Hubbry Logo
Bob DillingerBob DillingerMain
Open search
Bob Dillinger
Community hub
Bob Dillinger
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Bob Dillinger
Bob Dillinger
Bob Dillinger
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Robert Bernard Dillinger (September 17, 1918 – November 7, 2009) was an American professional baseball third baseman who appeared in 753 games in the major leagues (MLB) from 1946 through 1951 for the St. Louis Browns, Philadelphia Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago White Sox. Dillinger's six years in the major leagues showcased his batting ability (he led the American League in hits in 1948 with 207 and batted over .300 four times) and his speed (he was the Junior Circuit's stolen base champion for three consecutive years, 1947 through 1949, with 82 total thefts), but poor defense and a perceived lackadaisical attitude[1] resulted in a premature end to his big-league tenure. He threw and batted right-handed, stood 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and weighed 170 pounds (77 kg).

Key Information

Early life

[edit]

Born in Glendale, California, and nicknamed "Duke", Dillinger attended the University of Idaho in Moscow and played football for the Vandals, but broke his collarbone as a freshman in 1936 and was injured again as a sophomore; he left the school in the spring of 1938.[2] He was signed by the Browns as an amateur free agent in 1939, then hit over .300 in three of his four minor-league seasons before his playing career was interrupted by World War II service in the United States Army Air Forces from 1943 through 1945.[3]

Baseball career

[edit]

In 1946, the first postwar season, Dillinger made the Browns' MLB roster as the backup to veteran third baseman Mark Christman, starting 50 games at the hot corner and batting .307. Just prior to the 1947 campaign, the Browns made room for Dillinger by selling Christman's contract to the Washington Senators.

In his first season as a regular, Dillinger led his team in hits (168) and his league in stolen bases (34). Then, in 1948, he batted .321, with his AL-best 207 hits including 34 doubles and ten triples. His 28 stolen bases enabled him to repeat as the American League's base-stealing king. The following year, Dillinger batted a career-best .324, stole 20 more bags (again the league's best), and was selected to the 1949 American League All-Star team. In the midsummer classic, played at Ebbets Field on July 12, Dillinger entered the contest in the sixth inning as a pinch runner for George Kell. He displayed his speed by scoring from first base on a double by Joe DiMaggio to help the AL increase its lead to 8–5. Staying in the game at third base, he came to bat in the seventh inning and singled off Howie Pollet, driving in Dom DiMaggio, and then scored a run himself when he again tallied from first base on a double, this time hit by Dale Mitchell.[4] The American League went on to win, 11–7, with Dillinger scoring two runs and collecting a key run batted in.

That off-season, however, Dillinger was traded away from the Browns, as he and Paul Lehner were swapped to the Philadelphia Athletics for four players and $100,000. The Athletics had finished eight games over .500 in 1949, the team's third straight winning season. Philadelphia had briefly contended for the American League pennant in 1948. The 1950 season would mark Connie Mack's 50th year as the team's manager, and the Athletics acquired top-calibre talent like Dillinger to try to put Mack over the top.[5] But 1950 was a disaster for the Athletics. Instead of contending for first place, they fell into the league's cellar, and were only 29–57 on July 20, 1950. That day, despite his .309 batting average in 84 games, Philadelphia obtained waivers on Dillinger and sold his contract to the National League's last-place team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. Dillinger batted .288 in 58 games for the Bucs, to finish the campaign at .301. He split 1951 between Pittsburgh and the Chicago White Sox, and matched that .301 average in 101 games played. It was his last year in the majors.

He played his last four professional seasons (1952–55) in the Pacific Coast League, where he moved to the outfield and led the league in hitting with a .366 mark in 1953. Dillinger's career as an active player ended when he was given his unconditional release from the Sacramento Solons on May 25, 1955, despite being the team's second-best batter with a .281 average. Upon his departure, he bitterly criticized Tony Freitas whom he called "the worst manager I ever played for in 16 years in the game."[6]

As an excellent contact hitter, his career MLB batting average was .306. He amassed 888 hits, with 123 doubles, 47 triples and ten home runs in 3,201 plate appearances. He stole 106 bases, and was caught stealing 50 times.[7] In the field, he experienced problems throwing the ball to first base, and was criticized regularly for lack of effort in fielding ground balls—a charge that Dillinger strongly contested.[8]

Retirement

[edit]

In retirement, he returned to Southern California and served as a construction inspector for the city of Los Angeles.[1] Bob Dillinger died on November 7, 2009, at age 91 in Santa Clarita, California.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Bob Dillinger

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Bob Dillinger is an American former professional baseball third baseman known for his contact hitting, base-stealing prowess, and peak performance with the St. Louis Browns in the late 1940s. Born Robert Bernard Dillinger on September 17, 1918, in Glendale, California, he made his Major League debut with the Browns on April 16, 1946, at age 27 after serving in the military during World War II. Nicknamed "Duke," he played six seasons in the majors through 1951, also suiting up for the Philadelphia Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago White Sox. Dillinger established himself as a reliable offensive threat with a career batting average of .306, accumulating 888 hits and 106 stolen bases while showing exceptional speed and low power output with only 10 home runs. His standout seasons came in 1948 and 1949: in 1948 he led the American League with 207 hits while batting .321; in 1949 he led the league with 28 stolen bases while batting .324, earning recognition as one of the era's premier contact hitters and speedsters. After retiring from baseball, he lived quietly in California until his death on November 7, 2009, in Santa Clarita.

