Ronald John Oester(born May 5, 1956) is an American formerMajor League Baseballsecond baseman.He played his entire MLB career with theCincinnati Redsfrom 1978 to 1990. He is a native of Cincinnati.[1]
| Ron Oester | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Second baseman | |
| Born:May 5, 1956 Cincinnati, Ohio,U.S. | |
Batted:Switch Threw:Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 10, 1978, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 3, 1990, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .265 |
| Home runs | 42 |
| Runs batted in | 344 |
| StatsatBaseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Baseball career
editDrafted by theCincinnati Redsin the 9th round of the1974MLB amateur draft, Oester made his debut with the Reds on September 10, 1978, and appeared in his final game on October 3, 1990. He finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting in 1980.[2]
Oester was one of the few major leaguers who did not wear batting gloves. He perpetually developed blisters on his hands, and according to teammates, they would develop into deep wounds on his palms.
In 1984 Oester had a career best 21 gamehitting streak.In 1985 he had a.295batting average,a career high.
On July 5, 1987, during a Mets-Reds game atRiverfront Stadium,theNew York Mets'Mookie Wilsonslid hard into second base during a double-play attempt. During the slide, Oester, who was playing second, collided with Wilson. His cleats got caught in the turf, and he tore his left ACL. Oester did not return to action until July 16, 1988. For his comeback from this injury, Oester earned the Hutch Award.[3]
Oester was a member of the Cincinnati Reds team that defeated theOakland Athleticsin the1990 World Series.Although he lost the starting second baseman job toMariano Duncanthat season, Oester was one of the team's top pinch hitters, hitting.299 that season and going 2-for-4 (.500) in the postseason. His final major league plate appearance was a hit that drove inJoe Oliverin Game 2 of the1990 World Series,keeping the Reds in the game, a game they would go on to win in 10 innings, 5-4.
Bill Jamesdescribed him as "a quiet, efficient player who was always overlooked".[4]Oester ended his career with aWARof 10.9 and a batting average of.265.[5]
Post career
editIn 2001, while serving as the Reds third base coach, Oester was offered the job of manager of the club. As the offer was below the market average, Oester turned it down.[6]
Withrow High School, which Oester attended, renovated and renamed its field in honor of him.[3]
Oester was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2014[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"Former Red Ron Oester was nearly a Pioneer".
- ^"1980 Awards Voting".Baseball-Reference.
- ^abc"Ron Oester, Reds Hall of Famer, humbled by new high school field in his name - Story".Archived fromthe originalon July 11, 2015.
- ^James, Bill(April 6, 2003).The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract.New York:Free Press.p. 531.ISBN0743227220.
- ^"Ron Oester Stats".Baseball-Reference.
- ^"Reds Hire Boone".ABC News.
External links
edit- Career statistics fromMLB,orESPN,orBaseball Reference,orFangraphs,orBaseball Reference (Minors),orRetrosheet
- Ron Oesterat Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Professional Baseball League)