Pirates legend Dick Groat dead at 92
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Channel 11 has learned former Pittsburgh Pirates great Dick Groat died early this morning at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh. He was 92.
The legendary Dick Groat has died. A great man & an accomplished pro athlete in 2 sports. Groat was the 1960 NL MVP, the same year he won the NL batting title & was recently named to the Pirates HOF. He was a kind & generous man. Our thoughts are with his daughters and family
— Alby Oxenreiter (@albyox) April 27, 2023
Groat was born in Wilkinsburg on Nov. 4, 1930.
He went to Swissvale High School then Duke University, where he became a two-time basketball All-American, twice leading the country in scoring. Groat earned National Player of the Year as a senior. His No. 10 jersey is retired by Duke.
He was drafted by the NBA’s Fort Wayne Pistons with the third overall pick in 1952. Shortly after graduating from Duke, Pirates GM Branch Rickey signed Groat, who led the Pirates in batting his rookie season, before switching back to basketball, playing one season in Fort Wayne.
Groat then served in the U.S. Army, leading the Fort Belvoir teams to championships in both baseball and basketball. He then returned to the major league, serving as the Pirates captain in 1960. Groat won both the national league batting crown and the national league MVP as the Pirates won the World Series.
In 1962, the Pirates traded Groat to St. Louis, where he won another World Series with the Cardinals in 1964, before finishing his career with the Phillies and Giants. In 14 major league seasons, Groat was an eight-time All-Star.
Groat also spent 40 years as a radio analyst for the University of Pittsburgh men’s basketball team.
The Pirates announced last week that Groat would be one of the greats inducted into their second Hall of Fame class Aug. 26 at PNC Park.
Pirates Chairman Bob Nutting released the following statement:
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of such a beloved member of the Pirates family and Pittsburgh community. The National League MVP and World Series Champion in 1960, Dick remained a very active and cherished member of our Alumni Association. We were honored to have just recently informed Dick and his family that he had been selected to the Pirates Hall of Fame. He was a great player and an even better person. Our thoughts go out to his three daughers, eleven grandchildren and the entire Groat family. His was a life well lived. He will be missed.”
Groat and his wife, Barbara, raised three daughters. He owned Champion Lakes Golf Resort in Westmoreland County.
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