On Sept. 29, 1957, the last Giants game in Polo Grounds, the Pirates were crushing the home team 9-1 when New Yorks Dusty Rhodes grounded to Mr. Groat at 4:35 p.m. Mr. Groat flicked the ball to first baseman Frank Thomas. You have selected an away game. @media (min-width:1024px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav__content{-webkit-box-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;justify-content:center;}}/*!sc*/ All Home Away. 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Dick Groat, a sure-handed shortstop in baseball and a quick-footed guard in basketball, who was among the few to play both sports professionally but stayed on the diamond to win two World Series and a place in box score annals for fielding the final out in the New York Giants last game at the storied Polo Grounds, died April 27 at a Pittsburgh hospital. .mHQYb .p-search__form svg{width:16px !important;height:16px !important;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item--parent[aria-expanded='true'] .header__nav-side__nav-item--inner::after{display:inline-block;}/*!sc*/ The new stadium was designed to draw inspiration from other great baseball fields across the U.S., with details like a 1,400-square-foot screen to display videos and graphics (the second largest in MiLB), and a lawn section with $5 . .mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-open .header__nav-side .header__subnav__item,.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-open .header__nav-side .header__subnav__group-title{padding:14px 10px;}/*!sc*/ Right-handers Vern Law, Bob Friend and Roy Face were the major building blocks to the pitching staff. .epHHrr iframe{max-width:100%;}/*!sc*/ He wanted to play both sports professionally. .hUHmCp > article > header,.hUHmCp > article > section{grid-column:1 / span 12;}/*!sc*/ The move left Mr. Groat so embittered that he refused to appear at old-timer events with the Pirates until a 1990 reunion of the World Series team. .epHHrr.youtube iframe{max-width:100%;}/*!sc*/ data-styled.g100[id="styles__SearchWidgetContainer-sc-1vorjk3-0"]{content:"fYCiRB,"}/*!sc*/ When it came time to take the next step in his life, Groat accepted a basketball scholarship from Duke. Among his coaches was Red Auerbach, before he began his dynasty with the Boston Celtics. Dick Groat, Pirates legend and hoops star, passes at 92. He was a great player and an even better person. L6. (); : @media (min-width:1024px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__secondary-logos{-webkit-flex-basis:100%;-ms-flex-preferred-size:100%;flex-basis:100%;}}/*!sc*/ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 2023 All Games . Pirates had runners at first and second. Severe inflammation in his right ankle limited Groat to just 10 games in 1967 and he was sold to the Giants late in the season. .blUWSx .share-icon{width:25px;cursor:pointer;}/*!sc*/ "He's the player the Pirates can least afford to lose," Hall of Famer Warren Spahn said in Roy Terrell's cover story on Groat in Sports Illustrated in 1960. But the following season, the Cardinals rode to their first World Series since 1946 after a June trade brought another future Hall of Famer, Lou Brock, to St. Louis.\n\nGroat was selected to play in an All-Star Game for the eighth and final time of his career and the Cardinals emerged as champions by taking down the Yankees in seven games.\n\nThe Cardinals slipped to seventh place in 1965 and Groat was traded to the Phillies after the season. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item--inner{width:100%;display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-align-content:center;-ms-flex-line-pack:center;align-content:center;position:relative;}/*!sc*/ .jbYgiH{display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(12,minmax(0,1fr));grid-gap:24px;margin:0 auto;max-width:967px;}/*!sc*/ @media (min-width:1024px){.blLcNM .content{grid-column:1 / span 8;}.blLcNM .content .share-btn{-webkit-align-self:flex-end;-ms-flex-item-align:end;align-self:flex-end;margin-bottom:16px;top:0;}}/*!sc*/ Groat also spent 40 years as a color analyst on University of Pittsburgh basketball games before stepping down after the 2018-19 season. .fuMUTu path{fill:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ .blUWSx .share-icon__square{width:30px;}/*!sc*/ @media (min-width:768px){.epHHrr{max-width:500px;}}/*!sc*/ The next year, Mr. Groat was again playing against the Yankees in the World Series. Skip Ad. @media (min-width:1024px){.hUHmCp > article{margin:auto;max-width:967px;}.hUHmCp > article > section{grid-column:1 / span 8;}.hUHmCp > article > aside{display:block;grid-column:9 / 13;}}/*!sc*/ The 1952 National College Basketball Player of the Year, Groats retired No. data-styled.g122[id="Styles__HeadlineContainer-sc-19rm04l-0"]{content:"dMKvOx,"}/*!sc*/ The action will take place while the TinCaps are playing on the road. .kKeedG:hover{border-bottom:none;color:#0048AB;}/*!sc*/ He and former Pirates teammate Jerry Lynch owned Championship Lakes Golf Course in Laurel Valley, east of Pittsburgh. data-styled.g160[id="newsletterOptinstyle__InputWrapper-sc-d7sh2p-5"]{content:"hYmwpY,"}/*!sc*/ He went right from Duke to the Major Leagues without ever playing in the Minors.