Riccardo Ingram facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Riccardo Ingram |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: September 10, 1966 Douglas, Georgia |
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| Died: March 31, 2015 (aged 48) Lilburn, Georgia |
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| debut | |||
| June 26, 1994, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 30, 1995, for the Minnesota Twins | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .194 | ||
| Home runs | 0 | ||
| Hits | 6 | ||
| Runs batted in | 3 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Riccardo Benay Ingram (born September 10, 1966 – died March 31, 2015) was a professional baseball player. He played as an Outfielder for two teams in Major League Baseball (MLB). These teams were the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins. Later in his life, Riccardo became a coach for young baseball players. He worked with the Twins' minor league teams.
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Riccardo's Baseball Journey
Riccardo Ingram was a talented athlete from a young age. He played both baseball and football in college. He went to Georgia Tech. There, he was so good that he won a special award. It was called the McKelvin Award. This award recognized him as the best athlete in the ACC. He was the first player from Georgia Tech to win it!
Starting His Pro Career
After college, the Detroit Tigers picked Riccardo in the 1987 baseball draft. This meant they wanted him to play for their team. He played in the minor leagues for several years. Minor leagues are like training grounds for players before they reach the big leagues.
In 1994, Riccardo finally made it to the Detroit Tigers. He played in 12 games that year. He got 5 hits in 23 chances to bat. After this season, he became a "free agent." This means he could sign with any team he wanted.
Playing for the Twins
In 1995, Riccardo signed with the Minnesota Twins. He played in 4 games for them. He got 1 hit in 8 chances to bat. After that season, he signed with another team, the San Diego Padres. But he didn't play in any regular games for them.
Success in the Minor Leagues
Even though his time in Major League Baseball was short, Riccardo had a great career in the minor leagues. Over nine seasons, he had a .276 batting average. This means he got a hit almost 28% of the times he batted. He also hit 74 Home runs and had 428 RBIs. RBIs are runs scored because of a player's hit.
In 1995, he was especially good. He won the batting title in the Triple-A league. This is the highest level of minor league baseball. He played for the Salt Lake Buzz and had an amazing .348 batting average!
Coaching Career
After he stopped playing, Riccardo became a baseball coach. He coached for many different teams in the Twins' minor league system. He helped young players learn and grow. He coached in places like Ft. Wayne, Quad City, Ft. Myers, and New Britain. In New Britain, he even became the team's manager for two years. Later, he became a hitting coach for the Rochester Red Wings.
Later Life
In 2009, Riccardo was diagnosed with brain cancer. He took some time off for treatment. But he was strong and loved baseball. He returned to coaching after his treatment. Sadly, the cancer came back in 2014. Riccardo Ingram passed away on March 31, 2015, when he was 48 years old. He is remembered as a dedicated player and coach.
