Nate Oliver, a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1963 through 1967, passed away on April 5 at the age of 84.
Oliver was part of two Dodgers World Series championship teams in 1963 and 1965 and a National League champion club in 1966. He appeared in one World Series game, entering as a pinch runner in the 1966 World Series during Game 4.
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Oliver made his MLB debut at the age of 22 during the 1963 season and appeared in 65 games, batting .239/.298/.307 with one home run, nine RBIs and three stolen bases.
The following year, Oliver appeared in the most games of his MLB career during a season, tallying 357 plate appearances over 99 games while hitting .243/.309/.271 with nine doubles, 21 RBIs and seven stolen bases.
In his five years with the Dodgers, Oliver hit .234/.296/.273 over 329 games primarily as a second baseman, but also seeing time at shortstop, third base and left field.
He was traded to the San Francisco Giants in the 1967-1968 offseason and ended up appearing in just 36 games for them. The following offseason, he was traded to the New York Yankees and played in just one game for them before he was traded to the Chicago Cubs.
He retired after one season with the Cubs and seven total playing in MLB, finishing with 410 games played, batting .226/.283/.268 with 24 doubles, five triples, two home runs, 107 runs scored, 45 RBIs and 17 stolen bases.
After his playing days, Oliver went on to manage the Arizona League Angels in 1989, and the next two years he led the Palm Springs Angels. In 1989, Oliver managed the Arizona League Cubs and the Dayton Cubs in 1999 before becoming a roving infield instructor in their organization the following year.
He spent his final season coaching in the Major Leagues as a bunting instructor for the Chicago White Sox in 2006, but before that, he took over managing the Saskatoon Legends of the Canadian Baseball League in 2003.
Nate Oliver part of baseball family
Oliver was the son of James Oliver, Sr., who played in the Negro Leagues. His brother Jim also played professional baseball.
James Oliver Field in St. Petersburg was named in the senior Oliver’s memory, and was the first field to be refurbished under the Tampa Bay Devil Rays Field Renovation Programs.
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