{{Short description|American baseball player (1924–1999)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Dee Fondy |position=First baseman |image=Dee Fondy 1953.jpg |caption=Fondy in 1953. |bats=Left |throws=Left |birth_date={{Birth date|1924|10|31|mf=y}} |birth_place=Slaton, Texas, U.S. |death_date={{death date and age|1999|8|19|1924|10|31}} |death_place=Redlands, California, U.S. |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=April 17 |debutyear=1951 |debutteam=Chicago Cubs |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=September 21 |finalyear=1958 |finalteam=Cincinnati Reds |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Batting average |stat1value=.286 |stat2label=Home runs |stat2value=69 |stat3label=Runs batted in |stat3value=373 |teams= *Chicago Cubs ({{mlby|1951}}–{{mlby|1957}}) *Pittsburgh Pirates ({{mlby|1957}}) *Cincinnati Reds ({{mlby|1958}}) }} '''Dee Virgil Fondy''' (October 31, 1924{{spaced ndash}}August 19, 1999) was an American professional baseball player who played first base in the Major Leagues from 1951 to 1958. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, and Chicago Cubs.
Fondy was {{height|ft=6|in=3}} and weighed 195 pounds. He spent a portion of his youth in San Bernardino, California.<ref name=youth>''Angels to Get First Baseman From Benevolent Chicagoans'', Los Angeles Times, February 26, 1951, Page C2.</ref>
Fondy was the last player to bat at Ebbets Field. The Pirates lost to the Dodgers 2–0 on September 24, 1957. He grounded out to shortstop Don Zimmer who threw to first baseman Jim Gentile for the final out of the game. He batted above .300 three times, twice for the Cubs and the Pirates during the 1950s.
==Soldier; minor league baseball== Fondy served in World War II in the U.S. Army and was among the forces which landed on Utah Beach, in Normandy, in 1944. This was three months after D-Day.<ref name=fondy/>
In the spring of 1949, Fondy played for the Fort Worth Cats in the Texas League. He homered off Mort Cooper in an exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs in Fort Worth.<ref>''Fondy Stars For Ft. Worth'', ''The New York Times'', April 11, 1949, Page 32.</ref> After hitting .328 for the Cats in 1948, he was promoted to the Montreal Royals of the International League, in April 1949.<ref>''Fondy Sent to Montreal'', ''The New York Times'', April 21, 1949, Page 31.</ref> He played a total of 16 games with Montreal, 6 with Fort Worth, and 128 with the Mobile Bears of the Southern Association, in 1949. He hit .294 with Mobile.<ref name=path/> In 1950 Fondy hit .297 in 141 games with Fort Worth. He led the Texas League in stolen bases with 38 and played in the league's all-star game.<ref name=youth/>
==Dodgers' prospect== Fondy came to the majors in the Brooklyn Dodgers organization as ''a huge slugging first baseman from Fort Worth.'' A 1949 New York Times article remarked on his speed for a big man. In spring training he scored from second on a fly ball to right fielder, Carl Furillo, who possessed a rifle arm.<ref>''Sports of the Times'', ''The New York Times'', March 11, 1949, Page 35.</ref> Unfortunately for him his path with the Dodgers was blocked by Gil Hodges, who was a mainstay at first base.<ref name=path>''27 Yanks In Fold As Silvera Signs'', ''The New York Times'', February 17, 1950, Page 37.</ref>
==Chicago Cubs (1951–1957)== On opening day in 1951, Fondy hit a bases-loaded triple in his first major league at bat to assist the Cubs to an 8–3 victory against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. Fondy also had two singles and drove in four runs.<ref>''Pafko, Fondy Star as Cubs Defeat Reds'', Los Angeles Times, April 18, 1951, Page C2.</ref> He was sent down to the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League in July, when Chuck Connors was recalled by the Cubs. At the time Fondy was hitting .293 with 3 home runs and 20 RBIs.<ref>''Bruins Recall Connors; Angels Given Fondy'', Los Angeles Times, July 3, 1951, Page C2.</ref> In one memorable game with the Angels, Fondy came to the plate 6 times. He hit three singles and three home runs -- one to right, one to left, one to center.
