Card Corner--The Mystery of Dick Dietz

Why didn't Dick Dietz play beyond the 1973 season? As a valuable backup catcher-first baseman for the Braves, Dietz batted .295 and compiled a remarkable .474 on-base percentage in 1973. In today's game, most teams would kill for a backup catcher like that. Yet, no major league team saw fit to offer Dietz a contract for the 1974 season.

While his name might not be familiar to younger generations of fans, Dietz was certainly a recognizable player to those who grew up with baseball in the 1960s and seventies. He was an underrated player and a fun-living teammate. He was also a Sabermetric favorite, in much the same way that Gene Tenace and Mickey Tettleton garnered preference in later decades. And for one season, Dietz was just about the best catcher in the National League--playing at a level that put him in company with Hall of Famer Johnny Bench.

In 1970, Dietz batted an even .300 for the Giants while compiling 22 home runs, 109 RBIs, and 84 runs scored. Even more impressively, Dietz drew 104 walks, an excellent total for any player and a remarkable figure for a catcher who lacked the reputation of a Bench or Joe Torre. Although Dietz' home run and RBI totals didn't come close to matching those of Bench, his high walk total gave him a stunning on-base percentage of .430--a 79-point advantage over Bench (.351.) On the way to producing such numbers, Dietz earned a berth in the All-Star Game and came off the bench to hit a key home run in the bottom of the ninth.

So why is it that Dick Dietz didn't become a household name? Unfortunately, he never came close to matching his 1970 numbers again. On the heels of a respectable 1971 season, Dietz was surprisingly sold on waivers to the rival Dodgers during the spring of 1972. The reason? As the Giants' player representative during the strike of '72, Dietz had drawn the wrath of San Francisco management. The Giants decided to punish Dietz by selling him to another team, but they mostly punished themselves by receiving nothing of consequence for a highly competent major league catcher.

Shortly after joining the Dodgers, Dietz suffered a broken finger (in his first start with Los Angeles, no less) and missed most of the 1972 season. By then, Dietz' days as an everyday player had come to an end. During the spring of 1973, the Dodgers sold Dietz to the Braves. (Unfortunately, Topps had already issued its 1973 card for Dietz, which still shows him wearing Dodger duds.) With the Braves, Dietz became a valuable member of the team's vaunted "F-Troop" bench brigade, which also featured jack-of-all trades Chuck Goggin (who played second base, shortstop, the outfield and even caught one game) and first baseman Frank Tepedino (who later became famous for his work as a fireman on September 11, 2001). And then, after a productive offensive season in 1973, when he compiled a near .480 on-base percentage in a backup role and helped make the Braves' clubhouse a fun place, Dietz never again played in the major leagues. Believing that he still had ample ability to hit the ball, Dietz felt that major league teams had colluded against him because of his active involvement with the Players' Association.

Although Dietz was only 32, his career was over--just three years after his All-Star season, which had come at the tender age of 28. Sadly, such rapid declines are not uncommon for catchers, who are subject to more physical wear and tear to their bodies than any other position players. It's quite likely that Dietz' extreme workload in 1970 and 1971 contributed to a loss of arm strength, a falloff in his already questionable mobility behind the plate, and to his general lack of longevity. After playing in a staggering 148 games in '70 and another 142 games in '71, Dietz' physical skills had declined from overuse. Yet, in spite of his defensive deterioration, he still had a potent bat, one that was more than capable of producing as a pinch-hitter and a backup. For a team that had two light-hitting catchers in Johnny Oates and Paul Casanova and a mediocre first baseman in Mike Lum, Dietz appeared to be a nice alternative.

During his playing days, Dietz sported a solid six-foot, one-inch, 185-pound frame. After his playing career, he fell victim to a condition that sadly plagues too many former players. Dietz became extremely overweight, which may have contributed to the 2005 heart attack that took his life at the age of 63.

Much like his playing days, Dietz' life was far too short. Let's hope that doesn't make him a forgotten man. Baseball fans should remember that for one season, Dick Dietz was pretty much the equal of Johnny Bench. And that he deserved to play at least one more season, after the way he led F-Troop in 1973.