{{Short description|American baseball and football player (1896–1967)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Dick Reichle |image=Dick_Reichle.jpg |image_size= |caption=Reichle c. 1923 |position=[[Outfielder]] |bats=Left |throws=Right |birth_date={{birth date|mf=yes|1896|11|23}} |birth_place=[[Lincoln, Illinois]], U.S. |death_date={{death date and age|mf=yes|1967|6|13|1896|11|23}} |death_place=[[Richmond Heights, Missouri]], U.S. |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=September 19 |debutyear=1922 |debutteam=Boston Red Sox |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=October 7 |finalyear=1923 |finalteam=Boston Red Sox |statleague = MLB |stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]] |stat1value=.257 |stat2label=[[Home run]]s |stat2value=1 |stat3label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]] |stat3value=39 |teams= *[[Boston Red Sox]] ({{mlby|1922}}–{{mlby|1923}}) }} '''Richard Wendell Reichle''' (November 23, 1896 – June 13, 1967) was a professional [[baseball]] player who appeared in 128 games for the [[Boston Red Sox]] of [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) during the 1922 and 1923 seasons. Listed at {{convert|6|ft|0|in}} and {{convert|185|lb|kg}}, he batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Reichle was also a [[college football]] player, and played in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) during the 1923 season.
==Biography== Reichle was a native of [[Lincoln, Illinois]];<ref name=retro/> he first attended [[Lincoln College (Illinois)|Lincoln College]], and later the [[University of Illinois]].<ref name=Yarn/> His college career was interrupted by service in the [[United States Navy]] during World War I; he played for the [[1918 Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets football team]] that won the [[1919 Rose Bowl]].<ref name=Yarn/> Reichle was also a member of the [[1919 Illinois Fighting Illini football team]].<ref name=SABR/>
{{multiple image | align = center | total_width = 500 | image1 = 18greatlakesnavy.jpg | image2 = | footer = Left photo: [[1918 Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets football team|1918 Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets]]; Reichle is fourth from right in the front row; fifth from right is [[George Halas]]. Right photo: [[1919 Illinois Fighting Illini football team|1919 Illinois Fighting Illini]]; Reichle is at the left end of the front row. }}
In a short professional baseball career, 1922 to 1924, Reichle was primarily an [[outfielder]] who also played some games as a [[first baseman]].<ref name=brm>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=reichl002ric |title=Dick Reichle Minor Leagues Statistics & History |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |accessdate=July 26, 2020}}</ref> He appeared in 164 [[Minor League Baseball|minor league]] games and 128 [[Major League Baseball|major league]] games.<ref name=brm/>
Reichle's major league debut was on September 19, 1922,<ref name=retro>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/R/Preicd101.htm |title=Dick Reichle |website=[[Retrosheet]] |accessdate=July 26, 2020}}</ref> appearing for the [[Boston Red Sox]] against the [[Cleveland Indians]]; he went hitless in four [[at bat]]s in a 7–4 loss.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1922/B09191CLE1922.htm |title=Cleveland Indians 7, Boston Red Sox 4 (1) |date=September 19, 1922 |website=[[Retrosheet]] |accessdate=July 26, 2020}}</ref> Reichle got his first major league hit the next day,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1922/Ireicd1010011922.htm |title=The 1922 BOS A Regular Season Batting Log for Dick Reichle |website=[[Retrosheet]] |accessdate=July 26, 2020}}</ref> singling against [[George Uhle]] of the Indians in a 5–2 loss.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1922/B09201CLE1922.htm |title=Cleveland Indians 5, Boston Red Sox 2 (1) |date=September 20, 1922 |website=[[Retrosheet]] |accessdate=July 26, 2020}}</ref> With the [[1922 Boston Red Sox season|1922 Red Sox]], Reichle went 6-for-24 for a .250 [[Batting average (baseball)|batting average]] in six games with Boston.<ref name=retro/>
