#235 Merv Rettenmund

Developed so well that the Orioles jettisoned valuable veteran Frank Robinson to LA....with good reason the prior two seasons output combined to a .320 BA....1972 looked bright but it turn out to be the arrestor hook of his career....a couple of injuries and his batting average plummeted to .233 with significant losses in home runs and runs batted in....was able to redeem 1974 to a .262 BA....with teammates like Don Baylor ascending, Merv was expendable and traded to the Reds....Difficult team to gain playing time and he placed at 5^th outfielder....never hit well in the Queen City....spent later season in Southern California first San Diego then Angels mostly in a pinch hit role with some success....became one of the top hitting coaches in the 90’s and 00’s....now out of coaching for the past 11 years.