Dauer

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Dauer was given the nickname 'Wacko' by teammate and coach Elrod Hendricks because of his sense of humor. During the Orioles' pursuit of the Milwaukee Brewers for the 1982 American League East title, he inspired his teammates with the rallying cry 'Let's win one for the Duck,' which was based on 'Win one for the Gipper' and Earl Weaver's lame duck status as manager—though Weaver's retirement was not publicly confirmed until after the season. Dauer, infielder Todd Cruz, and catcher Rick Dempsey were regularly in the bottom third of the batting order and were affectionately known as 'The Three Stooges', a moniker coined by Ken Singleton. Dauer was 'Larry', Cruz was 'Curly', and Dempsey was 'Moe'. Dauer's best postseason performance came in the 1983 World Series, when he went 3-for-4 with a run scored and one RBI in the Game 4 win.

In Their Own Story

Dauer's path to the majors included significant early struggles that tested his resolve. The following spring, his troubles deepened; starting as the second baseman in 1977, he went hitless in his first 41 at-bats and lost the starting role to Billy Smith. However, with guidance from veterans Brooks Robinson and Lee May, who told him "You can't make it in the Majors by yourself," Dauer regained his footing. By season's end, he had reclaimed second base, batting .243 with 74 hits and a .982 fielding percentage. He settled into an everyday role from 1978 through 1984, splitting time between second and third base. Despite seeing reduced playing time in 1985 due to struggles at the plate, he retired after the Orioles declined to offer him a new contract, concluding his decade-long tenure with the franchise.

Reader's Guide

Dauer holds two Orioles franchise single-season fielding records for a second baseman, including 86 consecutive errorless games and 425 straight errorless chances, both set in 1978. Dauer is one of the few players to have won a College World Series (twice) and an MLB World Series. In 2012, Dauer was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame, becoming the 12th member of the 1983 championship team to be inducted.

Did You Know?

• Dauer was the 24th overall pick in the 1974 MLB draft.
• He won the International League batting title in 1975 with a .336 average for the Rochester Red Wings, and the Rookie of the Year award in 1976.
• He acted in the 1988 motion picture Stealing Home, playing the coach of the San Bernardino Spirit.
• At the 2017 World Series parade, Dauer suffered a subdural hematoma as a result of a head injury that required emergency brain surgery.