Vada Pinson

Who was Vada Pinson?

Vada Edward Pinson, Jr. was an American center fielder and coach in Major League Baseball. Pinson played in the major leagues for 18 years, from 1958 through 1975, and his greatest seasons were with the Cincinnati Reds, for whom he played from 1958 to 1968.

Pinson combined power, speed and defensive ability. As a Red, Pinson twice led the National League in hits, doubles, and triples. He batted .343 in 1961, when the Reds won the NL pennant, but mustered only a .091 average in the 1961 World Series, which Cincinnati lost to the New York Yankees in five games.

Pinson — who batted and threw left-handed — was primarily a center fielder. He appeared in 2,469 games for the Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, California Angels, and Kansas City Royals, notching 2,757 hits and finishing with a career batting average of .286, with 256 home runs and 305 stolen bases. Highly respected throughout the game, he was a coach for the Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, and Florida Marlins after his playing days ended. He coached on the first-ever editions of both the Mariners and the Marlins.