Wayne Causey

From BR Bullpen

James Wayne Causey

Bats Left, Throws Right
Weight 175 lb.

Debut June 5, 1955
Final Game September 10, 1968
Born December 26, 1936 in Ruston, LA USA

[edit] Biographical Information

The Baltimore Orioles signed Wayne Causey, a young 18-year-old infielder as an amateur free agent (Bonus Baby) on June 4, 1955. He remained on the teams's roster during the 1955-1956 seasons because of the bonus rule of the day. Playing in 50 to 60 games each year, he hit for an average of under .200.

He was then sent to the minors for a few years of seasoning, playing for the San Antonio Missions, Louisville Colonels and the Vancouver Mounties. He appeared in 440 games and hit for a .249 batting average from 1957 through 1960. The Orioles of the mid-fifties were about to replace veteran George Kell with a young Brooks Robinson at third base and Wayne was traded to the Kansas City Athletics on January 24, 1961.

Causey emerged as the shortstop for the 1961 Athletics and put together a solid pair of back-to-back campaigns in 1963 and 1964, hitting .280 and .281. Bert Campaneris came along soon after and Causey moved on to the Chicago White Sox, the California Angels and Atlanta Braves before closing out his major league career in 1968.

Wayne hit for a lifetime .252 average and appeared in over 400 games at shortstop, over 300 at second base and another 200-plus at third base, fielding a combined .966 percentage.

Wayne, who attended Northwestern Louisiana University, remained in baseball as a ticket manager and later a scouting supervisor in the southeast for the Kansas City Royals. In the mid 1970s, he returned to his hometown of Ruston, LA, where he was employed with the Ball-Incon Glass Company, eventually becoming the plant manager.

When asked about the salaries of big leagurers today as compared to his day and what a versatile infielder coming off a season hitting .280 would make, Causey responded, "Probably enough that I wouldn't have gone to work at a glass plant."