Sweet 16 and ex-Buccos

UtahPirate · Post by **UtahPirate** » Thu Mar 22, 2018 6:30 pm

Since ex-Pirates make up 25% of the players in this article. I thought a few of you might enjoy this list:

https://www.mlb.com/cut4/heres-the-best ... -269110054

INbuc · Post by **INbuc** » Thu Mar 22, 2018 10:06 pm

Bob Friend graduated from Purdue and attended school during the baseball off-seasons. However, he never actually played for the Boilermakers.

DemDog · Post by **DemDog** » Fri Mar 23, 2018 9:38 am

Great link. Happy to see so many Buccos on there. Especially Groat and Friend two guys that were some of my Pirate heroes growing up.

BucsFaninGA · Post by **BucsFaninGA** » Fri Mar 23, 2018 11:18 am

Utah, Thanks for the thought. Pretty neat article. Enjoyed it! Groat and Friend were favorites of mine as a kid in the early 60's. Well recall Friend's last baseball card as a Yankee. Just couldn't bring myself to accepting that...Beat'em Bucs!

mouse · Post by **mouse** » Fri Mar 23, 2018 1:22 pm

Didn't Groat have an offer to play professional basketball as well as baseball (and maybe even did for a year)?

PMike · Post by **PMike** » Fri Mar 23, 2018 1:50 pm

6D6F757365000 wrote: Didn't Groat have an offer to play professional basketball as well as baseball (and maybe even did for a year)?

Yes. He actually did play in the NBA for a year. The Pirates made him choose between pro baseball or basketball. Clearly, he chose baseball. He said he actually preferred basketball by a wide margin. He could take the came over in basketball. He said he loved that feeling. Baseball wasn't the same. However, he could have a much longer and more lucrative career if he played baseball. Therefore, he chose baseball.

DemDog · Post by **DemDog** » Fri Mar 23, 2018 9:13 pm

4E4C565046230 wrote: Didn't Groat have an offer to play professional basketball as well as baseball (and maybe even did for a year)?

Yes he did. Drafted 3rd overall by the Fort Wayne Pistons now known as the Detroit Pistons.

Dick Groat's NBA Stats

mouse · Post by **mouse** » Fri Mar 23, 2018 9:58 pm

Thank you both. I thought I remembered that (I also had the notion he never played in the minors, but am not sure on that either). I liked him when I was a kid but didn't appreciate what an athlete he must have been.

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Fri Mar 23, 2018 10:25 pm

56544E485E3B0 wrote: Thank you both. I thought I remembered that (I also had the notion he never played in the minors, but am not sure on that either). I liked him when I was a kid but didn't appreciate what an athlete he must have been.
Yes, Groat never played in the minors. Came right from Duke and hit .284 as a rookie.