Dee Fondy
Encyclopedia
Dee Virgil Fondy was a former professional baseball player who played first base in the Major Leagues from 1951-1958. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates
, Cincinnati Reds
, and Chicago Cubs
.
Fondy was 6'3" and weighed 195 pounds. He spent a portion of his youth in
San Bernardino, California
.
Fondy was the last player to bat at Ebbets Field
. The Pirates lost to the Dodgers 2-0 on September 24, 1957. He grounded out for the final out of the game. He batted above .300 four times for the Cubs during the 1950s.
in the U.S. Army and was among the forces which landed on Utah Beach
, in Normandy
, in 1944. This was three months after D-Day
.
In the spring of 1949, Fondy played for the Fort Worth Cats
in the Texas League
. He homered off Mort Cooper
in an exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs
in Fort Worth. After hitting .328 for the Cats in 1948, he was promoted to the Montreal Royals
of the International League
, in April 1949. He played a total of 16 games with Montreal, 6 with Fort Worth, and 128 with the Mobile Bears
of the Southern League
, in 1949. He hit .294 with Mobile. In 1950 Fondy hit .297 in 141 games with Fort Worth. He led the Texas League in stolen bases with 38 and played in the league's all-star game.
, who possessed a rifle arm. Unfortunately for him his path with the Dodgers was blocked by Gil Hodges
, who was a mainstay at first base.
at Wrigley Field
. Fondy also had two singles and drove in four runs. He was sent down to the Los Angeles Angeles of the Pacific Coast League
in July, when Chuck Connors
was recalled by the Cubs. At the time Fondy was hitting .293 with 3 home runs and 20 RBIs.
Fondy hit his first homer of the 1953 season to score Eddie Miksis
and beat the Dodgers, 6-4. The baseball landed in the left center field bleachers on the first day of a Cubs' home stand. He clouted his 5th and 6th home runs at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
against the Philadelphia Phillies
on June 9. His 5 RBIs were wasted as the Cubs committed 5 errors and lost 10-9. He collected 4 hits against Pittsburgh at Forbes Field
on July 25. The last one broke a 4-4 tie and gave the Cubs a 5-4 win. It was his 13th 1953 homer. In September Fondy's 9th inning steal of home won the opener of a doubleheader
against Cincinnati. He had a solo home run as one of 6 hit by the Cubs in the game.
Fondy jammed his left hand against Cincinnati in July 1954 and missed several games. X-rays proved negative. During spring training in 1955 Fondy went on a tear of 13 hits in 16 times at bat. He knocked in 7 runs with a couple of home runs versus the San Antonio Missions
on April 2. He hit his 5th home run of 1956 in the 10th inning of a July 19 game with Philadelphia. It earned Chicago a 4-3 victory.
to the Phillies, in return for center fielder Richie Ashburn
. Instead Fondy and Baker were traded to Pittsburgh for first baseman Dale Long
and outfielder Lee Walls
. There was no cash involved. On May 12 Fondy batted two singles and a home run to help defeat Robin Roberts and the Phillies, 6-1. He took the lead in the National League batting race with three singles in five at bats against the St. Louis Cardinals
on June 4. The last hit gave the Pirates the win and boosted Fondy's batting average to .375.
Fondy was traded to the Cincinnati Reds
for Ted Kluszewski
in December 1957. It was an even deal of first baseman. Fondy averaged .313 in 106 games in 1957 despite being injured after being hit with a thrown ball in pre-game practice. Fondy had difficulty making the starting lineup for the Reds in 1958. He was moved to the outfield after George Crowe
became the regular first baseman. Fondy smashed a 3-run homer against the Milwaukee Braves to send Lew Burdette
to an early exit on May 18. On September 29 Cincinnati released Fondy to the Seattle Rainiers
of the Pacific Coast League
in exchange for pitcher Claude Osteen
.
and the Milwaukee Brewers
. With the Brewers he signed Paul Molitor
, who amassed more than 3,000 hits in his career in the majors. Fondy retired from baseball in 1995 after working as a special assistant to the Milwaukee general manager. He was promoted from director of scouting to special assistant to general manager, Harry Dalton
, on December 5, 1977.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, and Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
.
Fondy was 6'3" and weighed 195 pounds. He spent a portion of his youth in
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
.
