Dick Groat, MLB and NBA Star, Dead at 92

Dick Groat, a two-sport star who played in MLB and the NBA, has died, according to the Associated Press. He was 92 years old. Groat’s family said in a statement that he died at UMPC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh due to complications from a stroke. Groat is known for his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates as well as the Duke men’s basketball team. 

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of such a beloved member of the Pirates family and Pittsburgh community,” Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement, calling Groat “a great player and an even better person.” Groat played basketball and baseball at Duke in the early 1950s, being named an All-American in both. Following his college athletics career, Groat signed with the Pirates and was drafted by the Fort Wayne Pistons of the NBA in 1952. Groat preferred to play basketball but focused his attention on baseball following a stint in the military and an ultimatum from Pirates general manager Branch Rickey. 

How wonderful is it that our last memory of Dick Groat, just days ago, was him accepting his notification from an old pal that he is a Pirates Hall of Famer? Cheers, Mr. Groat. Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/m1yjRUcF0j

— Dan Zangrilli (@DanZangrilli) April 27, 2023

“Baseball was always like work for me,” Groat said in a 2014 interview. “Basketball was the sport that I loved, but it was baseball where I knew I would make a living.” Groat, who played shortstop, spent the majority of his MLB career with the Pirates (1952, 1955-1962) before playing for the St. Louis Cardinals (1963-1965), Philadelphia Phillies (1966-1967) and San Francisco Giants (1967). He was selected to play in the All-Star game eight times, won the NL MVP award in 1960 and won a World Series with the Pirates and Cardinals. He finished his career with a .286 batting average, 2,138 hits, 39 home runs and 707 RBIs.  

“The Pirates were such a bad baseball team in the early years, but then we grew up and came in second in 1958 and we all just kept improving together,” Groat said in a 2016 interview. “We became a very strong ball club and we had learned how to win. When the World Series came around, I was coming off a broken wrist and had only played two games before the series. The wrist was not where I would have liked it to be, so I couldn’t open my glove all the way, but obviously, it ended up working out for us.” Following his baseball career, Groat ran a golf course in Pittsburgh and spent four decades as a color commentator for the University of Pittsburgh basketball team.