Rico Carty - Major League Career

Major League Career

Carty signed a contract with the Milwaukee Braves as a free agent in 1959. While he was an excellent hitter, he had poor defensive skills. Originally a catcher, Carty was converted into an outfielder in order to lessen his defensive liabilities and to get his bat into the everday lineup. After four years in the minor leagues, Carty made an impressive major league debut in 1964, finishing second to Roberto Clemente in the National League Batting Championship with a .330 batting average and, finishing the season as runner-up to Dick Allen in the 1964 National League Rookie of the Year Award ballot.

He continued to hit over .300 for the next three seasons but, then faltered in 1967, slumping to a .255 batting average in part due to a separated shoulder. Carty then missed the entire 1968 season while battling with tuberculosis. He recovered in 1969 with a .342 batting average, helping the Braves win the National League Western Division title, the franchise's first post-season birth since the 1958 World Series, and finishing 13th in the National League Most Valuable Player Award voting. The Braves would eventually lose to the "Miracle" Mets in the 1969 National League Championship Series.

Carty had his best season in 1970 when he hit 25 home runs with 101 runs batted in and, won the National League Batting Championship with a .366 batting average, the highest average in the major leagues since Ted Williams recorded a .388 batting average in 1957. Despite not appearing on the All-Star ballot, he was voted to be a starting outfielder for the National League as a write-in candidate in the 1970 All-Star Game, playing alongside Hank Aaron and Willie Mays in the outfield. Carty also compiled a 31-game hitting streak in 1970 (the longest by a Brave in the franchise's Atlanta history until Dan Uggla surpassed it with a 33-game streak in 2011) and, finished 10th in the 1970 National League Most Valuable Player Award voting.

A crushed knee injury suffered during the Dominican Winter Baseball season meant that Carty would miss another entire season in 1971. He returned in 1972, but only managed a .277 batting average. By then, Carty had worn out his welcome with the Braves management as well as his teammates, having been involved in fights with Hank Aaron and Ron Reed. In October 1972, he was traded to the Texas Rangers to fill the role of the newly-adopted designated hitter. Carty had difficulty adjusting to the hitting-only position, hitting for only a .232 average before being traded in mid-season to the Chicago Cubs. While with the Cubs, he had a personality clash with their star third baseman, Ron Santo, forcing the team to trade Carty to the Oakland Athletics one month later. With a combined .229 batting average for the three teams, Carty was released by the Athletics in December 1973 and, it seemed as if his career might be over.

In 1974 he signed to play with Córdoba in the Mexican Baseball League. In August 1974, the Cleveland Indians signed him to be their designated hitter. Carty's career was rejuvenated with Cleveland, posting a .308 batting average with 64 runs batted in during the 1975 season and, improving to a .310 batting average with 83 runs batted in for the 1976 season. In 1977, his batting average dropped to .280 however, he still produced 80 runs batted in.

In March 1978 the Indians traded Carty to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays then traded him to the Oakland Athletics in August of that year. At the age of 38, he hit for a combined .282 batting average with 31 home runs and 99 runs batted in. After being granted free agency in November 1978, he signed a contract to play for the Blue Jays before retiring at the end of 1979 at the age of 39.