Fondy was the last player to bat at Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on a city block which is now considered to be part of the Crown Heights neighborhood. It was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League. It was also a venue for professional football...
. The Pirates lost to the Dodgers 2-0 on September 24, 1957. He grounded out for the final out of the game. He batted above .300 four times for the Cubs during the 1950s.
Soldier; minor league baseball
Fondy served in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in the U.S. Army and was among the forces which landed on Utah Beach
Utah Beach
Utah Beach was the code name for the right flank, or westernmost, of the Allied landing beaches during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, as part of Operation Overlord on 6 June 1944...
, in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, in 1944. This was three months after D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
.
In the spring of 1949, Fondy played for the Fort Worth Cats
Fort Worth Cats
The Fort Worth Cats are a professional baseball team based in Fort Worth, Texas, in the United States. The Cats are a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 2002 season the Cats...
in the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
. He homered off Mort Cooper
Mort Cooper
Morton Cecil Cooper was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals...
in an exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
in Fort Worth. After hitting .328 for the Cats in 1948, he was promoted to the Montreal Royals
Montreal Royals
The Montreal Royals were a minor league professional baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec, that existed from 1897–1917 and from 1928–60 as a member of the International League and its progenitor, the original Eastern League...
of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
, in April 1949. He played a total of 16 games with Montreal, 6 with Fort Worth, and 128 with the Mobile Bears
Mobile Bears
The Mobile Bears were an American minor league baseball team based in Mobile, Alabama. The franchise was a member of the old Southern Association, a high-level circuit that folded after the 1961 season. Mobile joined the SA in 1908 as the Sea Gulls, but changed its name to the Bears in 1918, and...
of the Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
, in 1949. He hit .294 with Mobile. In 1950 Fondy hit .297 in 141 games with Fort Worth. He led the Texas League in stolen bases with 38 and played in the league's all-star game.
Dodgers' prospect
Fondy came to the majors in the Brooklyn Dodgers organization as a huge slugging first baseman from Fort Worth. A 1949 New York Times article remarked on his speed for a big man. In spring training he scored from second on a fly ball to right fielder, Carl FurilloCarl Furillo
Carl Anthony Furillo , nicknamed "The Reading Rifle" and "Skoonj," was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
, who possessed a rifle arm. Unfortunately for him his path with the Dodgers was blocked by Gil Hodges
Gil Hodges
Gilbert Ray Hodges was an American Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. During an 18-year baseball career, he played in 1943 and from 1947–63, spending most of his career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
, who was a mainstay at first base.
Chicago Cubs (1951 - 1957)
On opening day in 1951, Fondy hit a bases-loaded triple in his first major league at bat to assist the Cubs to an 8-3 victory against the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
. Fondy also had two singles and drove in four runs. He was sent down to the Los Angeles Angeles of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
in July, when Chuck Connors
Chuck Connors
Chuck Connors was an American actor, writer, and professional basketball and baseball player. His best known role from his forty-year film career was Lucas McCain in the 1960s ABC hit Western series The Rifleman....
was recalled by the Cubs. At the time Fondy was hitting .293 with 3 home runs and 20 RBIs.
Fondy hit his first homer of the 1953 season to score Eddie Miksis
Eddie Miksis
Edward Thomas Miksis was an American Major League Baseball player. Born in Burlington, New Jersey, he stood 6' 0" and weighed 185 lbs...
and beat the Dodgers, 6-4. The baseball landed in the left center field bleachers on the first day of a Cubs' home stand. He clouted his 5th and 6th home runs at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
against the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
on June 9. His 5 RBIs were wasted as the Cubs committed 5 errors and lost 10-9. He collected 4 hits against Pittsburgh at Forbes Field
Forbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
on July 25. The last one broke a 4-4 tie and gave the Cubs a 5-4 win. It was his 13th 1953 homer. In September Fondy's 9th inning steal of home won the opener of a doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
against Cincinnati. He had a solo home run as one of 6 hit by the Cubs in the game.
