Charlie Dees facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Charlie Dees |
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: June 24, 1935 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| May 26, 1963, for the Los Angeles Angels | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 2, 1965, for the California Angels | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .265 | ||
| Home runs | 3 | ||
| Runs batted in | 29 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Charlie Dees (born June 24, 1935) is a retired American baseball player. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). His career lasted from 1957 to 1966. Dees played for the Los Angeles/California Angels for parts of three seasons. He was known for batting and throwing with his left hand.
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Charlie Dees: Early Baseball Career
Charlie Dees was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He started his baseball journey in 1957. He played for the Louisville Clippers in the Negro leagues. The next year, he joined the San Francisco Giants' organization.
Rising Through the Minor Leagues
Dees quickly showed his talent in the minor leagues. He had a batting average over .300 in three of his first five seasons. This means he got a hit more than 30% of the time he tried to hit the ball.
His best minor league year was in 1962. He played for the El Paso Sun Kings in the Double-A Texas League. Dees led the league in batting average, hitting .348. He also had the most hits with 179. That year, he hit 23 home runs and had 115 runs batted in. These were his highest numbers ever. He was even chosen for the Texas League all-star team.
Joining the Angels
In March 1963, the Giants sold Dees' contract. He then joined the Los Angeles Angels. This was his chance to play in Major League Baseball.
Playing in Major League Baseball
Charlie Dees split his 1963 season between the Angels and their Triple-A team, the Hawaii Islanders. He continued to hit well, batting over .300 at both levels.
His MLB Debut
Dees made his MLB debut on May 26, 1963. It was at Dodger Stadium. In his very first time at bat, he hit a double. This hit brought Billy Moran home, giving Dees his first big-league run batted in.
He started his MLB career very strong. For his first 20 games, Dees batted an amazing .382. He even became the Angels' starting first baseman.
Facing Challenges
However, Dees' hitting cooled down in June. His batting average dropped below .300. He was sent back to the Hawaii Islanders. When he returned to the Angels in September, he started hitting well again. He had many games with multiple hits. He finished his first year with a .307 batting average in 60 games.
A Difficult Season
The 1964 season was tough for Dees. He mostly played as a pinch hitter. He only started three games for the Angels in almost two months. He struggled to get hits. His batting average was very low, at .077. The Angels then sent him to the Houston Colt .45s' minor league team, the Oklahoma City 89ers. He played there for the rest of the season.
A Final Call-Up
In 1965, Dees played in the minor leagues again. He returned to the El Paso Sun Kings, where he had played so well before. At 30 years old, he batted an impressive .377. This earned him one last chance with the Angels in September. But his struggles continued, and he only hit .156 in 12 games.
End of His Career
Charlie Dees played in Triple-A and Double-A in 1966. After that season, he left professional baseball.
In his three seasons with the Angels, Dees had a career batting average of .265. He collected 69 hits. These included 12 doubles, one triple, and three home runs.
