Ron Fairly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ron Fairly |
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Fairly with Expos at Jarry Park Stadium in 1969.
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| First baseman / Right fielder | |||
| Born: July 12, 1938 Macon, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Died: October 30, 2019 (aged 81) Indian Wells, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 9, 1958, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 23, 1978, for the California Angels | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .266 | ||
| Home runs | 215 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,044 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Ronald Ray Fairly (born July 12, 1938 – died October 30, 2019) was an American Major League Baseball player. After his playing career, he became a broadcaster. Ron Fairly was involved in over 7,000 major league games. This includes his time as a player and as a broadcaster, from 1958 all the way to 2006.
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Early Life and College Baseball Career
Ron Fairly was born in Macon, Georgia. When he was just three months old, his family moved to Southern California. This is where he grew up and started his journey in baseball.
Fairly played college baseball for the USC Trojans baseball team in 1958. He played at the University of Southern California under coach Rod Dedeaux. He had an amazing season, hitting for a .348 batting average. He also led his team with nine home runs and 67 RBI (runs batted in). He played as a center fielder and helped the Trojans win the College World Series championship. This is a big tournament for college baseball teams. After this great season, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed him. He then played a few games in the minor leagues before joining the main team in September 1958.
Ron Fairly's Professional Baseball Career
Ron Fairly was a very determined player. He was known for being a disciplined hitter, meaning he was good at choosing which pitches to swing at. He had a quick swing that could hit the ball hard to all parts of the field. He was also a good fielder, playing well at first baseman and in all three outfield positions. He was especially good in right field.
Fairly played for 21 seasons in Major League Baseball. He spent 12 of those seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. With the Dodgers, he helped them win three World Series titles. In his career, he played in 2,442 games. He had 1,913 hits and a .266 batting average. He also hit 215 home runs and had 1,044 RBI. He was good at getting walks (1,052) and didn't strike out as much (877). His fielding percentage, which shows how often a player makes a play without an error, was .990. Fairly played in four World Series, hitting .300 with 2 home runs and 6 RBI. Interestingly, he hit more career home runs than any other player who never hit 20 home runs in a single season.
Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Ron Fairly made his Major League Baseball debut on September 9, 1958. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The next day, he got his first hit, a single. A few days later, on September 12, he hit his first career home run. In his first season with the Dodgers, he played 15 games, hitting .283 with 2 home runs and 8 RBI.
In 1959, Fairly was often used as a pinch hitter (a player who bats in place of another) or a defensive replacement late in games. He played in 118 games and helped the Dodgers win the National League pennant. This meant they got to play in the 1959 World Series. The Dodgers won the World Series against the Chicago White Sox.
Fairly spent most of 1960 in the minor leagues. But in 1961, he played in 111 games for the Dodgers. He had a great year, hitting .322 with 10 home runs and 48 RBI. He played in the outfield and at first base.
In 1962, Fairly became the Dodgers' main first baseman. He played in 147 games, hitting .278 with 14 home runs and 71 RBI. He continued to play well in 1963, helping the Dodgers win the National League pennant again. They won the 1963 World Series against the New York Yankees.
Fairly had another good season in 1964, hitting .256 with 10 home runs and 74 RBI. In 1965, he played in a career-high 158 games. He hit .274 with 9 home runs and 70 RBI. The Dodgers won their third National League pennant with Fairly on the team. In the 1965 World Series, Fairly was a key player. He hit .379 with 2 home runs and 6 RBI, helping the Dodgers win their third World Series title in seven years.
In 1966, Fairly missed some time due to injuries. But he still hit .288 with 14 home runs and 61 RBI. The Dodgers won the National League pennant for the second year in a row. However, they lost the 1966 World Series to the Baltimore Orioles. Fairly's hitting struggled in 1967 and 1968. In 1969, he continued to struggle. On June 11, the Dodgers traded Fairly to the Montreal Expos.
Time with the Montreal Expos
After joining the Montreal Expos in 1969, Ron Fairly's hitting improved a lot. He hit .289 with 12 home runs and 39 RBI in 70 games.
In 1970, he had another strong season, hitting .288 with 15 home runs and 61 RBI. He also stole a career-high 10 bases. His batting average dropped a bit in 1971 to .257, but he still hit 13 home runs and had 71 RBI. He continued his good play in 1972, hitting .278 with 17 home runs and 68 RBI.
Fairly was chosen for his first All-Star Game in 1973. Overall with the Expos, he hit .276 with 86 home runs and 331 RBI in 718 games. In 1974, he played in fewer games, hitting .243 with 12 home runs and 43 RBI.
Playing for the St. Louis Cardinals
In December 1974, Fairly was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1975, he played as a utility player, meaning he could play different positions. He hit .307 with 7 home runs and 37 RBI in 107 games. He split his time between first base and the outfield. He started the 1976 season with the Cardinals, hitting .264. In September, his contract was bought by the Oakland Athletics.
Short Stint with the Oakland Athletics
Fairly finished the 1976 season with the Oakland Athletics. He played in 15 games, hitting 3 home runs and 10 RBI. The Athletics finished second in their division. In February 1977, the A's traded Fairly to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Time with the Toronto Blue Jays
In 1977, Ron Fairly played for the Toronto Blue Jays. He played as a designated hitter (a player who only bats), first base, and in the outfield. He played in 132 games, hitting .279 with a team-leading 19 home runs and 64 RBI. He was selected for the 1977 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Ron Fairly is the only player to have played for both Canadian MLB teams (Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays) and be an All-Star for both. In December, the Blue Jays traded Fairly to the California Angels.
Finishing His Career with the California Angels
Ron Fairly ended his playing career with the California Angels in 1978. He played in 91 games, hitting .217 with 10 home runs and 40 RBI. He announced his retirement from playing baseball at the end of that season.
Broadcasting Career
After he stopped playing baseball, Ron Fairly started a new career as a broadcaster in 1979. He worked for KTLA in Los Angeles and later joined the California Angels radio and television team. In 1984, he also worked as the Angels' hitting instructor while still doing his radio job. He was known as "one of the most knowledgeable baseball men" in the team.
In 1987, Fairly moved to San Francisco to become the voice of the San Francisco Giants. In 1993, he moved further north to be a broadcaster for the Seattle Mariners. He stayed with the Mariners until 2006. Fairly mostly worked as a color commentator, explaining the game. Sometimes, he would also do play-by-play, describing the action as it happened.
In 1997, Ron Fairly was honored by being selected into the USC's Athletic Hall of Fame. On September 21, 2006, the Mariners announced that Fairly was retiring from broadcasting after 14 seasons. This ended his 27-year career in Major League Baseball broadcasting. When you add his 21 years as a player, Fairly spent 48 years involved in Major League Baseball!
He briefly came out of retirement a few times to help broadcast Mariners games in 2007, 2010, 2011, and 2012.
Later Life and Passing
Ron Fairly passed away on October 30, 2019, at the age of 81. He died from pancreatic cancer.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