\n\nHis quiet, respected leadership was considered instrumental to the 1960 World Series champion Pirates, and again in 1964 when the Cardinals won it all.\n\nStanding 5-foot-11 without great speed or strength, Groat hardly fit the typical image of the great two-sport athlete. @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-medium.woff2') format('woff2'),url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-medium.woff') format('woff');font-weight:500;font-style:normal;font-display:fallback;}/*!sc*/ legend{box-sizing:border-box;color:inherit;display:table;max-width:100%;padding:0;white-space:normal;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb .p-search__list--multiple-type .p-search-item--team:first-of-type:before{content:'Teams';}/*!sc*/ Mr. Groat spun around, took a throw from pitcher Roger Craig and tagged out Mantle to end the inning. @media (min-width:768px){.epHHrr.youtube iframe{width:500px;}}/*!sc*/ At the age of 21, he became the starting shortstop on the 1952 Pirates team that finished in last place. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__secondary-logos > *{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-box-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;justify-content:center;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb .p-search{display:block;position:relative;color:#333333;width:inherit;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-item--mobile-quick-nav .header__nav-top__nav-item--inner{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-pack:start;justify-content:flex-start;height:100%;}/*!sc*/ h1{font-size:2em;margin:0.67em 0;}/*!sc*/ At Duke, he played shortstop and caught the eye of Pirates scouts. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item .icon__nav-item{margin-right:8px;width:18px;height:14px;float:left;-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0;}/*!sc*/ Purdue University Fort Wayne Athletics. ); The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. button,input,optgroup,select,textarea{font-family:inherit;font-size:100%;line-height:1.15;margin:0;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-open .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu--icon span:nth-child(3){-webkit-transform:rotate(-45deg);-ms-transform:rotate(-45deg);transform:rotate(-45deg);}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .icon{display:inline-block;-webkit-align-self:center;-ms-flex-item-align:center;align-self:center;line-height:20px;}/*!sc*/ .blUWSx .share-icon__close{width:18px;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top [class$='button-menu--icon'] span{background-color:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ .drUhS path{fill:#000000;}/*!sc*/ ","type":"markdown"},{"__typename":"Video","contentDate":"2011-07-09T18:40:01Z","description":"Dick Groat is inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame during the 2011 Night of Champions in Lubbock, TX","displayAsVideoGif":false,"duration":"00:05:41","mp4AvcPlayback":null,"slug":"groat-is-inducted-into-the-hall-c16782273","tags":[{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"hbmig-subject-mlbcom-no-search-1200","title":"HBmig MLBCOM_NO_SEARCH_1200"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"hbmig-combined-media-state-media-on","title":"HBmig MEDIA_ON"}],"templateUrl":"https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/private/{formatInstructions}/mlb/do0vnh1qoovyozsqd0vx","title":"Groat is inducted into the Hall","type":"video","url":"/video/groat-is-inducted-into-the-hall-c16782273"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"Groat played both sports at Swissvale High School, just outside of Pittsburgh. .mHQYb header.mlb-header [class$='__nav-item__text'],.mHQYb header.mlb-header [class$='__nav-item__link'],.mHQYb header.mlb-header [class$='__button-text']{text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-item{display:none;-webkit-flex:1 1 100%;-ms-flex:1 1 100%;flex:1 1 100%;position:relative;text-align:center;}/*!sc*/ .dLQAwR .contributor__image{margin-right:8px;}/*!sc*/ DeafLink. At the age of 21, he became the starting shortstop on the 1952 Pirates team that finished in last place. .jDETbc{font-family:"proxima-nova","open Sans","Helvetica","Arial",sans-serif;font-size:40px;color:#222222;margin:0;}/*!sc*/ @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-semibold-italic.woff2') format('woff2'),url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-semibold-italic.woff') format('woff');font-weight:600;font-style:italic;font-display:fallback;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu--icon{background:none;padding:0px;width:24px;height:18px;position:relative;margin:0px auto;-webkit-transform:rotate(0deg);-ms-transform:rotate(0deg);transform:rotate(0deg);-webkit-transition:0.5s ease-in-out;transition:0.5s ease-in-out;cursor:pointer;}/*!sc*/