Richard Wendell Reichle (November 23, 1896 – June 13, 1967) was a professional baseball player who appeared in 128 games for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB) during the 1922 and 1923 seasons. Listed at 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) and 185 pounds (84 kg), he batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Reichle was also a college football player, and played in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1923 season.
| Dick Reichle | |
|---|---|
 Reichle c. 1923 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born: November 23, 1896 Lincoln, Illinois, U.S. | |
| Died: June 13, 1967 (aged 70) Richmond Heights, Missouri, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 19, 1922, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 7, 1923, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .257 |
| Home runs | 1 |
| Runs batted in | 39 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Biography
editReichle was a native of Lincoln, Illinois;[1] he first attended Lincoln College, and later the University of Illinois.[2] His college career was interrupted by service in the United States Navy during World War I; he played for the 1918 Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets football team that won the 1919 Rose Bowl.[2] Reichle was also a member of the 1919 Illinois Fighting Illini football team.[3]
In a short professional baseball career, 1922 to 1924, Reichle was primarily an outfielder who also played some games as a first baseman.[4] He appeared in 164 minor league games and 128 major league games.[4]
Reichle's major league debut was on September 19, 1922,[1] appearing for the Boston Red Sox against the Cleveland Indians; he went hitless in four at bats in a 7–4 loss.[5] Reichle got his first major league hit the next day,[6] singling against George Uhle of the Indians in a 5–2 loss.[7] With the 1922 Red Sox, Reichle went 6-for-24 for a .250 batting average in six games with Boston.[1]
Reichle played in 122 games with the 1923 Red Sox,[1] a team that compiled a 61–91 record. On April 20, 1923, Reichle hit the only home run of his career, coming off of Waite Hoyt of the New York Yankees;[8][a] it was also the first home run hit by a visiting player at Yankee Stadium,[3] which had officially opened two days earlier. For the season, Reichle batted .258 with 39 RBIs.[1]
Overall, Reichle appeared in 128 major league games, all with the Red Sox, recording a .257 batting average with one home run and 39 RBIs.[10] In 101 defensive appearances (99 in the outfield, 2 at first base) he posted a .978 fielding average.[10]
Reichle played in six games with the 1923 Milwaukee Badgers of the National Football League at right end.[11][12] He was a second-team selection to the 1923 All-Pro Team by Collyer's Eye.[13]
After his brief professional sports career, Reichle pursued a career in insurance.[2] Per his April 1942 draft registration card, he was employed by Investors Syndicate (present-day Ameriprise Financial) in St. Louis.[14] Reichle died at the age of 70 in Richmond Heights, Missouri,[1] a suburb of St. Louis.
Notes
edit- ^ Reichle's home run actually bounced into the stands,[8] as such hits were considered home runs in the American League prior to 1929;[9] since then, they have been ground rule doubles.
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "Dick Reichle". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Young's Yarns". The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. June 15, 1967. p. 30. Retrieved July 26, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Nowlin, Bill. "Dick Reichle". SABR. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ a b "Dick Reichle Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ "Cleveland Indians 7, Boston Red Sox 4 (1)". Retrosheet. September 19, 1922. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ "The 1922 BOS A Regular Season Batting Log for Dick Reichle". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ "Cleveland Indians 5, Boston Red Sox 2 (1)". Retrosheet. September 20, 1922. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ a b "New York Yankees 4, Boston Red Sox 3". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ O'Gara, Connor. "Future Hall of Famer Al López Hits the Last 'Bounce' Home Run in Big League History". baseballhall.org. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
- ^ a b "Dick Reichle Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ "Dick Reichle". profootballarchives.com. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ "Milwaukee Badgers Sign Dick Reichle". Racine Journal Times. Racine, Wisconsin. October 25, 1923. p. 14. Retrieved July 26, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Collyer's All-Star Pro Elevens". The Davenport Democrat and Leader. December 21, 1923. p. 25 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Draft Registration Card". Selective Service System. April 1942. Retrieved July 26, 2020 – via fold3.com.
Further reading
edit- Nowlin, Bill. "Dick Reichle". SABR. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
External links
edit- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Dick Reichle at Find a Grave