Willie Royster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Willie Royster |
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| Catcher | |||
| Born: April 11, 1954 Clarksville, Virginia |
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| Died: November 23, 2015 (aged 61) Ocean View, New Jersey |
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| debut | |||
| September 3, 1981, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 2, 1981, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Games played | 4 | ||
| At bats | 4 | ||
| Hits | 0 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Willie Arthur Royster (born April 11, 1954 – died November 23, 2015) was an American professional baseball player. He was a catcher, which is the player who squats behind home plate. Willie played baseball for many years.
He spent eleven seasons playing in the minor leagues. These are professional baseball leagues below the main Major League. He also had a short time in the Major Leagues. He played four games for the Baltimore Orioles in 1981. Willie threw and batted with his right hand. He was about 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighed 180 pounds.
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Willie Royster's Baseball Journey
Willie Royster was picked by the Baltimore Orioles in the 1972 baseball draft. This is when teams choose new players. He played in the minor leagues from 1972 to 1976. He then missed the 1977 season. He returned to play from 1978 to 1981.
A Great Season in the Minors
In 1981, Willie had an amazing year. He played for the Charlotte O's. This team was in the Double-A Southern League. That year, he hit 31 home runs. A home run is when a batter hits the ball out of the park. He also brought in 88 runs batted in (RBIs). An RBI means a player scores because of your hit. Both of these were the best numbers of his career.
Because of his great performance, the Baltimore Orioles called him up. They wanted him to play for their main team. This happened after September 1, when teams can add more players.
Playing in the Major Leagues
Willie Royster played in four Major League Baseball games. He usually came into the game late. He would replace another player for defense. Sometimes, he would be a pinch hitter. This means he would bat instead of another player.
In his four times at bat in the big leagues, he did not get any hits. He struck out twice. This means the pitcher got three strikes past him. He also grounded out twice. This means he hit the ball on the ground and was tagged out.
End of His Career
After his short time in the Major Leagues, Willie went back to the minor leagues in 1982. His professional baseball career ended after the 1983 season. He played most of his minor league games for teams in the Orioles organization.
Willie Royster passed away at his home on November 23, 2015. He was 61 years old. He lived in Ocean View, New Jersey.
