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Duke Mourns Passing of Hall of Famer Dick Groat
4/27/2023 1:44:00 PM | Athletics
PITTSBURGH -- Dick Groat, a 1975 inductee to the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame, passed away early Thursday morning at the age of 92.
Groat, a two-sport All-American while at Duke in both baseball and basketball in 1951 and 1952, enjoyed a 14-year professional baseball career that saw him win World Series titles with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1960 and the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964.
Following his playing career, the Wilkinsburg, Pa., native remained in the city of Pittsburgh where he served as the radio analyst for University of Pittsburgh men's basketball games for four decades before retiring in 2019.
Groat posted a career batting average of .375 at Duke and led the Blue Devils to their first College World Series appearance in 1952. On the hardwood, he was the first of now 13 Duke men's basketball players to have their jersey number (10) retired. He ranks second in Duke history with an average of 23.0 points per game and 19th with 1,886 total points. The 1952 National Player of the Year, Groat was also a two-time All-American and a two-time All-Southern Conference member.
Inducted to the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame in 1975, Groat was enshrined into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007 and inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame on July 4, 2011. Groat was also a part of the inaugural class inducted into the Southern Conference Hall of Fame in 2009.
In his 14-year MLB career, spent mostly with Pittsburgh, he led the majors with a .325 average in guiding the Pirates to a World Series title in 1960. Groat was named the Most Valuable Player of the National League in 1960 and made five All-Star teams. His lifetime major league batting average was .286.
For seven seasons (1956-62), Groat teamed with future Hall of Fame second baseman Bill Mazeroski, leading the National League in double plays a record five times, putouts four times and assists twice. During his career, he ranked ninth in major league history in games played at shortstop (1,877) and fourth in double plays (1,237). He also was among the NL career leaders in putouts (10th, 3,505), assists (8th, 5,811) and total chances (9th, 9,690).
His complete MLB career included stints with Pittsburgh (1952-62), St. Louis (1963-65), the Philadelphia Phillies (1966-67), and the San Francisco Giants (1967).
QUOTES ON DICK GROAT'S LEGACY
"The Duke basketball program extends its sincerest condolences to Dick Groat's friends and family and our colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh and in Major League Baseball. Dick was a legend, both as a Blue Devil and for his myriad of professional accomplishments. The world has lost a tremendous sports ambassador and a wonderful human. He starred in multiple sports and excelled on the biggest stages, while always representing himself and his organizations in the most dignified way. The sports world is a better place because of Dick Groat." – Jon Scheyer, Duke Men's Basketball Head Coach
"The sports world lost a legend and the country lost a true American hero today. Dick Groat was a special talent in both basketball and baseball, but an even better human being. All of us who have followed in his footsteps at Duke, are better for the path he paved." – Chris Pollard, Duke Baseball Head Coach
"The world lost an absolute treasure with the passing of Dick Groat, a historically significant athlete and even better person. As much as our family appreciated his marvelous basketball and baseball career, we admired how he carried himself after it ended even more. A true multi-sports icon, Dick represented Duke University and the city of Pittsburgh with the utmost of class and dignity, which resulted in universal admiration. The Krzyzewski family offers its deepest sympathy to his family, friends, and everyone he touched in such a meaningful and positive way throughout his amazing life." – Mike Krzyzewski, Former Duke (1980-2022), Army (1975-80) and United States National Team (2005-16) Head Men's Basketball Coach
#GoDuke
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Groat, a two-sport All-American while at Duke in both baseball and basketball in 1951 and 1952, enjoyed a 14-year professional baseball career that saw him win World Series titles with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1960 and the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964.
Following his playing career, the Wilkinsburg, Pa., native remained in the city of Pittsburgh where he served as the radio analyst for University of Pittsburgh men's basketball games for four decades before retiring in 2019.
Groat posted a career batting average of .375 at Duke and led the Blue Devils to their first College World Series appearance in 1952. On the hardwood, he was the first of now 13 Duke men's basketball players to have their jersey number (10) retired. He ranks second in Duke history with an average of 23.0 points per game and 19th with 1,886 total points. The 1952 National Player of the Year, Groat was also a two-time All-American and a two-time All-Southern Conference member.
Inducted to the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame in 1975, Groat was enshrined into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007 and inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame on July 4, 2011. Groat was also a part of the inaugural class inducted into the Southern Conference Hall of Fame in 2009.
In his 14-year MLB career, spent mostly with Pittsburgh, he led the majors with a .325 average in guiding the Pirates to a World Series title in 1960. Groat was named the Most Valuable Player of the National League in 1960 and made five All-Star teams. His lifetime major league batting average was .286.
For seven seasons (1956-62), Groat teamed with future Hall of Fame second baseman Bill Mazeroski, leading the National League in double plays a record five times, putouts four times and assists twice. During his career, he ranked ninth in major league history in games played at shortstop (1,877) and fourth in double plays (1,237). He also was among the NL career leaders in putouts (10th, 3,505), assists (8th, 5,811) and total chances (9th, 9,690).
His complete MLB career included stints with Pittsburgh (1952-62), St. Louis (1963-65), the Philadelphia Phillies (1966-67), and the San Francisco Giants (1967).
QUOTES ON DICK GROAT'S LEGACY
"The Duke basketball program extends its sincerest condolences to Dick Groat's friends and family and our colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh and in Major League Baseball. Dick was a legend, both as a Blue Devil and for his myriad of professional accomplishments. The world has lost a tremendous sports ambassador and a wonderful human. He starred in multiple sports and excelled on the biggest stages, while always representing himself and his organizations in the most dignified way. The sports world is a better place because of Dick Groat." – Jon Scheyer, Duke Men's Basketball Head Coach
"The sports world lost a legend and the country lost a true American hero today. Dick Groat was a special talent in both basketball and baseball, but an even better human being. All of us who have followed in his footsteps at Duke, are better for the path he paved." – Chris Pollard, Duke Baseball Head Coach
"The world lost an absolute treasure with the passing of Dick Groat, a historically significant athlete and even better person. As much as our family appreciated his marvelous basketball and baseball career, we admired how he carried himself after it ended even more. A true multi-sports icon, Dick represented Duke University and the city of Pittsburgh with the utmost of class and dignity, which resulted in universal admiration. The Krzyzewski family offers its deepest sympathy to his family, friends, and everyone he touched in such a meaningful and positive way throughout his amazing life." – Mike Krzyzewski, Former Duke (1980-2022), Army (1975-80) and United States National Team (2005-16) Head Men's Basketball Coach
#GoDuke
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