Fondy hit his first homer of the 1953 season to score Eddie Miksis and beat the Dodgers, 6–4. The baseball landed in the left center field bleachers on the first day of a Cubs' home stand.<ref>''Fondy's Home Run Beats Dodgers, 6-4'', Los Angeles Times, May 13, 1953, Page C2.</ref> He clouted his 5th and 6th home runs at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 9. His 5 RBIs were wasted as the Cubs committed 5 errors and lost 10–9.<ref>"Phil Homer in 9th Checks Cubs, 10–9", ''The New York Times'', June 10, 1953, Page 36.</ref> He collected 4 hits against Pittsburgh at Forbes Field on July 25. The last one broke a 4–4 tie and gave the Cubs a 5–4 win. It was his 13th 1953 homer.<ref>"Cub Homer In 9th Tops Pirates, 5–4", ''The New York Times'', July 26, 1953, Page S3.</ref> In September Fondy's 9th inning steal of home won the opener of a doubleheader against Cincinnati. He had a solo home run as one of 6 hit by the Cubs in the game.<ref>''Cubs Trip Redlegs Twice, 7–6 and 7-2'', ''The New York Times'', September 7, 1953, Page 22.</ref>
Fondy jammed his left hand against Cincinnati in July 1954 and missed several games. X-rays proved negative.<ref>''Fondy Out 2 or 3 days'', ''The New York Times'', July 7, 1954, Page 24.</ref> During spring training in 1955 Fondy went on a tear of 13 hits in 16 times at bat. He knocked in 7 runs with a couple of home runs versus the San Antonio Missions on April 2.<ref>''Fondy Hits Two Homers'', ''The New York Times'', April 3, 1955, Page S2.</ref> He hit his 5th home run of 1956 in the 10th inning of a July 19 game with Philadelphia. It earned Chicago a 4–3 victory.<ref>''Cubs Shade Phillies By 4–3 Margin'', Atlanta Daily World, July 20, 1956, Page 7.</ref>
==Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds (1957–1958)== In January 1957 Fondy was reported to be part of a 9 player trade which would have sent him along with second baseman Gene Baker to the Phillies, in return for center fielder Richie Ashburn.<ref>''9 Player Trade Reported Well Underway In N.L.'', Atlanta Daily World, January 23, 1957, Page 4.</ref> Instead Fondy and Baker were traded to Pittsburgh for first baseman Dale Long and outfielder Lee Walls. There was no cash involved.<ref>"Gene Baker Traded to Pittsburgh", ''Atlanta Daily World'', May 2, 1957, Page 5.</ref> On May 12 Fondy batted two singles and a home run to help defeat Robin Roberts and the Phillies, 6–1.<ref>"Phillies Beat Pirates, 6–2, Then Lose", ''The Washington Post and Times-Herald'', May 13, 1957, Page A5.</ref> He took the lead in the National League batting race with three singles in five at-bats against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 4. The last hit gave the Pirates the win and boosted Fondy's batting average to .375.<ref>"Fondy Boost Average to .375 as Pirates Win", ''The Washington Post and Times-Herald'', June 5, 1957, Page C3.</ref>
Fondy was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for Ted Kluszewski in December 1957. It was an even deal of first baseman. Fondy averaged .313 in 106 games in 1957 despite being injured after being hit with a thrown ball in pre-game practice.<ref>''Kluszewski Traded To Pirates For Fondy'', ''The Washington Post and Times-Herald'', December 29, 1957, Page C3.</ref> Fondy had difficulty making the starting lineup for the Reds in 1958.<ref>''Bob Addie's Column'', The Washington Post and Times-Herald, May 9, 1958, Page A17.</ref> He was moved to the outfield after George Crowe became the regular first baseman. Fondy smashed a 3-run homer against the Milwaukee Braves to send Lew Burdette to an early exit on May 18.<ref>"Reds Chase Burdette, Outlast Braves, 11–7", ''The Washington Post and Times-Herald'', May 19, 1958, Page A14.</ref> On September 29 Cincinnati released Fondy to the Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League in exchange for pitcher Claude Osteen.<ref>''Fondy Released'', ''The Washington Post and Times-Herald'', September 30, 1958.</ref>
==Scout & baseball executive== Following his playing career he worked as a scout and front office official for the New York Mets and the Milwaukee Brewers. With the Brewers he signed Paul Molitor, who amassed more than 3,000 hits in his career in the majors. Fondy retired from baseball in 1995 after working as a special assistant to the Milwaukee general manager. He was promoted from director of scouting to special assistant to general manager, Harry Dalton, on December 5, 1977.<ref>''Scoreboard'', ''The Washington Post'', December 6, 1977, Page 2.</ref>
==Death== Fondy died at the Plymouth Village retirement center, age 74, in 1999.<ref name=fondy>Dee Fondy, 74, Last Batter in Ebbets Field, ''The New York Times'', August 21, 1999, Page A11.</ref> He was buried at Montecito Memorial Park, in Colton, California.<ref>[https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/trades.php?p=fondyde01 Baseball Almanac]</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Portal|Biography}} {{Baseballstats|mlb=114288|espn=|br=f/fondyde01|fangraphs=1004204|brm=fondy-001dee}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fondy, Dee}} Category:1924 births Category:1999 deaths Category:Baseball players from Lubbock County, Texas Category:Chicago Cubs players Category:Cincinnati Reds players Category:Fort Worth Cats players Category:Los Angeles Angels (minor league) players Category:Major League Baseball first basemen Category:Milwaukee Brewers scouts Category:Montreal Royals players Category:Newport News Dodgers players Category:New York Mets scouts Category:People from Slaton, Texas Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players Category:San Diego Padres (minor league) players Category:Santa Barbara Dodgers players Category:Seattle Rainiers players Category:United States Army personnel of World War II Category:20th-century American sportsmen