Del Rice

From BR Bullpen

Delbert Rice

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 190 lb.

• Debut May 2, 1945
• Final Game August 31, 1961
• Born October 27, 1922 in Portsmouth, OH USA
• Died January 26, 1983 in Buena Park, CA USA

BR page

BR Manager page

[edit] Biographical Information

Eighteen-year-old Del Rice was signed as an amateur free agent by the St. Louis Cardinals before the 1941 season. The 6' 2" catcher would spend four seasons (1941-44) in the minor leagues, two with the Williamson Red Birds, where he hit .248 in '41 and .288 in '42. Del would be with the Rochester Red Wings in 1943 and '44, where he hit .198 and .264 respectively. Rice was a two-sport professional athlete and during his last two seasons in the minors and his first two in the majors (1942-46) he was also a member of the Rochester Royals of the NBL, a predecessor to the NBA.

Rice would get his first chance with the major league St. Louis Cardinals in 1945 and here he would stay until the middle of the 1955 season. Del was a light-hitting but excellent defensive receiver and handler of pitchers. During his long run with the St. Louis Cardinals, Del would see his most active season in 1952, appearing in 147 games with a .259 average with 11 home runs and 65 RBIs.

Del was traded to the Milwaukee Braves for Pete Whisenant on June 3, 1955 and was Del Crandall's backup for the rest of the decade, but was starter Bob Buhl's "personal" catcher during these years. Rice ended his playing career in 1961 with the Los Angeles Angels with a 17-year major league career .237 average along with 79 homers in 1,309 games, and an impressive caught-stealing ratio of 43 percent.

Rice earned a pair of World Series championship rings with the 1946 Cardinals and the 1957 Braves. In the 1946 World Series, he was the starting catcher in games two and six with Harry Brecheen on the mound, and contributed at the plate with a single and double and scored two runs in a 3-0 win in game two over the Boston Red Sox. In game six, he singled to start a three-run third inning in a 4-1 victory. He was also behind the plate in both of Bob Buhl's starts in games three and six in the 1957 World Series victory over the New York Yankees.

Rice coached for the 1959 Cardinals and 1967 Indians.

During most of the 1960s and early 1970s, Rice was a coach and minor league manager in the California Angels organization (spending 1962-1966 as a major league coach) and was at the helm of the 1971 PCL pennant-winning Salt Lake City Angels.

Rice managed the major league California Angels to a 75-80 record in 1972, and was scouting for the San Francisco Giants when he died January 26, 1983 at age 60 in Buena Park, CA.

[edit] Notable Achievements

• NL All-Star (1953)
• Won two World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals (1946) and the Milwaukee Braves (1957)

Minor League Managing Career

Major League Managing Career

[edit] Sources

Baseball Players of the 1950s
Minors Page