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Doug Rader

Positions: Third Baseman and First Baseman
Bats: Right  •  Throws: Right
6-2, 208lb (188cm, 94kg)
Born: July 30, 1944 (Age: 77-078d) in Chicago, IL
High School: Glenbrook North HS (Northbrook, IL)
School: Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL)
Debut: July 31, 1967 (Age 23-001d, 12,614th in major league history)
vs. NYM 4 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game: October 2, 1977 (Age 33-064d)
vs. CLE 0 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Full Name: Douglas Lee Rader
Nicknames: Rojo or The Red Rooster
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen

Notable Events and Chronology for Doug Rader Career

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August 7, 1968

A hard slide by Doug Rader into third base on a triple knocks out New York third baseman Kevin Collins and ignites a brawl. Houston police enter the fray. The donnybrook climaxes hostility that began when Mets outfielder Tommy Agee spiked Joe Morgan while sliding into second base. Amazingly, Rader stays in the contest and scores the eventual game-winner on a sacrifice fly by Dick Simpson. Larry Dierker bests Tom Seaver in the 4-3 victory.

September 7, 1968

Hank Aaron stumbles and falls rounding third base in the bottom of the ninth leading to a Braves loss

July 15, 1969

Jim Wynn walks during the five-run fourth, breaking a league mark with his 11th straight game with a base on balls

April 3, 1970

1970 – Doug Rader becomes the first to reach the Dome’s gold (upper reserved) seats with a home run off Stan Bahnsen during a 9-5 exhibition win against the Yankees. The ball lands in section 738D, row 6, seat 1. 

April 12, 1970

 1970- Astros blast five home runs to trounce Phil Niekro and the Braves, 8-3 . Jim Wynn has the most memorable shot, a rocket that doesn’t come to rest until it finds the gold (upper reserved) seats in the third inning (section 738C, row 6, seat 3) . That bested his blast into the purple seats in the first. Tommy Davis, Joe Pepitone and Doug Rader go yard as well, making an easy night for starter Larry Dierker. 

April 19, 1970

Tom Griffin tosses a one-hitter in a 5-1 victory over the Padres

July 12, 1970

1970 – San Francisco’s Gaylord Perry is met by two umpires and forced to towel down before the second inning of a game at the Dome. Minus the medicine, Perry gives up five runs as the Astros build an early lead. The Giants roar back to claim a 7-5 advantage before Houston tallies three in the ninth for an 8-7 triumph. Doug Rader singles home Jim Wynn with the game-winner. 

May 16, 1971

Doug Rader ties the Houston Astros franchise record of six RBIs

July 16, 1971

Astros turn the first triple play in their history during a 9-4 victory over Nolan Ryan and the Mets

January 12, 1972

Cedeno-Wynn-May-Watson-Rader

June 26, 1972

Astro rock five home runs

May 4, 1973

1973 – Houston scores four in the 14th to topple the Mets, 9-5. Doug Rader’s two-run double is the big blow in the inning. Cesar Cedeno has four hits, including a home run. Jim Ray is the winning pitcher. 

July 8, 1973

Bob Watson breaks Tim Foli’s jaw and gets peppered with debris 

May 3, 1974

1974 – Astros get an assist from part of the Astrodome crowd as they drop the Cardinals, 4-1. Two female fans run nude through the outfield during the seventh-inning stretch. The distracted Cards give up three runs in the bottom half of the frame. A two-run single by Doug Rader is the key hit. Claude Osteen goes the distance. 

May 7, 1974

1974 – Doug Rader’s three-run homer in the 12th lifts the Astros over Pittsburgh, 8-6.  Rookie Dave Parker, substituting for an ejected Richie Zisk, had slammed a solo homer in the top of the inning to give the Pirates a lead before Rader’s blast off Jim Sadowski settles the issue. 

June 28, 1974

He thinks he’s in a sales convention dealing with a bunch of short-order cooks – Doug Rader and Ray Kroc

December 11, 1975

1975 – Houston trades third baseman Doug Rader to San Diego for pitchers Larry Hardy and Joe McIntosh. The Gold Glover completes nine seasons in Houston with a .250 average, 160 homers and 600 RBIs. 

November 1, 1982

Doug Rader becomes the twelfth manager in the Rangers’ twelve-year history when he replaces interim Darrell Johnson

May 17, 1985

Texas Rangers name Bobby Valentine their manager replacing the fired Doug Rader

Biography

The freckle-faced redhead was a wild, eccentric, clowning character off the field who played and managed aggressively. He won five consecutive Gold Gloves (1970-74) at third base with Houston. Three times he hit more than 20 home runs. Named Ranger manager for 1983, the high-strung and combative Rader guided his club to a third-place finish that year and held the Texas helm until May 1985. He was interim manager of the White Sox for two games in 1986 and led the 1989 Angels into contention

Rader would do anything at any time. He was, at an unconventional time, an unconventional guy. Once, when he was deep in a batting slump, he punched himself in the nose to “teach himself a lesson.” In Montreal one night, it got so cold in the visitor’s dugout, Rader took a box of baseballs and tossed them into a gas heater to provide warmth. He was known for taking his clothes off at inappropriate times. Once, during an interview being broadcast live on the post-game radio show, he disrobed in the middle of a long response to a question. If someone stopped by his apartment or hotel room whom he didn’t want to stay long, he’d strip down to his birthday suit and answer the door. The uninvited visitor would find an excuse to leave quickly.

Quotes From Rader
“They should eat their baseball cards because there’s a lot of information on the back of them, like pitching and batting hints.” — Rader’s response when asked in an interview what kids could do to improve their play

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