Ron Oester

Lore & Background

Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 9th round of the 1974 MLB amateur draft, Oester made his debut on September 10, 1978, and appeared in his final game on October 3, 1990. He finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting in 1980. Oester was one of the few major leaguers who did not wear batting gloves, and he perpetually developed blisters on his hands that would become deep wounds. In 1984 he had a career-best 21-game hitting streak. In 1985 he had a .295 batting average, a career high. On July 5, 1987, during a game at Riverfront Stadium, Mookie Wilson slid hard into second base; Oester's cleats got caught in the turf, and he tore his left ACL. He did not return until July 16, 1988, and earned the Hutch Award for his comeback. Oester was a member of the 1990 World Series champion Reds, hitting .265 that season and going 1-for-4 (.250) in the postseason. His final major league plate appearance was a hit that drove in Joe Oliver in Game 2 of the 1990 World Series. Bill James described him as 'a quiet, efficient player who was always overlooked.' Oester ended his career with a WAR of 10.9 and a batting average of .265.

In Their Own Story

The lights hummed overhead at Riverfront Stadium as the ninth inning wore on. Oester crouched behind the bag, eyes locked on the pitcher's mound. The batter lined one sharply through the hole. He scooped the ball cleanly, pivoted with grace, and fired to first before the runner could dream of safety. The crowd roared for the anchor who never faltered.

Reader's Guide

In 2001, while serving as the Reds third base coach, Oester was offered the job of manager of the club. As the offer was below the market average, he turned it down. Withrow High School, which Oester attended, renovated and renamed its field in honor of him. Oester was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2014.

Did You Know?

• Oester never wore batting gloves during his MLB career.
• He tore his left ACL on July 5, 1987, after a hard slide by Mookie Wilson.
• His final MLB plate appearance was a hit that drove in Joe Oliver in Game 2 of the 1990 World Series.
• He turned down the Reds' managerial job in 2001 because the offer was below market average.