The 2005 World Series

John Rikard Dempsey

Full Name: John Rikard Dempsey
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Born: Sep 13, 1949 in Fayetteville, TN GALLERY
Major League Debut: Sep 23, 1969
Died:


CAREER BATTING STATISTICS
BATTING
YEAR TEAM LG AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K OBP SLG
1969 Min AL 0.5 5 6 1 3 1 0 0 0 1 0 0.571 0.667
1970 Min AL 0 5 7 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.125 0
1971 Min AL 0.308 6 13 2 4 1 0 0 0 1 1 0.357 0.385
1972 Min AL 0.2 25 40 0 8 1 0 0 0 6 8 0.304 0.225
1973 NYY AL 0.182 6 11 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 3 0.25 0.182
1974 NYY AL 0.239 43 109 12 26 3 0 2 12 8 7 0.288 0.321
1975 NYY AL 0.262 71 145 18 38 8 0 1 11 21 15 0.353 0.338
1976 NYY AL 0.119 21 42 1 5 0 0 0 2 5 4 0.213 0.119
1976 Bal AL 0.213 59 174 11 37 2 0 0 10 13 17 0.275 0.224
1977 Bal AL 0.226 91 270 27 61 7 4 3 34 34 34 0.314 0.315
1978 Bal AL 0.259 136 441 41 114 25 0 6 32 48 54 0.327 0.356
1979 Bal AL 0.239 124 368 48 88 23 0 6 41 38 37 0.307 0.351
1980 Bal AL 0.262 119 362 51 95 26 3 9 40 36 45 0.333 0.425
1981 Bal AL 0.215 92 251 24 54 10 1 6 15 32 36 0.306 0.335
1982 Bal AL 0.256 125 344 35 88 15 1 5 36 46 37 0.339 0.349
1983 Bal AL 0.231 128 347 33 80 16 2 4 32 40 54 0.311 0.323
1984 Bal AL 0.23 109 330 37 76 11 0 11 34 40 58 0.312 0.364
1985 Bal AL 0.254 132 362 54 92 19 0 12 52 50 87 0.345 0.406
1986 Bal AL 0.208 122 327 42 68 15 1 13 29 45 78 0.309 0.379
1987 Cle AL 0.177 60 141 16 25 10 0 1 9 23 29 0.295 0.27
1988 LA NL 0.251 77 167 25 42 13 0 7 30 25 44 0.338 0.455
1989 LA NL 0.179 79 151 16 27 7 0 4 16 30 37 0.319 0.305
1990 LA NL 0.195 62 128 13 25 5 0 2 15 23 29 0.318 0.281
1991 Mil AL 0.231 61 147 15 34 5 0 4 21 23 20 0.329 0.347
1992 Bal AL 0.111 8 9 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0.273 0.111
Totals AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K OBP SLG
0.233 1766 4692 525 1093 223 12 96 471 592 736 0.319 0.347


BATTING BASERUNNING MISC
YEAR TEAM LG HBP GDP TB IBB SH SF SB CS SB% AB/HR AB/K
1969 Min AL 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 -.--- --.- --.-
1970 Min AL 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 -.--- --.- 7
1971 Min AL 0 1 5 0 0 0 0 0 -.--- --.- 13
1972 Min AL 0 2 9 0 1 0 0 0 -.--- --.- 5
1973 NYY AL 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 -.--- --.- 3.7
1974 NYY AL 0 5 35 0 1 1 1 0 1 54.5 15.6
1975 NYY AL 0 5 49 1 3 1 0 0 -.--- 145 9.7
1976 NYY AL 0 0 5 0 1 0 0 0 -.--- --.- 10.5
1976 Bal AL 2 2 39 0 3 0 1 1 0.5 --.- 10.2
1977 Bal AL 2 9 85 1 5 3 2 3 0.4 90 7.9
1978 Bal AL 0 11 157 2 3 6 7 3 0.7 73.5 8.2
1979 Bal AL 0 12 129 1 3 4 0 1 0 61.3 9.9
1980 Bal AL 3 11 154 1 4 1 3 1 0.75 40.2 8
1981 Bal AL 1 5 84 1 3 0 0 1 0 41.8 7
1982 Bal AL 0 10 120 1 7 5 0 3 0 68.8 9.3
1983 Bal AL 3 9 112 1 5 5 1 1 0.5 86.8 6.4
1984 Bal AL 1 11 120 0 5 4 1 2 0.333 30 5.7
1985 Bal AL 1 2 147 0 5 2 0 1 0 30.2 4.2
1986 Bal AL 3 5 124 0 7 0 1 0 1 25.2 4.2
1987 Cle AL 1 4 38 0 4 1 0 0 -.--- 141 4.9
1988 LA NL 0 4 76 0 0 6 1 0 1 23.9 3.8
1989 LA NL 1 5 46 3 1 0 1 0 1 37.8 4.1
1990 LA NL 0 8 36 0 0 0 1 0 1 64 4.4
1991 Mil AL 0 7 51 1 1 3 0 2 0 36.8 7.4
1992 Bal AL 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 -.--- --.- 9
Totals HBP GDP TB IBB SH SF SB CS SB% AB/HR AB/K
18 131 1628 13 63 42 20 19 0.513 48.9 6.4


