Ron Plaza
From BR Bullpen
Ronald Charles Plaza
- Bats Left (was a switch-hitter briefly early in his career), Throws Right
- Height 6', Weight 180 lb.
- Born August 24, 1934 in Passaic, NJ USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Ron Plaza played 11 years in the minor leagues (6 at AAA) then coached in the majors and managed in the minors.
Plaza debuted in 1951 with the Johnson City Cardinals and hit .302 with 4 HR and 34 RBI. In 1952, Ronny was with the Albany Cardinals. He batted .211/~.312/.300 as the starting third baseman. One highlight came on July 23 when he was the third Albany batter to homer in a three-pitch stretch. He did hit 9 home runs, tying for fourth in the Georgia-Florida League.
He had a big year with the 1953 Hamilton Cardinals. He led the PONY League with 37 errors at third base but he batted .273/~.406/.424 with 37 doubles, 102 walks and 106 RBI. He was third in the league in RBI, fourth in walks and led in doubles.
In 1954, Ronny hit .260 with 6 HR and 67 RBI for the Allentown Cardinals and followed with a .284/8/79 year for Allentown. In 1956, he made it to AAA with the Rochester Red Wings and batted .297/~.379/.393 as Rochester's second baseman. Back in the same role for the same team in 1957, Plaza slipped to a .221/~.330/.368 line, drawing 74 walks and hitting 14 homers.
During 1958, Plaza batted .238 with just 3 homers and 36 RBI for the Omaha Cardinals. He remained there in 1959 and hit .246 with four homers and 48 runs driven in. After not playing in 1960, Ron batted .245 with 5 HR and 36 RBI for the 1961 Charleston Marlins. He finished up in 1962 with the Atlanta Crackers, only managing a .191 average, one home run and 23 RBI.
He was a coach of the expansion Seattle Pilots in 1969. He then managed the GCL Reds from 1970 to 1973. Plaza later had coaching stints with the Cincinnati Reds (1978-1983) and Oakland Athletics (1986).
Sources include 1953, 1954 and 1958 Baseball Guides and Pat Doyle's Professional Baseball Player Database
[edit] Year-by-Year Managerial Record
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Billings Mustangs | Pioneer League | 61-66 | 4th | St. Louis Cardinals | Lost League Finals |
| 1964 | Winnipeg Goldeyes | Northern League | 52-65 | 4th | St. Louis Cardinals | Last in Baukol Playoffs |
| 1965 | Cedar Rapids Cardinals | Midwest League | 62-52 | 3rd | St. Louis Cardinals | none |
| 1966 | Cedar Rapids Cardinals | Midwest League | 81-40 | 1st | St. Louis Cardinals | Lost League Finals |
| 1967 | St. Petersburg Cardinals | Florida State League | 96-43 | 1st | St. Louis Cardinals | League Champs |
| 1968 | St. Petersburg Cardinals | Florida State League | 80-63 | 3rd | St. Louis Cardinals | Lost in 1st round |
| 1970 | GCL Reds | Gulf Coast League | 25-35 | 6th | Cincinnati Reds | none |
| 1971 | GCL Reds | Gulf Coast League | 23-29 | 4th | Cincinnati Reds | none |
| 1972 | GCL Reds | Gulf Coast League | 21-39 | 7th (t) | Cincinnati Reds | none |
| 1973 | GCL Reds | Gulf Coast League | 20-32 | 8th | Cincinnati Reds | none |
| 1975 | Trois-Rivières Aigles | Eastern League | 57-80 | 8th | Cincinnati Reds |
