Dick Reichle

Who was Dick Reichle?

Richard Wendell Reichle was a reserve outfielder in Major League Baseball, playing mainly at center field for the Boston Red Sox during the 1922 and 1923 seasons. Listed at 6' 0" 185 lb., Reichle batted left-handed and threw right-handed. A native of Lincoln, Illinois, he attended University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Reichle debuted on September 19, 1922 against the Cleveland Indians and went hitless in four at bats in a 7-4 loss. Reichle got his first hit, a single, on September 20, 1922 against the Indians in a 5-2 loss. In six games, Reichle had six hits in twenty four at bats for a .250 batting average. On April 20, 1923, Reichle became the second player to hit a home run at the new Yankee Stadium. Babe Ruth hit the first home run two days earlier. It was to be the only home run of his major league career. In 1923, he appeared in 122 games while hitting a .258 batting average. His last game was on October 7, 1923.

In a two-season career, Reichle was a .257 hitter with one home run and 39 RBI in 128 games, including 43 runs, 18 doubles, three triples, three stolen bases, and a .313 on-base percentage. In 101 outfield appearances, he posted a collective .978 fielding percentage and eventually played two games at first base.