Dick Manville

Richard Wesley Manville

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 192 lb.
• School Harvard University, Yale University
• Debut April 30, 1950
• Final Game September 10, 1952
• Born December 25, 1926 in Des Moines, IA USA
• Died February 13, 2019 in Winter Springs, FL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

"Dick Manville . . . was major league material." - George H.W. Bush, remembering the Yale team

Tall right-hander Dick Manville became one of the over 200 (through 2011) Ivy Leaguers to play major league baseball after he signed with the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent on June 11, 1947. Dick was a graduate of Yale University, where he was a teammate of future President George Bush on a team that reached the 1947 College World Series. The 6' 4" pitcher had begun his academic career at Harvard University before switching to the Yale ROTC program and serving with the United States Navy during World War II.

Manville spent three years in the minors before his career season came in 1948 when he went 14-10 with a 3.95 ERA for the Hartford Chiefs of the Eastern League. Dick got his chances in the major leagues when he worked two scoreless innings for the Boston Braves in 1950 and made it into 11 games with no decisions out of the Chicago Cubs bullpen in 1952.

Dick finished out his six-year pro baseball career in 1953 going 4-7 with the Denver Bears of the Western League and the New Orleans Pelicans of the Southern Association, winding up with a minor league total of 37 wins with 45 losses and a 4.90 ERA in 162 appearances.

Manville, who resided in Apopka, Florida, went on to greater success as the co-owner of the Forbes-Manville Furniture Showcase, which has several retail outlets in the Midwest and in Florida.

Sources

• Baseball Players of the 1950s
  

Related Sites

• BR Minors page