Dick Baney – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Dick Baney’s baseball career didn’t last long, but it’s a pretty interesting slice of Major League Baseball history. This right-handed pitcher from Fullerton, California, played three seasons in the majors between 1969 and 1974, suiting up for the Seattle Pilots and Cincinnati Reds during a time when baseball was changing fast.

Baney went 4-1 with a 4.28 ERA and three saves in 42 games before he retired after the 1974 season. He started out as a promising Red Sox draft pick and finished up with the Reds on October 2, 1974. His journey really highlights how tough it can be for players trying to break through in pro baseball.

His stats might not jump off the page, but Baney’s road through the league says a lot about what it was like to chase a baseball dream in the early 1970s. From his debut with the expansion Seattle Pilots to life after baseball as a contractor and real estate investor, Baney’s story stretches well past the ballpark and gives a glimpse into what happens to former big leaguers once the cheering stops.

Dick Baney’s Early Life and Baseball Beginnings

Dick Baney was born on November 1, 1946, in Fullerton, California. He honed his baseball skills at Anaheim High School, where he caught the eye of MLB scouts.

The Boston Red Sox picked him ninth overall in the secondary phase of the 1966 draft.

High School Career at Anaheim

Baney attended Anaheim High School in Anaheim, California. He became a standout right-handed pitcher there.

His high school performances drew serious attention from pro scouts. Baney’s pitching at Anaheim set the stage for his pro career.

He turned into a real draft prospect thanks to his high school success. Those early years really shaped the skills he’d need for the majors.

Draft and Signing Process

The Boston Red Sox took Baney with the ninth pick in the secondary phase of the 1966 MLB draft. That was a big moment for the California kid, opening the door to pro baseball.

After Boston drafted him, Baney joined the Red Sox organization and started working his way up the minor leagues. That draft day marked the official start of his pro journey.

But Baney’s time with Boston didn’t last long. The Seattle Pilots grabbed him with the 33rd pick in the 1968 expansion draft, pulling him away from the Red Sox.

Seattle’s pick changed everything for Baney. That move set him up for his MLB debut on July 11, 1969, at just 22 years old.

Professional Baseball Career Overview

Dick Baney pitched in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1974, ending up with a 4-1 record and a 4.28 ERA in 42 games. He started out with the Seattle Pilots and later moved to the Cincinnati Reds for his last two seasons.

Seattle Pilots Debut and Performance

Baney made his MLB debut on July 11, 1969, with the Seattle Pilots. That was the team’s only year in Seattle.

He’d originally been drafted by Boston, but the expansion draft brought him to the Pilots. Baney’s rookie year gave him his first taste of big-league action.

After that one season, the Pilots moved to Milwaukee and became the Brewers. Baney then got traded along with Buzz Stephen from the Brewers to the Orioles for Dave May on June 15, 1970. He didn’t actually pitch in the majors for Baltimore, though.

Playing for the Cincinnati Reds

Baney joined the Cincinnati Reds for the 1973 and 1974 seasons. Those two years made up most of his MLB stats.

With the Reds, Baney worked as a reliever and sometimes as a starter. He pitched in games both years, helping out in different roles.

Cincinnati gave Baney a steady spot to work on his game. His time there made up a big chunk of his big-league experience.

Baney’s last MLB appearance happened on October 2, 1974, wearing a Reds uniform. That game closed the book on his three-year career in the majors.

Career Achievements and Highlights

Career Statistics:

• Win-Loss Record: 4-1
• Earned Run Average: 4.28
• Strikeouts: 38
• Saves: 3
• Games Played: 42 (3 starts)

Baney’s 4-1 record shows he usually got the job done when called upon. His winning percentage is pretty solid, especially considering how little he pitched.

He notched three saves, proving he could handle closing duties at times. Baney struck out 38 hitters in 42 games, showing a steady hand when he got the chance.

