Nate Oliver facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nate Oliver |
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Oliver in 1988
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| Second baseman | |||
| Born: December 13, 1940 St. Petersburg, Florida |
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| Died: April 5, 2025 (aged 84) Oakland, California |
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| debut | |||
| April 9, 1963, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 27, 1969, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .226 | ||
| Home runs | 2 | ||
| Runs scored | 107 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Nathaniel Oliver (born December 13, 1940 – died April 5, 2025) was an American baseball player. He played in the major leagues for seven years during the 1960s. He spent most of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Contents
Nate Oliver's Baseball Career
Early Years and Minor League Play
Nate Oliver began his baseball journey in 1959. He was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers. In his first year, he played for minor league teams like the Green Bay Bluejays. He also played for the Fox Cities Foxes.
In 1960, Oliver showed great improvement. He hit for a high batting average of .329. This was while playing for the Great Falls Electrics. He also had a short time with the St. Paul Saints.
Oliver spent several years in the minor leagues. He played for the Spokane Indians from 1961 to 1965 and again in 1967. During this time, he often hit over .300.
Major League Debut with the Dodgers
Oliver made his big league debut in 1963. This was a special year for the Dodgers. They won the World Series that season. Oliver played in 65 games, mostly as a second baseman. He had a batting average of .239. However, he did not play in the World Series games.
The next year, 1964, was his busiest in the major leagues. At 23 years old, he played in 99 games. He had 321 at-bats, which means he had many chances to hit. He hit .243 and stole 7 bases.
In 1965, he played in only 8 games for the Dodgers. But in 1966, he played in 80 games. His batting average was .193 that year. He appeared in one World Series game as a pinch-runner.
His batting average improved in 1967. He hit .237 in 77 games.
Moving to Other Major League Teams
After the 1967 season, Oliver was traded. He joined the San Francisco Giants. He played in 36 games for them in 1968.
Before the 1969 season, he was traded again. He went to the New York Yankees. He played just one game with them. Then, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs.
Oliver finished his major league career with the Cubs. He played in 44 games for them. The Cubs team that year was expected to win their division. However, they ended up finishing second. Oliver played alongside famous infielders like Ernie Banks and Ron Santo.
Nate Oliver's Coaching Career
After his playing days, Nate Oliver became a coach and manager. In 1989, he managed the Arizona League Angels. He then managed the Palm Springs Angels from 1990 to 1991.
Later, in 1998, he managed the Arizona League Cubs. In 1999, he was the manager for the Daytona Cubs. The next year, 2000, he worked as an infield instructor for the Cubs organization. This meant he taught players how to play their positions in the infield.
In 2003, Oliver became a manager for the Saskatoon Legends. This team was part of the Canadian Baseball League. In 2006, he worked for the Chicago White Sox organization. He was a special instructor, teaching players how to bunt.
Nate Oliver's Family and Legacy
Nate Oliver came from a baseball family. His father, Jim Oliver, Sr., was also a baseball player. He played in the Negro leagues. These were professional baseball leagues for African American players. They existed before baseball was fully integrated.
A baseball field in St. Petersburg, Florida is named after his father. It is called James Oliver Field. This field was one of the first to be improved by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' Field Renovation Programs.
Nate Oliver's brother, Jim, also played professional baseball. Nate Oliver passed away on April 5, 2025.
