Dick Billings

Richard Arlin Billings (born December 4, 1942 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, outfielder and third baseman for the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers (1968–74) and St. Louis Cardinals (1974–75).

Baseball career

Billings was drafted out of Michigan State University by the Washington Senators in the 25th round of the 1965 Major League Baseball Draft. He played as an outfielder and occasional third baseman in the Senators' minor league system for four years before making his major league debut at the age of 25 as a pinch hitter on September 11, 1968. Billings had his first appearance as a starting player on September 20, 1968 when he appeared as a left fielder in a game against the Detroit Tigers.

Billings began the 1969 season with the Senators but, in June he returned to the minor leagues and was converted into a catcher. In 1970, he posted a .305 batting average with 15 home runs and 67 runs batted in while playing for the Denver Bears. His performance earned him a late-season return to the major leagues in September 1970, where he served as a backup catcher behind Paul Casanova.