Don Demeter, who was a World Series champion with the Dodgers and was one of the last living Brooklyn Dodgers, has died at the age of 86.
Demeter played his rookie year in Brooklyn in 1956 before spending the next three seasons and change in Los Angeles after the Dodgers relocated.
The 1959 team famously won the World Series, the franchise’s first championship following its relocation from Brooklyn. Demeter batted .256 with 18 home runs and 70 RBI for that team.
In 1962 with the Philadelphia Phillies (a team he played for from 1961 to 1963), he hit a career-best .307 with 29 home runs and led the majors with 11 sac flies.
Demeter recounted his career highlights in an interview with the Oklahoman in 2018.
“When I came up to Brooklyn, I didn’t realize this at the time, but I look back now and there were seven Hall of Fame guys on that one team,” he said. “Jackie Robinson was still there. Roy Campanella. Drysdale and (Sandy) Koufax. Duke Snider. Pee Wee Reese. The manager, Mr. (Walter) Alston. They all turned out to be Hall of Fame players and great guys.”
For his career, Demeter batted .265 with 163 home runs and 563 RBI during stops with the Dodgers, Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians.
Demeter, who was born in Oklahoma City and resumed living there following his playing career, had served his community as a pastor.
–Field Level Media
