Richard Morrow Groat was a successful athlete who played professional baseball and basketball in America. Dick Groat was an eight-time All-Star shortstop and two-time World Series champion in baseball.

Groat was also a college All-America in baseball and basketball and one of only 13 athletes to play both sports professionally. Groat was a talented basketball player, attending Duke University where he won numerous awards and had his number retired.

He was selected in the 1952 NBA draft but chose to play baseball instead due to financial reasons. In baseball, Groat played for four National League teams and won the National League Most Valuable Player in 1960.

He had a .286 batting average and 2,138 hits over 14 seasons. Groat also had an impressive defensive record, leading the NL in double plays five times and ranking among the NL career leaders in putouts, assists, and total chances.

In 2011, Groat was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame, making him the first person to be admitted to both the college basketball and baseball halls of fame. Let’s read about his full biography and net worth below.

Dick Groat Biography

Dick Groat was an American athlete who was born on November 4, 1930, in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, and passed away on April 27, 2023, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ((en.wikipedia.org)) He was a professional baseball player and a former basketball player.

In baseball, Groat played as a shortstop for several teams from 1952 to 1967, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Francisco Giants. He was an 8-time All-Star and won two World Series championships in 1960 and 1964.

In 1960, he won the National League Most Valuable Player award and the batting championship. In basketball, Groat played as a point guard for the Fort Wayne Pistons during the 1952-1953 NBA season. He was drafted third overall by the Pistons after playing college basketball for Duke University.

Groat was also a two-time Southern Conference McKelvin Award winner, two-time SoCon Tournament MVP, and a consensus All-American. Groat was inducted into the Pirates Hall of Fame and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007. He was known for his athleticism, skill, and success in both sports.

Wife | Children

In November 1955, Dick Groat married Barbara Womble, a former model. They had three daughters together. Barbara passed away in 1990 from lung cancer.

Groat lived in Edgewood, a suburb of Pittsburgh. He died on April 27, 2023, at the age of 92 at UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh due to complications from a stroke he had a week prior. ((sabr.org))

Age | Date of Birth

Dick Groat was a baseball player born on November 4, 1930, in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, USA. He passed away on April 27, 2023, at the age of 92 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ((post-gazette.com))

Career

Pro Baseball

Dick Groat was a baseball and basketball player from Pittsburgh. He was not a fast runner or a strong thrower, but he was a good hitter. In college, he declined an offer to play professional baseball so he could finish his degree.

When he graduated, he signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, his hometown team, and played well in his first season. He then joined the Army for two years and played sports there too. When he returned to the Pirates, he became the team captain and a leader on the field.

He had some good seasons and won awards, including the Most Valuable Player award in 1960. He was known for being a difficult hitter to defend against and for his skill at the hit-and-run play.

Dick Groat was a baseball player who played in the 1960 World Series and helped his team, the Pirates, win three of the four games. He played with the Pirates until 1962 and then moved to the St. Louis Cardinals, where he had his best season in 1963.

In 1964, he played against the Yankees in the World Series again and helped the Cardinals win in seven games. He continued playing with other teams until he retired in 1967. Throughout his career, Groat scored 829 runs, batted in 707 runs, hit 352 doubles, 67 triples, and 39 home runs in 1,929 games.

Notable Baseball Achievements

• He was selected to play in the National League All-Star Game eight times.
• He led the National League in singles twice, in 1954 and 1960.
  In 1963, he was the runner-up for the National League Most Valuable Player award.
• He played on two teams that beat the New York Yankees in Game 7 of the World Series.
• He was one of only 13 athletes who played in both the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball.
• He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated three times in 1960, 1963, and 1966.

College Basketball

At Duke University, Dick Groat was a great basketball player who won many awards and set records. In one game, he scored 48 points against the University of North Carolina. His team won many games in a row but lost to North Carolina State in the championship game.

After he graduated, Duke retired his jersey number. Later, he became a broadcaster for Pittsburgh Panthers men’s basketball games for 40 years. He is now in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

Pro Basketball

In 1952, Dick Groat played his first season in the NBA for the Fort Wayne Pistons. Despite having to commute from Duke University for games, he quickly became a fan favorite with his impressive skills on the court.

However, his season was cut short when he joined the U.S. Army. When Groat was discharged in 1954, Branch Rickey, his baseball team owner, told him he could only play baseball due to health risks associated with a dual career. Groat was disappointed but still considered what could have been if he had been able to play both sports for three years.

Golf

After his baseball career, Groat took up golf and became an active golfer. He used to shoot in the 70s when he was in his prime, but he hasn’t played since 2014 due to physical limitations.

In 1964, he and his teammate Jerry Lynch built the Champion Lakes Golf Course in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, which is one of the three public courses to receive a four-star rating in Western Pennsylvania.

He was the course owner and manager and lived on the grounds. Groat was the great uncle of golfer Brooks Koepka, who won several championships in recent years.

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