Rich Amaral

Richard Louis Amaral

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 175 lb.
• School Orange Coast Junior College, University of California, Los Angeles
• High School Estancia High School
• Debut May 27, 1991
• Final Game June 14, 2000
• Born April 1, 1962 in Visalia, CA USA

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Biographical Information

Rich Amaral was the oldest rookie in the Major Leagues in 1993 at 31 years old. In 1991, he led the Pacific Coast League in batting with a .346 average.

Per a 2018 article on Baseball Prospectus, researcher Ted Turocy determined that a performance by Amaral is the closest match to the events narrated by Hall of Famer Phil Rizzuto in Meat Loaf's "Paradise By The Dashboard Light". In a game played June 18, 1995, Amaral smoked a one out double off Kevin Tapani of the Minnesota Twins in the bottom of the 9th, stole third base, and scored the game winning run on a Chad Kreuter sacrifice bunt.

Amaral's son, Beau Amaral, was drafted in 2009 but went on to college and played for UCLA in the 2010 College World Series. Beau and another son, Danny, played pro ball. For his part, Rich became a scout with the Kansas City Royals. He signed Nick Pratto.

Related Sites

• Matsu Miners
• Greatest 21 Days
• BP Article On Meat Loaf And Amaral
• Box Score Of Meat Loaf Game