Dick Yencha

Richard Michael Yencha

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 160 lb.
• High School Plains High School

• Born March 14, 1942 in Wilkes-Barre, PA USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Shortstop Dick Yencha was signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent before the 1960 season. His first professional stop was with the Bluefield Orioles of the Appalachian League where he hit .280 in 60 games. However, he slumped badly in 1961, falling to .163 in 112 games for the Fox Cities Foxes of the Three-I League, with only 8 extra-base hits (4 doubles and 4 triples). In 1962, he spent part of the season on loan to the Magic Valley Cowboys, a Philadelphia Phillies affiliate in the Pioneer League, for which he hit .263 in 55 games; the rest of the season, he was with the Aberdeen Pheasants of the Northern League, where he batted .205 in 33 games.

Yencha revived his career with a very good season with the Stockton Ports of the California League in 1963. In 114 games, he batted .308 with 21 doubles, 15 triples, and 5 homers, scoring 74 runs and driving in 77. he was also successful in 20 of 25 stolen base attempts. The Ports won the league championship that year. That performance drew the attention of the Pittsburgh Pirates who on December 14th acquired him in a straight-up deal for veteran pitcher Harvey Haddix. However, he could not repeat his performance with the Bucs. In 1964, he started the season by going 1 for 15 for the Asheville Tourists of the AA Southern League, then was demoted to the Kinston Eagles of the Class A Carolina League, where he hit .196 in 63 games. His power and speed both seemed to vanish into thin air as he hit only 5 extra-base hits and stole 5 bases on the year. In 1965, he was back at Stockton, in the Orioles system, and hit .247 in 86 games. He played one final season, with the Peninsula Grays of the Carolina League, a Cincinnati Reds affiliate, in 1966, but hit just .167 in 35 years and was forced to retire.

After baseball, he settled down in Tunkhannock, PA, in the Wilkes-Barre, PA area, where he married and raised three children.