Ron Henry (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ron Henry |
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| Catcher | |||
| Born: August 7, 1936 Chester, Pennsylvania |
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| Died: May 14, 2016 (aged 79) Denver, Colorado |
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| debut | |||
| April 15, 1961, for the Minnesota Twins | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 2, 1964, for the Minnesota Twins | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .130 | ||
| Home runs | 2 | ||
| Runs batted in | 8 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Ronald Baxter Henry was an American professional baseball player. He was born on August 7, 1936, and passed away on May 14, 2016. Ron played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins. He played for one full season in 1961 and part of another in 1964. He was 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighed 180 pounds. He threw and batted with his right hand.
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Ron Henry's Baseball Journey
Ron Henry's baseball career lasted for 15 seasons, from 1954 to 1968. He started in the farm system of the Milwaukee Braves. A farm system is where young players learn and get better before joining the main team. Ron played for the Braves' minor league teams for seven years.
Joining the Minnesota Twins
In 1960, Ron was chosen in the Rule 5 draft. This draft allows teams to pick players from other teams' minor league rosters. He had a great year, hitting for a .310 batting average for the Austin Senators.
The Minnesota Twins picked him up, and he joined them for their first season in the Twin Cities in 1961. Ron was the team's third-string catcher. This means he was the third choice for the catcher position, behind Earl Battey and Hal Naragon.
Playing in the Major Leagues
During the 1961 season, Ron played in 20 games. In 14 of those games, he was a pinch hitter. A pinch hitter is a player who bats in place of another player. He got four hits that year, with a batting average of .143.
After 1961, Ron spent the next two and a half seasons playing in the minor leagues. He was called back up to the Twins in June 1964. Earl Battey was still the main catcher for the Twins. Battey was a five-time American League All-Star. Because of this, Ron's chances to play were still limited.
Career Highlights
In 1964, Ron appeared in 22 games, playing catcher in 13 of them. He had 41 at bats, which means he had 41 turns to hit the ball. During this time, he hit his only two home runs in Major League Baseball. He hit them off pitchers Don Lee and Dave Vineyard. He also got three other hits.
Overall, Ron Henry played in 42 Major League Baseball games. He had nine hits in 69 at bats. After 1964, he continued his playing career in the minor leagues until 1968.
Later Life
Ron Henry passed away on May 14, 2016, in Denver, Colorado. He was 79 years old. He died due to health issues.