He pitched in both the American and National Leagues. Out of 42 appearances, he started just three times, so he mostly came out of the bullpen as a relief pitcher.

The 1974 MLB Season: Final Year Before Retirement

Baney’s last season with the Cincinnati Reds in 1974 turned out to be his toughest. He struggled with control and his ERA while pitching in 22 games.

Even with those issues, he still contributed out of the bullpen and made his last pro appearances in the summer of 1974.

Role and Usage During the 1974 Season

Baney worked mainly as a relief pitcher for the Reds that year. He pitched in 22 games, starting just once and finishing nine games as a reliever.

The Cincinnati Reds used him in all sorts of relief situations. He threw 41 innings, his biggest workload since joining the team.

He handled middle relief and sometimes got save opportunities. Baney picked up one save that season, bringing his career total to three.

The Reds counted on him as a righty out of the bullpen. His usage showed the team trusted him to handle different spots in the game.

Manager Sparky Anderson put Baney into both tight games and blowouts. That flexibility made Baney a useful piece, even if his numbers dipped.

Performance and Key Games

Baney’s 1974 season didn’t go as well as the year before. His ERA jumped to 5.49 over 41 innings, his roughest year as a pro.

His control just wasn’t there. Baney walked 17 batters but struck out only 12, which isn’t a great ratio.

Key Statistics for 1974:

• Record: 1-0
• ERA: 5.49
• Strikeouts: 12
• Walks: 17
• WHIP: 1.659

Hitters had an easy time against him, racking up 51 hits in 41 innings. That’s 11.2 hits per nine innings, which is a lot.

His FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) sat at 4.50, a bit better than his ERA, but still not great. The stats really show his struggles were real and not just bad luck.

Final Professional Appearances

Baney finished out his pro career during the second half of the 1974 season with the Reds. The exact date of his last game lines up with the regular season schedule.

His final stats showed a pitcher who’d lost what made him effective earlier. The combo of too many walks and too many hits spelled trouble.

The Cincinnati Reds let Baney go after the season wrapped up. He ended his three-year MLB run with a 4-1 record and a 4.28 ERA in 42 games.

Baney was just 27 when his pro baseball days ended. He’d played for the Seattle Pilots and Cincinnati Reds, making his mark, even if only briefly.

His career totals: 38 strikeouts, 30 walks, and 90.1 innings pitched. Not a long career, but he still got to live the big-league dream for a while in the early ‘70s.

Playing Style and Statistical Legacy

Dick Baney’s three-year MLB career, from 1969 to 1974, showed a right-handed pitcher mostly working out of the bullpen, with a few starts mixed in. His 4.28 ERA over 90.1 innings hints at the challenges he faced trying to stick in the majors during a high-scoring era.

Pitching Profile and Key Stats

Baney’s stats tell the story of a pitcher who had trouble finding consistency. He finished 4-1 with a .800 winning percentage, but the 4.28 ERA and 1.417 WHIP show there were bumps in the road.

His best year came in 1973 with Cincinnati. He posted a 2.93 ERA over 30.2 innings and picked up 2 saves. That season, he showed better control, walking just 1.8 batters per nine innings, which was an improvement over his career average.

Key Career Statistics:

• Games: 42 (3 starts, 15 games finished)
• Strikeouts: 38 in 90.1 innings (3.8 K/9)
• Walks: 30 (3.0 BB/9)
• Home Runs Allowed: 7 (0.7 HR/9)

Baney’s strikeout-to-walk ratio sat at 1.27, not exactly ideal. His 1974 season with the Reds was especially rough, as his ERA jumped to 5.49 in 41 innings and his strikeouts dropped off.

Notable Opponents and Memorable Moments

There’s not a lot out there about specific matchups or standout moments from Baney’s career. He spent most of his time in relief, and his stint in the majors was short.

He made his debut on July 11, 1969, with the Seattle Pilots at age 22. That kicked off a career that would only last three active seasons.