Early life and background

Birth and youth

Robert Bernard Dillinger was born on September 17, 1918, in Glendale, California. He was known by the nickname "Duke." Dillinger grew up in Glendale, where his parents divorced when he was a child, after which he lived with his father, Charles Henry Dillinger, a commercial artist. Described as slightly built with reddish blond hair, he wore glasses from an early age.

College and early baseball

Dillinger attended the University of Idaho on a football scholarship, where he played football but suffered collarbone injuries twice. He gave up football to concentrate on baseball and dropped out after his sophomore year. He then played semipro baseball for the Pasadena Merchants. He was signed as an amateur free agent by the St. Louis Browns before the 1939 season. After entering professional baseball through this signing, Dillinger made his Major League debut with the St. Louis Browns on April 16, 1946.

Major League baseball career

St. Louis Browns (1946–1949)

Bob Dillinger served as the primary third baseman for the St. Louis Browns from 1946 to 1949, providing consistent offensive production and base-stealing prowess during a challenging period for the franchise. In his 1946 rookie season, he appeared in 83 games and batted .280 in 225 at-bats while gradually earning playing time. By 1947, he had secured the everyday role at third base and leadoff spot, hitting .294 with 168 hits in 571 at-bats and leading the American League with 34 stolen bases. Dillinger delivered his strongest performance in 1948, batting .321 with a league-leading 207 hits in 644 at-bats, along with 28 stolen bases to top the circuit for the second straight year. In 1949, he maintained his high level of contact hitting with a .324 average and 176 hits in 544 at-bats while leading the league in stolen bases for the third consecutive season with 20. His tenure with the Browns culminated in this strong 1949 campaign. Across his four seasons with the St. Louis Browns, Dillinger amassed 614 hits in 1,984 at-bats for a .309 batting average, establishing himself as one of the club's most reliable performers despite the team's persistent struggles. He led the American League in stolen bases each year from 1947 to 1949, demonstrating his speed and value on the basepaths.

1949 season highlights and All-Star selection

In the 1949 season, Bob Dillinger delivered one of the strongest performances of his career while playing third base for the St. Louis Browns, batting .324 with an on-base percentage of .385 and a slugging percentage of .417 across 137 games. He accumulated 176 hits, 22 doubles, 13 triples, one home run, and 51 RBIs, while leading the American League with 20 stolen bases. His consistent contact hitting, extra-base production, and speed on the bases earned him selection to the 1949 Major League Baseball All-Star Game as the American League's third baseman. In the midsummer classic at Ebbets Field, Dillinger entered the game as a pinch runner for George Kell in the sixth inning and later scored on Joe DiMaggio's double. This All-Star nod highlighted his status as one of the top third basemen in the junior circuit that year.

Later teams (1950–1951)

In 1950, Bob Dillinger was traded to the Philadelphia Athletics and appeared in 84 games for the team before his contract was sold to the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 20. He finished the season with the Pirates, playing in 58 games as the team transitioned him into their lineup. The following year, Dillinger began the 1951 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he played 12 games, before his contract was purchased by the Chicago White Sox. He concluded his major league career with the White Sox that season, marking his final appearances in the majors. Dillinger's major league tenure ultimately spanned 1946 to 1951 across four teams—the St. Louis Browns, Philadelphia Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago White Sox—with a career total of 753 games played.

Career statistics and achievements

Bob Dillinger posted a career batting average of .306 across 753 Major League games and 2,904 at-bats from 1946 to 1951. He accumulated 888 hits, 10 home runs, 213 runs batted in, and 106 stolen bases during that span. Dillinger established himself as a classic contact hitter with minimal power but exceptional bat control and speed, enabling him to consistently reach base and create scoring opportunities through his average and base stealing. His profile emphasized line drives and gap hitting over long-ball threats, complemented by his ability to disrupt defenses on the bases. These attributes contributed to a solid overall offensive output despite the lack of extra-base power.

Media appearance

1949 MLB All-Star Game

Bob Dillinger appeared as himself in the 1949 MLB All-Star Game, a television special broadcast live on July 12, 1949, from Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York. He was credited in the production as "Self – AL Third Baseman," reflecting his participation as a member of the American League roster. This live event appearance on CBS television constitutes his only known credit on IMDb, with no other film or television roles listed for the player. The broadcast captured the All-Star Game as it unfolded, featuring Dillinger in his natural role as a third baseman rather than in any scripted or dramatic capacity. His inclusion in the televised event stemmed directly from his selection to the American League team that year.

Later life and death

Retirement and post-baseball years

After his major league career ended following the 1951 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Bob Dillinger continued playing professionally in the Pacific Coast League with the Sacramento Solons from 1952 to 1955, winning the PCL batting title in 1953 with a .366 average. He resigned from the team in May 1955 and then returned to Southern California, his home region where he had been born in Glendale. He worked for 22 years as a construction inspector for the City of Los Angeles. By 1993, at age 75, Dillinger was retired from that position and living quietly in Canyon Country (in the Santa Clarita area), with the article noting that few remembered his name from his playing days. He resided in Southern California after retiring from baseball in 1955.

Death

Bob Dillinger died on November 7, 2009, in Santa Clarita, California, at the age of 91.
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.