#153 Rick Auerbach

Light hitting shortstop applicant to the newly formed Brewers...a rarity can claim he was one of the few drafted by the Seattle Pilots organization....buoyed by unusually strong 1970 minor league batting numbers....hit .327 in single A and then jumped to AAA posting a .300 BA....on the Brewers 1971 opening day roster competed with incumbent Roberto Pena....struggled to hit eventually spending a couple of months back in the minors....Brewers might have better off to keep Pena as a regular...given the job outright most likely because Milwaukee liked his youth and speed (24 bases in 72).... hitting woes continued posting .218 in 1972....never enjoyed full time work again....a poor start 1973 and was quickly dispatched n a shortstop for shortstop exchange  Dodger prospect Tim Johnson...Remained in LA's  AAA club  for rest of the year....in a strange transaction is sold  back to the Brewers who return him back to L.A. for cash a month 1 ½ later....after the runaround Rick is a seldom used reserve on the Dodger bench....Auerbach’s journey then included farmhand with the Mets, another bizarre this time midseason trade to the Rangers (did not play for them), then Reds....finished his career 1981 with Seattle....Despite generally poor hitting, hit very well when 1974, 1978, and 1980 are combined....161 at bats, 54 hits, and 4 of career 9 home runs, tabulating to .335 clip....the remainder of his numbers  work out to a .204 BA