Ted Sizemore

Ted Sizemore played 11 seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs. In 1969, he won the Rookie of the Year award in the National League. He was known for being a great teammate who was willing to sacrifice personal stardom to help the team. His career batting average was .262, with 1,311 hits and 430 runs batted in.

As told to Ed Attanasio, This Great Game

On Being Short but Versatile:

“The so-called experts said I was too short (5’9”), so I decided to play as many positions as I could so that I could show the naysayers that I was versatile and could fit in gaps in the field when needed.”

On Being the Big Man on Baseball Campus:

“I wanted to try out for the Detroit Tigers, but my parents insisted that I go to college. I got a baseball scholarship at the University of Michigan, I played in the outfield and as a catcher, and by my sophomore year, I was the starting catcher. In 1965, I started playing in a semipro league in the South for the Pierre Cowboys, and I loved it. All of the players were expected to do chores when we were not playing, so I remember sweeping up the stands. A Dodgers scout, Guy Wellman, saw me play at Michigan, and thought I was good enough to play in the MLB. In 1966, I was drafted by the Dodgers in the 15th round. I left college without graduating, and they sent me to Washington, to play with the (Class A) Tri-City Atoms, where the manager was Duke Snider. I did well there; we won the pennant and I got MVP, and I went back to Michigan and got my degree, which made my folks happy.”

In the Dodgers System:

“The next year, they moved me up to the Double-A Albuquerque Dodgers where the manager was (again) Snider. My accomplishments in Double-A earned me a promotion to the Triple-A Spokane Indians of the Pacific Coast League in 1968. I did break my hand, but I still batted more than .300, and they put me in the outfield and then started showing me how to play second base at the Arizona Instructional League. I had a great teacher; Monty Basgall—a great coach and a super scout.”

On his First Spring Training:

“In 1969, I was invited to Spring Training with the Dodgers, and I thought I did a pretty job at second base. Billy Grabarkewitz was still recovering from a broken ankle at the time, so they asked me to play shortstop. To do whatever was needed, I made the move—and made the team. I played 46 games at short before being moved back to second, where I got into 118 games. One day, Don Drysdale said that I was a pleasant surprise and they made me feel pretty good about that. My versatility really played off that year, that’s for sure.”

On Getting Traded:

“It looked bright for me in 1970, but injuries slowed me down all year. In Spring Training, a pulled thigh muscle sidelined me for two weeks, and the nagging injury was still a problem when the season began. I tried to play, but I ended up missing several games in April before returning to the lineup. Then, I reinjured the muscle in June, and landed on the disabled list for 21 days. I did not feel 100% healthy until August. I began to hit again and started looking like the same player who had won the Rookie of the Year award a year before. But in late August, I sprained my left wrist and missed several more games, then in mid-September I reinjured it again; the team doctor told me to sit out the rest of the season. Although I hit .306 in 96 games, it was a disappointing year overall, and then the Dodgers traded me, along with catcher Bob Stinson, to St. Louis for power hitter Richie Allen.”

On Protecting Lou Brock:

“Lou was going for the record of 118 stolen bases, and whenever he got on base, I did everything I could to help him. He was on base a lot that season and I liked playing the job of helping him. I would stand far back in the batter’s box, forcing catchers to back up. When Lou took off, I would swing fairly late or do a fake bunt. If I could get him a half step, I figured I would try. People say it was unselfish play, but I just did what any team player would do for a teammate like Lou Brock. Everyone in the clubhouse loved the man.”

Back to L.A.:

“1975 was not a good year for me, my last season with the Cardinals. I hit around .240 and a lot of strange stuff happened. I had a 16-game streak where I got a single in every game—just one single. Then, I made three errors in one inning! Not many second basemen ever did that. During the offseason, I got traded back to the Dodgers.”

1977 Was a Good Year:

“I got traded to the Phillies and played there for 1977 and 1978. In ’77, things really clicked and I hit .281 that season. I was their regular second baseman and they signed me to a four-year contract. I loved the fans and the media embraced me. The fans there liked the fact that I was willing to do the little things to win, and we won more than 100 games in 1977.”