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Dick Groat
Richard Morrow Groat (November 4, 1930 – April 27, 2023) was an American professional baseball and basketball player, who was an eight-time All-Star shortstop and two-time World Series champion in Major League Baseball. He rates as one of the most accomplished two-sport athletes in American sports history, a college All-America in baseball and basketball as well as one of only 13 to play both at the professional level.
In 1960 Groat won the National League batting title with a .325 average, was the league's Most Valuable Player, and earned World Series championship with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He finished his 14-year career with a .286 batting average and 2,138 hits with four teams. For seven seasons from 1956 to 1962, Groat teamed with future Hall of Fame second baseman Bill Mazeroski to give the Pirates one of the most efficient keystone combinations in baseball history. He ranked ninth in major league history in games played at shortstop (1,877) and fourth in double plays.
Groat attended Duke University, where he was a two-time All-American, two-time McKelvin Award winner as the Southern Conference athlete of the year, and the first basketball player to have his number (10) retired in school history. In 2011, he was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame, becoming the first person to be admitted to the college basketball and baseball halls of fame.
Groat was born in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, to Martin and Gracie Groat, the youngest of five children. He was raised in Swissvale, Pennsylvania, and attended Swissvale High School where he earned letters in basketball, baseball, and volleyball.
Groat earned a athletic scholarship for basketball to attend Duke University where he was a two-sport star athlete. In basketball, he was a two-time college basketball All-American (1950–51, 1951–52) and one-time Helms Foundation Player of the Year recipient (1950–51). He was the Southern Conference Player of the Year as well as United Press International (UPI) National Player of the Year in the 1951–52 season, when he set an National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) record, with 839 points scored.
In his final regular-season game, Groat scored 48 points against the visiting University of North Carolina, the most ever by a Tar Heels opponent. The Blue Devils won in a 94–64 rout for their 13th consecutive triumph. Victories over Maryland and West Virginia extended the streak to 15 in the Southern Conference Tournament before the Blue Devils were ousted by North Carolina State 77–68 in the championship round to fall one win short of an NCAA Tournament berth.
On May 1, 1952, Groat had his jersey number 10 retired to the rafters of Cameron Indoor Stadium on campus. It would remain the only one retired by the school for 28 years. On November 18, 2007, he was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
In baseball, Groat played shortstop at Duke. In his senior year (1952), he helped to lead the teams to a 31–7 record and their first College World Series. For the season, Groat hit .370 and led the team in doubles, hits, runs batted in, and stolen bases. He was a two-time winner of the McKelvin Award, given to the Athlete of the Year in the Southern Conference.
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Dick Groat
Richard Morrow Groat (November 4, 1930 – April 27, 2023) was an American professional baseball and basketball player, who was an eight-time All-Star shortstop and two-time World Series champion in Major League Baseball. He rates as one of the most accomplished two-sport athletes in American sports history, a college All-America in baseball and basketball as well as one of only 13 to play both at the professional level.
In 1960 Groat won the National League batting title with a .325 average, was the league's Most Valuable Player, and earned World Series championship with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He finished his 14-year career with a .286 batting average and 2,138 hits with four teams. For seven seasons from 1956 to 1962, Groat teamed with future Hall of Fame second baseman Bill Mazeroski to give the Pirates one of the most efficient keystone combinations in baseball history. He ranked ninth in major league history in games played at shortstop (1,877) and fourth in double plays.
Groat attended Duke University, where he was a two-time All-American, two-time McKelvin Award winner as the Southern Conference athlete of the year, and the first basketball player to have his number (10) retired in school history. In 2011, he was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame, becoming the first person to be admitted to the college basketball and baseball halls of fame.
Groat was born in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, to Martin and Gracie Groat, the youngest of five children. He was raised in Swissvale, Pennsylvania, and attended Swissvale High School where he earned letters in basketball, baseball, and volleyball.
Groat earned a athletic scholarship for basketball to attend Duke University where he was a two-sport star athlete. In basketball, he was a two-time college basketball All-American (1950–51, 1951–52) and one-time Helms Foundation Player of the Year recipient (1950–51). He was the Southern Conference Player of the Year as well as United Press International (UPI) National Player of the Year in the 1951–52 season, when he set an National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) record, with 839 points scored.
In his final regular-season game, Groat scored 48 points against the visiting University of North Carolina, the most ever by a Tar Heels opponent. The Blue Devils won in a 94–64 rout for their 13th consecutive triumph. Victories over Maryland and West Virginia extended the streak to 15 in the Southern Conference Tournament before the Blue Devils were ousted by North Carolina State 77–68 in the championship round to fall one win short of an NCAA Tournament berth.
On May 1, 1952, Groat had his jersey number 10 retired to the rafters of Cameron Indoor Stadium on campus. It would remain the only one retired by the school for 28 years. On November 18, 2007, he was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
In baseball, Groat played shortstop at Duke. In his senior year (1952), he helped to lead the teams to a 31–7 record and their first College World Series. For the season, Groat hit .370 and led the team in doubles, hits, runs batted in, and stolen bases. He was a two-time winner of the McKelvin Award, given to the Athlete of the Year in the Southern Conference.