Bob Dillinger

Who was Bob Dillinger?

Robert Bernard "Bob" Dillinger was a professional baseball player who played third base in the major leagues from 1946-51. He played for the St. Louis Browns, Philadelphia Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago White Sox. He was born in Glendale, California.

Dillinger led the American League in hits in 1948 with 207, was an A.L. All-Star in 1949, and was the A.L. stolen base champion for three consecutive seasons. An excellent contact hitter, his career batting average in the majors was .306, amassing 888 hits in 3,201 plate appearances.

Dillinger played his last four seasons in the Pacific Coast League, where he moved to the outfield and led the league in hitting with a .366 mark in 1953.

Dillinger attended the University of Idaho and played football for the Vandals, but broke his collarbone as a freshman in 1936 and was injured again as a sophomore; he left the school in the spring of 1938. He was signed by the Browns as an amateur free agent in 1939.