| Dave Stapleton | |
|---|---|
| Infielder | |
| Born: (1954-01-16)January 16, 1954 (age 72) Fairhope, Alabama, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 30, 1980, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 5, 1986, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .271 |
| Home runs | 41 |
| Runs batted in | 224 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
David Leslie Stapleton (born January 16, 1954) is an American formerMajor League Baseball player who played for theBoston Red Sox from 1980 to 1986. Stapleton attendedRobertsdale High School then theUniversity of South Alabama.
Stapleton grew up on a farm inLoxley, Alabama and attendedRobertsdale High School where he playedfootball,basketball and baseball. He playedBabe Ruth League baseball during the summers where he caught the attention of the baseball coach atFaulkner Junior College.[1]
Stapleton was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the tenth round (231st overall) of the 1975 amateur baseball draft and over the next five years worked his way up the Red Soxminor league system playing forWinter Haven,Bristol, andPawtucket.
He made his first appearance for the Red Sox on May 30, 1980.[2] During his time with the Red Sox, he primarily served as autility player, coveringfirst base,second base,shortstop andthird base as well as playing in theoutfield and serving asdesignated hitter.
In1982 and1983 he served as the team's first baseman, losing the job toBill Buckner in1984. From 1984 to 1986, Stapleton only played 82 games for the Red Sox.
During Game 6 of the1986 World Series, Red Sox managerJohn McNamara left Buckner in the game rather than replace him with Stapleton for defensive purposes, leading to theMookie Wilson ground ball that went through Buckner's legs, giving theNew York Mets a come-from-behind win in the tenth inning. The Mets went on to win the Series four games to three.
After the 1986 season, Stapleton became a free agent and signed with theSeattle Mariners, but was released on March 31, 1987, prior to the start of the regular season.
In his career, Stapleton batted .271 (550–2028), with 41 home runs, 224 RBI, 238 runs, 118 doubles, eight triple, six stolen bases, a .310 on-base percentage, and 807 total bases for a .398 slugging average.[3]
Stapleton played 7 years in the major leagues (1980–1986) and his batting average decreased every year he played (.321, .285, .264, .247, .231, .227, .128).
In 2026 Stapleton was named the Head Coach for the Angels California Minor league team, The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.
· Baseball Almanac| Preceded by | Boston Red Sox First Baseman 1982–1983 | Succeeded by |