Dick Bartell

Who was Dick Bartell?

Richard William Bartell, nicknamed "Rowdy Richard," was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball. One of the most ferocious competitors of his era, he won both admirers and critics at each stop during a career which saw him traded every few seasons, often under acrimonious circumstances. While hitting .300 over a full season five times, he led the National League in double plays four times and in putouts and assists three times each. From 1927 through 1946, Bartell played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Giants, Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers. After two years of military service in World War II, he played briefly in 1946 before retiring. At 5'9" and 160 pounds, he batted and threw right-handed.

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Bartell played in three World Series and the 1933 All-Star Game, the first to be played. He had one year in the minors, 1926, with the class A Bridgeport Bears in the Eastern League, where he hit .280 in 148 games. At 19, Bartell was the youngest player in the National League. He appeared in only one game at the end of the season, drawing two walks in four plate appearances. He played flawlessly in the field with five chances and one double play. It was the Pirates' misfortune to face the New York Yankees, one of the strongest teams in baseball history, in the World Series that year, 1927. The Pirates lost to the Yankees in four games and the team had to wait until 1960 to make amends.