Dick Ricketts facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | December 4, 1933 Pottstown, Pennsylvania |
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| Nationality | American | ||
| Died | March 6, 1988 (aged 54) Rochester, New York |
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| High school | Pottstown (Pottstown, Pennsylvania) | ||
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | ||
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| College | Duquesne (1951–1955) | ||
| NBA Draft | 1955 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall | ||
| Selected by the St. Louis Hawks | |||
| Pro career | 1955–1958 | ||
| Career history | |||
| 1955–1956 | St. Louis Hawks | ||
| 1956–1958 | Rochester / Cincinnati Royals | ||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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| Career NBA statistics | |||
| Points | 1,974 (9.3 ppg) | ||
| Rebounds | 1,337 (6.3 rpg) | ||
| Assists | 447 (2.1 apg)
Baseball career |
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| Pitcher | |||
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| debut | |||
| June 14, 1959, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 27, 1959, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Won | 1 | ||
| Loss | 6 | ||
| ERA | 5.82 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Richard "Dick" Ricketts, Jr. (born December 4, 1933 – died March 6, 1988) was an American athlete. He was a professional player in both basketball and baseball. Ricketts was the very first player chosen in the 1955 NBA draft by the St. Louis Hawks. He came from Duquesne University.
Dick Ricketts made history as one of only 13 athletes to play in both the NBA and MLB. He even played both sports at the same time for a while! Later, he decided to focus only on baseball. He was a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1959 and had a baseball career that lasted 10 seasons.
Contents
Early Life and Sports Talents
Dick Ricketts grew up in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. He went to Pottstown High School. His parents were Richard and Margaret Ricketts. He had a sister named Alice and a younger brother, Dave Ricketts.
Dick was a very talented athlete in many sports. He often played alongside his brother Dave. The Ricketts brothers and another future baseball star, Howie Bedell, were on a Pottstown baseball team. This team was amazing, winning 48 games in a row! There's even a special plaque honoring this team at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
College Basketball Success
Dick Ricketts was a tall player, standing 6 feet 7 inches. He played basketball at Duquesne University. There, he became an All-American player. He played with Sihugo Green, who was also a top player. Green was the first pick in the 1956 NBA draft the year after Ricketts.
Together, Ricketts and Green led the Duquesne Dukes to great success. In the 1954-1955 season, their team won 26 games and only lost 3. They reached the final of the 1954 National Invitation Tournament.
In his final college season (1954-1955), Ricketts was outstanding. He scored about 20 points and grabbed over 17 rebounds per game. The Dukes won the 1955 National Invitation Tournament. In the final game on March 20, 1955, Duquesne beat the Dayton Flyers 70-58. This game was played in front of a huge crowd at Madison Square Garden. Green scored 33 points, and Ricketts added 23 points. Dick's brother, Dave Ricketts, was also on this winning team.
Over his four years at Duquesne, Ricketts played 111 games. He averaged 17.7 points and 12.2 rebounds per game.
After college, the St. Louis Hawks chose him as the first overall pick in the 1955 NBA draft. He played three seasons in the NBA. He played for the Hawks and later for the Rochester / Cincinnati Royals. During his NBA career, he scored a total of 1,974 points.
NBA Career (1955-1958)
Dick Ricketts was drafted first by the NBA's St. Louis Hawks. But he also had a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. In his first NBA season (1955-1956), he started with the Hawks. He averaged 8.4 points and 6.8 rebounds in 29 games.
However, Ricketts also planned to pitch for the Rochester Red Wings baseball team that season. So, he arranged for the Hawks to sell his basketball contract. He then joined the Rochester Royals. After changing teams, he averaged 9.4 points and 7.5 rebounds for Rochester.
The 1956-1957 season was his best in basketball. Playing for Rochester, he averaged 11.2 points and 6.1 rebounds in 72 games. He was also reunited with his college teammate, Sihugo Green. Green had been the number one pick in the 1956 NBA draft.
In the 1957-1958 season, the Rochester team moved and became the Cincinnati Royals. Ricketts averaged 7.8 points and 5.7 rebounds. He played alongside famous players like Clyde Lovellette, Maurice Stokes, and Jack Twyman.
Ricketts was deeply affected by a serious injury to his teammate Maurice Stokes in March 1958. Stokes was hurt in the last game of the season. The injury later caused him to become paralyzed. Ricketts decided to retire from professional basketball after that season. He wanted to become a full-time baseball pitcher.
Baseball Career (1955-1964)
The St. Louis Cardinals signed Dick Ricketts as a pitcher in 1955. He played professional baseball for 10 seasons, from 1955 to 1964. He pitched for several minor league teams. These included the Allentown Cardinals (1955-1956) and the Rochester Red Wings (1957-1960).
In 1959, Ricketts played in 12 games for the St. Louis Cardinals in Major League Baseball. He started 9 of those games. His record was 1 win and 6 losses.
On June 14, 1959, Ricketts made his MLB debut against the Cincinnati Reds. He pitched 7 innings in that game. He earned his only MLB win on June 28, pitching against the Reds again.
Later, in 1960, the St. Louis Cardinals traded Ricketts to the Philadelphia Phillies. He then pitched for the Phillies' minor league team, the Buffalo Bisons, from 1961 to 1964. In his minor league career, he had a record of 99 wins and 91 losses.
Playing in Both NBA and MLB
Dick Ricketts is part of a very special group of athletes. He is one of only 13 people who have played in both the NBA and MLB.
Other famous athletes who played in both leagues include:
- Danny Ainge
- Gene Conley
- Dave DeBusschere
- Dick Groat
NBA Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955–56 | St. Louis | 29 | 26.8 | .312 | .705 | 6.8 | 3.0 | 8.4 |
| 1955–56 | Rochester | 39 | 29.9 | .313 | .709 | 7.5 | 2.8 | 9.4 |
| 1956–57 | Rochester | 72* | 29.4 | .344 | .694 | 6.1 | 1.8 | 11.2 |
| 1957–58 | Cincinnati | 72* | 22.5 | .324 | .673 | 5.7 | 1.6 | 7.8 |
| Career | 212 | 26.8 | .328 | .692 | 6.3 | 2.1 | 9.3 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Boston | 2 | 15.5 | .333 | 1.000 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 7.5 |
| Career | 2 | 15.5 | .333 | 1.000 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 7.5 | |
Personal Life and Legacy
- Dick Ricketts' brother, Dave Ricketts, was also a two-sport athlete. Dave played baseball as a catcher. He played alongside Dick at Duquesne University. Dave also spent six years in Major League Baseball. He was a longtime coach for the St. Louis Cardinals.
- The Ricketts brothers even played baseball together in the minor leagues. Dick would pitch, and Dave would catch!
- Dick Ricketts passed away in Rochester, New York, on March 6, 1988.
Honors and Recognition
- In 2016, Ricketts was named to the Duquesne University All-Century Team.
- His jersey number 12 is retired by Duquesne University Basketball. This means no other player on the team will wear that number.
- Ricketts is honored at the "Frontier Field Walk of Fame" in Rochester, New York.
See also
In Spanish: Dick Ricketts para niños