CAREER FIELDING STATISTICS
YEAR TEAM LG POS G Ch PO A E DP FPCT
1969 Min AL C 3 6 5 0 1 0 0.833
1970 Min AL C 3 13 12 0 1 0 0.923
1971 Min AL C 6 36 30 4 2 0 0.944
1972 Min AL C 23 73 67 5 1 0 0.986
1973 NYY AL C 5 11 9 0 2 0 0.818
1974 NYY AL OF 2 0 0 0 0 0 -.---
1974 NYY AL C 31 178 152 22 4 0 0.978
1975 NYY AL 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0 -.---
1975 NYY AL OF 8 18 16 1 1 1 0.944
1975 NYY AL C 19 86 76 8 2 0 0.977
1976 NYY AL OF 4 7 6 1 0 0 1
1976 NYY AL C 9 44 39 5 0 0 1
1976 Bal AL OF 3 0 0 0 0 0 -.---
1976 Bal AL C 58 301 263 34 4 8 0.987
1977 Bal AL C 91 479 416 52 11 10 0.977
1978 Bal AL C 135 726 636 79 11 14 0.985
1979 Bal AL C 124 703 615 81 7 13 0.99
1980 Bal AL 1B 2 11 10 1 0 2 1
1980 Bal AL OF 6 3 3 0 0 0 1
1980 Bal AL C 112 593 531 54 8 8 0.987
1981 Bal AL C 90 420 384 35 1 6 0.998
1982 Bal AL C 124 542 491 46 5 8 0.991
1983 Bal AL C 128 658 591 65 2 7 0.997
1984 Bal AL C 108 500 453 43 4 5 0.992
1985 Bal AL C 131 632 575 49 8 5 0.987
1986 Bal AL C 121 719 659 53 7 9 0.99
1987 Cle AL C 59 316 293 18 5 3 0.984
1988 LA NL C 74 366 333 29 4 4 0.989
1989 LA NL C 62 305 265 35 5 4 0.984
1990 LA NL C 53 242 213 27 2 3 0.992
1991 Mil AL 1B 1 0 0 0 0 0 -.---
1991 Mil AL P 2 0 0 0 0 0 -.---
1991 Mil AL C 56 271 246 23 2 4 0.993
1992 Bal AL C 8 14 13 1 0 0 1
Totals G Ch PO A E DP FPCT
1662 8273 7402 771 100 114 0.988


CAREER PITCHING STATISTICS
YEAR TEAM LG ERA W L Sv G IP H R ER BB K AVG A
1991 Mil AL 4.5 0 0 0 2 2 3 1 1 1 0 0.333
Totals ERA W L Sv G IP H R ER BB K AVG A
4.5 0 0 0 2 2 3 1 1 1 0 0.333


YEAR TEAM LG GS CG Sho GF K/BB BB/9 K/9 RATIO HR HB IBB SH WP BK
1991 Mil AL 0 0 0 2 0 4.5 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals GS CG Sho GF K/BB BB/9 K/9 RATIO HR HB IBB SH WP BK
0 0 0 2 0 4.5 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0


LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES BATTING STATISTICS
BATTING
YEAR TEAM LG AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K OBP SLG
1979 Bal AL 0.4 3 10 3 4 2 0 0 2 1 0 0.455 0.6
1983 Bal AL 0.167 4 12 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.231 0.167
1988 LA NL 0.4 4 5 1 2 2 0 0 2 1 0 0.5 0.8
Totals AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K OBP SLG
0.296 11 27 5 8 4 0 0 4 3 1 0.367 0.444


BATTING BASERUNNING MISC
YEAR TEAM LG HBP GDP TB IBB SH SF SB CS SB% AB/HR AB/K
1979 Bal AL 0 0 6 0 0 0 1 0 1 --.- --.-
1983 Bal AL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 -.--- --.- 12
1988 LA NL 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 -.--- --.- --.-
Totals HBP GDP TB IBB SH SF SB CS SB% AB/HR AB/K
0 0 12 0 0 0 1 0 1 --.- 27


WORLD SERIES BATTING STATISTICS
BATTING
YEAR TEAM LG AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K OBP SLG
1979 Bal AL 0.286 7 21 3 6 2 0 0 0 1 3 0.318 0.381
1983 Bal AL 0.385 5 13 3 5 4 0 1 2 2 2 0.467 0.923
1988 LA NL 0.2 2 5 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 2 0.333 0.4
Totals AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K OBP SLG
0.308 14 39 6 12 7 0 1 3 4 7 0.372 0.564


BATTING BASERUNNING MISC
YEAR TEAM LG HBP GDP TB IBB SH SF SB CS SB% AB/HR AB/K
1979 Bal AL 0 1 8 0 0 0 0 0 -.--- --.- 7
1983 Bal AL 0 1 12 2 0 0 0 0 -.--- 13 6.5
1988 LA NL 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 -.--- --.- 2.5
Totals HBP GDP TB IBB SH SF SB CS SB% AB/HR AB/K
0 3 22 2 0 0 0 0 -.--- 39 5.6


LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES FIELDING
YEAR TEAM POS G Ch PO A E DP FPCT
1979 Bal C 3 11 10 1 0 0 1
1983 Bal C 4 35 29 5 1 2 0.971
1988 LA C 3 7 7 0 0 0 1
Totals G Ch PO A E DP FPCT
10 53 46 6 1 2 0.981


WORLD SERIES FIELDING
YEAR TEAM POS G Ch PO A E DP FPCT
1979 Bal C 7 40 38 2 0 0 1
1983 Bal C 5 31 27 4 0 0 1
1988 LA C 2 14 13 1 0 0 1
Totals G Ch PO A E DP FPCT
14 85 78 7 0 0 1


A flaky individual but a take-charge catcher, Rick Dempsey's break came on June 15, 1976 when he went from the Yankees to the Orioles in a ten-player deal. When he left Baltimore, signing as a free agent with Cleveland in 1987, he had caught more games for the Orioles than anyone in franchise history. His greatest moment came as MVP of the 1983 World Series. He had the game-winning RBI in Game Two and homered and doubled in the Game Five clincher, hitting .385 overall.

Dempsey led AL catchers in fielding in 1981 and 1983 and in assists in 1979. He sacrificed batting average for added power in his last years at Baltimore (1984-86). Expected to stabilize a young Cleveland club, Dempsey suffered on both offense and defense. His 1987 season was curtailed by a broken left thumb suffered in a home plate collision with Bo Jackson. Dempsey rebounded in a reserve role with the 1988 World Champion Dodgers. Two years later he achieved the rare distinction of catching a game in four different decades.

Dempsey, whose father was a Vaudeville actor and whose mother was a former Broadway star, was known to be a bit of a ham himself. During a 1977 rain delay at Fenway Park he entertained players and fans alike by performing a baseball pantomime routine with towels stuffed in his shirt to evoke Babe Ruth's well-known belly. He ended the routine by belly-flopping across the rain-soaked tarp at home plate and then leading the crowd in a rendition of "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head." Dempsey reprised the routine at various times in later years, including once in a September 1982 game at Milwaukee when he wore a Robin Yount jersey and mimicked hitting a home run before circling the bases to the delight of the crowd.

Rick Dempsey is one of forty-one catchers to have pitched in a major league game. He is also 1 of 4 catchers to have CAUGHT and PITCHED in the SAME GAME.