Rick Dempsey Biography

John Rikard Dempsey was born on September 13, 1949, and is an American former professional baseball player. Dempsey played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball as a catcher, including 10 years with the Baltimore Orioles and a role on the 1983 World Series champion team. He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 15th round of the 1967 Major League Baseball draft after graduating from Crespi Carmelite High School. One of Dempsey's greatest disappointments occurred during his playing career, though the details are not specified. Dempsey achieved a .385 batting average and a .923 slugging percentage during the five-game series, earning the World Series Most Valuable Player Award. In 1987, Dempsey became a free agent and signed a contract to play for the Cleveland Indians. He also won a Little League World Series in 1963 with a team from Canoga Park-Woodland Hills, California.