Fondy jammed his left hand against Cincinnati in July 1954 and missed several games. X-rays proved negative. During spring training in 1955 Fondy went on a tear of 13 hits in 16 times at bat. He knocked in 7 runs with a couple of home runs versus the San Antonio Missions
San Antonio Missions
The San Antonio Missions are a minor league baseball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres major-league club. The Missions play in Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, located in San Antonio...
on April 2. He hit his 5th home run of 1956 in the 10th inning of a July 19 game with Philadelphia. It earned Chicago a 4-3 victory.
Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds (1957 - 1958)
In January 1957 Fondy was reported to be part of a 9 player trade which would have sent him along with second baseman Gene BakerGene Baker
Eugene Walter Baker was an American Major League Baseball player. A native of Davenport, Iowa, he primary played second base for the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates. He was selected for the National League All Star game in 1955. He played eight seasons from 1953 to 1958 and 1960 to 1961,...
to the Phillies, in return for center fielder Richie Ashburn
Richie Ashburn
Don Richard "Richie" Ashburn , also known by the nicknames, "Putt-Putt", "The Tilden Flash", and "Whitey" due to his light-blond hair, was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball. He was born in Tilden, Nebraska...
. Instead Fondy and Baker were traded to Pittsburgh for first baseman Dale Long
Dale Long
Richard Dale Long was a first baseman in professional baseball. Between 1951 and 1963, Long played in Major League Baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates , St. Louis Browns , Chicago Cubs , San Francisco Giants , New York Yankees and Washington Senators...
and outfielder Lee Walls
Lee Walls
Raymond Lee Walls, Jr. , is a former professional baseball player who played outfield in the Major Leagues from 1953-1964. Walls would play for the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He also played one season in Japan in 1965 for the...
. There was no cash involved. On May 12 Fondy batted two singles and a home run to help defeat Robin Roberts and the Phillies, 6-1. He took the lead in the National League batting race with three singles in five at bats against the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
on June 4. The last hit gave the Pirates the win and boosted Fondy's batting average to .375.
Fondy was traded to the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
for Ted Kluszewski
Ted Kluszewski
Theodore Bernard "Big Klu" Kluszewski was a Major League first baseman from 1947 through 1961. He batted and threw left-handed.-Career:...
in December 1957. It was an even deal of first baseman. Fondy averaged .313 in 106 games in 1957 despite being injured after being hit with a thrown ball in pre-game practice. Fondy had difficulty making the starting lineup for the Reds in 1958. He was moved to the outfield after George Crowe
George Crowe
George Daniel Crowe was a Major League first baseman. He attended Franklin High School in Franklin, Indiana, graduated from Indiana Central College, now the University of Indianapolis, in 1943 and played baseball and basketball. He was the first Indiana "Mr. Basketball"...
became the regular first baseman. Fondy smashed a 3-run homer against the Milwaukee Braves to send Lew Burdette
Lew Burdette
Selva Lewis Burdette, Jr. was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves...
to an early exit on May 18. On September 29 Cincinnati released Fondy to the Seattle Rainiers
Seattle Rainiers
The Seattle Rainiers, originally named the Seattle Indians and also known as the Seattle Angels, were a minor league baseball team in Seattle, Washington, that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903-06 and 1919-68...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
in exchange for pitcher Claude Osteen
Claude Osteen
Claude Wilson Osteen , nicknamed "Gomer" because of his resemblance to Gomer Pyle, is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched for six different teams: the Cincinnati Redlegs/Reds , Washington Senators , Los Angeles Dodgers , Houston Astros , St...
.
Scout & baseball executive
Following his playing career he worked as a scout and front office official for the New York MetsNew York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
and the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. With the Brewers he signed Paul Molitor
Paul Molitor
Paul Leo Molitor , nicknamed "Molly" and "The Ignitor", is an American former Major League Baseball designated hitter and infielder. During his 21-year baseball career, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Toronto Blue Jays , and Minnesota Twins...
, who amassed more than 3,000 hits in his career in the majors. Fondy retired from baseball in 1995 after working as a special assistant to the Milwaukee general manager. He was promoted from director of scouting to special assistant to general manager, Harry Dalton
Harry Dalton
Harry I. Dalton was an American front-office executive in Major League Baseball. He served as general manager of three American League teams, the Baltimore Orioles , California Angels and Milwaukee Brewers , and was a principal architect of the Orioles' dynasty of 1966–1974 as well as the only AL...
, on December 5, 1977.