Switching from the American League Pilots to the National League Reds was a big change for him. His 1973 season with Cincinnati looked promising, and he even got chances as a reliever and closer, picking up 2 saves.

Baney had some fielding issues early on. In his rookie year, he made an error in nine games and finished with a .667 fielding percentage. But he cleaned things up with the Reds, posting perfect 1.000 fielding percentages in both 1973 and 1974.

His last season in 1974 closed out his MLB career. There’s no clear info on why or exactly when he decided to step away.

Life After Baseball

Dick Baney moved on from baseball and found success in real estate and business. He became a strong advocate for retired players‘ pension rights, pushing for fair treatment for guys from his era.

Career Transitions Post-Baseball

After hanging up his spikes in 1974, Baney joined his dad’s construction business as a general contractor. They built custom homes around Southern California.

He found success there, thanks in part to his natural sales skills. The lessons he learned in baseball—teamwork, persistence—carried over to his new career.

Baney didn’t stop there. He later got into the oil business and tried out other investments, always looking for new opportunities beyond just construction.

Eventually, he moved into real estate investment and property management. Those moves set him up for a comfortable retirement.

These days, he lives near the Tustin Ranch Golf Club in Orange County, California.

Advocacy for Retired Players

Baney started speaking out for retired players’ pension rights in the early 1980s. He took up the fight for players who played between 1947 and 1980 but had less than four years of service.

These guys got nothing in pension benefits, even though they contributed plenty to MLB. Baney found himself fielding calls from former players and their widows almost daily.

“What do I tell all these guys or their widows who call every day?” Baney asked, clearly frustrated by the constant stream of pleas for help.

He teamed up with other ex-players like David Clyde and Gerry Janeski to keep pushing for change. Together, they sent letters, jumped on radio shows, and even talked about picketing All-Star games to get some attention.

Their persistence forced MLB to finally offer some help. In 2011, MLB rolled out annual payments between $621 and $9,375 for these players, lasting through 2016.

Still, Baney didn’t think this went far enough. “Ninety percent of players aren’t happy with it,” he said, not mincing words about how limited the settlement felt.

Legacy and Impact on Baseball

Dick Baney shaped baseball in ways that went way beyond his stats. He became a leader for retired players’ rights and pushed hard for pension reform.

His activism after retirement helped hundreds of former players finally get financial benefits they’d been denied for years.

Contributions to the Baseball Community

Baney really stood out as one of the loudest voices for retired players from the 1947-1980 era who missed out on pension benefits. He worked with guys like Gerry Janeski and David Clyde, spending years fighting for fair treatment for baseball’s so-called “lost boys.”

He fired off letter after letter to Hall of Famers and made his case on sports talk radio. Sometimes, he’d even threaten to picket the All-Star game just to make people pay attention.

MLB finally responded in 2011, offering annual annuities up to $10,000 for these retired players. The league and Players Association funded the program together, and about 800 retirees and their families benefited.

Even with that win, Baney kept fighting for more. He wanted lifetime pensions and better medical coverage. “Baseball has the best revenue it has ever had,” he argued, pointing out how unfair it was that players before 1947 and after 1980 got covered, while everyone in the middle just got left out.

Recognition and Lasting Influence

Baney didn’t play for long, but after he retired, he really stepped up as an advocate for forgotten players. He brought attention to the gaps in baseball’s pension system, which left a lot of former players struggling to make ends meet later in life.

Doug Gladstone’s 2010 book, A Bitter Cup of Coffee, put Baney’s story front and center. That exposure pushed the pension issue into the national spotlight and made people notice what non-vested players were facing.

Baney kept pushing current players to remember where they came from. He pointed out that players from his generation fought hard for free agency and helped break the reserve clause, opening doors for everyone who came after.

He didn’t just talk—he built a foundation for how people address retired player benefits today. Baney called the 2011 settlement lacking, saying it basically dismissed players as “nobodies,” but his advocacy set the stage for future negotiations.