Episode #35 (8/31/15): Dick Groat

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The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates, as he put it, were a team of destiny. Dick Groat, the National League’s Most Valuable Player that season, was one of many key contributors who led the Bucs to their first title in 35 years – culminating in the unforgettable Game 7 bottom-of-the-ninth home run off the bat of Bill Mazeroski.

An MVP and two World Series rings are feats not many major leaguers get to experience. But Groat has an additional accomplishment on his athletic resume – a two-time All-American basketball player at Duke University and a short stint in the NBA before choosing to stick with baseball.

That knowledge and love of basketball hasn’t left him, and is currently used in his long-standing position as radio analyst for the Pittsburgh Panthers.

Photo courtesy of SI.com

Audio clips courtesy of “1960 World Series Film” by Major League Baseball Productions, “Baseball: Inning 8 by Ken Burns, and IMG College Audio Network