Reichle played in 122 games with the [[1923 Boston Red Sox season|1923 Red Sox]],<ref name=retro/> a team that compiled a 61–91 record. On April 20, 1923, Reichle hit the only [[home run]] of his career, coming off of [[Waite Hoyt]] of the [[New York Yankees]];<ref name=HRbox>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1923/B04200NYA1923.htm |title=New York Yankees 4, Boston Red Sox 3 |website=[[Retrosheet]] |accessdate=July 26, 2020}}</ref>{{efn|Reichle's home run actually bounced into the stands,<ref name=HRbox/> as such hits were considered home runs in the [[American League]] prior to 1929;<ref name=Bounce>{{cite web |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/al-lopez-hits-last-bounce-home-run |title=Future Hall of Famer Al López Hits the Last 'Bounce' Home Run in Big League History |website=baseballhall.org |first=Connor |last=O'Gara |accessdate=April 16, 2020 |archive-date=October 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016175844/https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/al-lopez-hits-last-bounce-home-run |url-status=dead }}</ref> since then, they have been [[ground rule double]]s.}} it was also the first home run hit by a visiting player at [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]],<ref name=SABR>{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/dick-reichle/ |title=Dick Reichle |first=Bill |last=Nowlin |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research|SABR]] |accessdate=July 26, 2020}}</ref> which had officially opened two days earlier. For the season, Reichle batted .258 with 39 [[run batted in|RBI]]s.<ref name=retro/>
Overall, Reichle appeared in 128 major league games, all with the Red Sox, recording a .257 batting average with one home run and 39 RBIs.<ref name=br/> In 101 defensive appearances (99 in the outfield, 2 at first base) he posted a .978 [[fielding average]].<ref name=br>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/reichdi01.shtml |title=Dick Reichle Stats |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |accessdate=July 26, 2020}}</ref>
Reichle played in six games with the [[1923 Milwaukee Badgers season|1923 Milwaukee Badgers]] of the [[National Football League]] at right [[End (gridiron football)|end]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://profootballarchives.com/playerr/reic01000.html |title=Dick Reichle |website=profootballarchives.com |accessdate=July 26, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56092881/milwaukee-badgers-sign-dick-reichle/ |title=Milwaukee Badgers Sign Dick Reichle |newspaper=[[Racine Journal Times]] |location=[[Racine, Wisconsin]] |page=14 |date=October 25, 1923 |accessdate=July 26, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> He was a second-team selection to the [[1923 All-Pro Team]] by ''[[Collyer's Eye]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Collyer's All-Star Pro Elevens |newspaper=The Davenport Democrat and Leader |date=December 21, 1923 |page=25 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10180981/collyers_allstar_pro_elevens/ |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>
After his brief professional sports career, Reichle pursued a career in insurance.<ref name=Yarn>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56089527/youngs-yarns/ |title=Young's Yarns |newspaper=[[The Pantagraph]] |location=[[Bloomington, Illinois]] |page=30 |date=June 15, 1967 |accessdate=July 26, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Per his April 1942 draft registration card, he was employed by Investors Syndicate (present-day [[Ameriprise Financial]]) in [[St. Louis]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fold3.com/image/577541186 |title=Draft Registration Card |agency=[[Selective Service System]] |date=April 1942 |via=fold3.com |url-access=subscription |accessdate=July 26, 2020}}</ref> Reichle died at the age of 70 in [[Richmond Heights, Missouri]],<ref name=retro/> a suburb of St. Louis.
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==Further reading== *{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/dick-reichle/ |title=Dick Reichle |first=Bill |last=Nowlin |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research|SABR]] |accessdate=July 26, 2020}}
==External links== * {{baseballstats |br=r/reichdi01 |brm=reichl002ric |retro=R/Preicd101}} * {{Find a Grave|6871359}}
{{1919 Illinois Fighting Illini football navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reichle, Dick}} [[Category:1896 births]] [[Category:1967 deaths]] [[Category:American football ends]] [[Category:Major League Baseball outfielders]] [[Category:Boston Red Sox players]] [[Category:Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets football players]] [[Category:Illinois Fighting Illini football players]] [[Category:Evansville Evas players]] [[Category:Hartford Senators players]] [[Category:Milwaukee Badgers players]] [[Category:Mobile Bears players]] [[Category:San Antonio Bears players]] [[Category:United States Navy personnel of World War I]] [[Category:Lincoln College (Illinois) alumni]] [[Category:People from Lincoln, Illinois]] [[Category:Players of American football from Illinois]] [[Category:Baseball players from Logan County, Illinois]] [[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]