
Dave Ricketts was born on Friday, July 12, 1935, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Ricketts was 28 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 25, 1963, with the St. Louis Cardinals. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Dave Ricketts baseball stats page.
"Sometimes the word 'great' gets overused, and it's a shame. There have been some truly great Cardinals who have come through the organization, but I don't know anyone greater or more beloved than Dave Ricketts." - St. Louis Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa in the St. Louis Post Dispatch (Derrick Goold, 07/14/2008)
A catcher himself, Ricketts played for the Cardinals in the 1960s, winning a World Series with the club in 1967, and he finished his career in 1970 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He became a coach for the Pirates soon after and then rejoined the Cardinals in 1974. He served several seasons as a coach in the major leagues before becoming a minor-league catching instructor in 1991.He was at spring training this year, working with catchers alongside one of his proteges, Mike Matheny, and with his current star, Molina."He could jump your butt if you weren't giving it all — but pick you up all in the same sentence," said bullpen catcher Jeff Murphy, who met Ricketts as a just-drafted catcher in 1992. "Mr. Ricketts made you feel like you could do anything on that field if you were a catcher."
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