Rich Puig
Richard Gerald Puig (born March 16, 1953 in Tampa, Florida) is a former Major League Baseball player. The second baseman's major league career spanned four games for the New York Mets in 1974. He was selected fourteenth overall in the 1971 Major League Baseball Draft by the Mets, one spot ahead of future Hall of Famer Jim Rice.[1]
| Rich Puig | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Second baseman | |||
| Born: March 16, 1953 Tampa, Florida | |||
| |||
| MLB debut | |||
| September 13, 1974, for the New York Mets | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| September 25, 1974, for the New York Mets | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Games played | 4 | ||
| At bats | 10 | ||
| Hits | 0 | ||
| Teams | |||
Puig was attending Hillsborough High School in Tampa, Florida when he was drafted. Upon graduation, he joined their Appalachian League affiliate in Marion, Virginia, where he batted .217 with three home runs and thirteen runs batted in. Though he was drafted primarily for his glove,[2] he displayed sloppy defense, committing seventeen errors.
He spent four seasons in the Mets' farm system, batting .251 with 27 home runs and 132 RBIs, when he received a September call up to New York City in 1974. In eleven plate appearances, he drew one walk.[3] He also committed one error on the field.[4]
He began the 1975 season with the Mets' triple A affiliate, the Tidewater Tides, but was released mid-season with a .182 batting average, no home runs, and three RBIs. He caught on with the Chicago White Sox shortly afterwards, and remained in their organization through 1976 before retiring.
References
- "The Mets 1971 Number One Draft Pick: Rich Puig (1974)". Centerfield Maz. April 3, 2013.
- John Snyder (2011). Mets Journal: Year by Year and Day by Day with the New York Mets Since 1962. Clerisy Press. p. 79.
- "Montreal Expos 4, New York Mets 0". Baseball-Reference.com. September 18, 1974.
- "Philadelphia Phillies 6, New York Mets 3". Baseball-Reference.com. September 25, 1974.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
- Rich Puig at Ultimate Mets Database