Merv Rettenmund Won 3 World Series Rings with 3 Different Teams as a Player & Coach

Former MLB player and coach Merv Rettenmund passed away yesterday following a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 81. 

A native of Michigan and a collegiate athlete in both baseball and football at Ball State University, Rettenmund signed with the Baltimore Orioles following the 1964 season. Rettenmund would make his MLB debut with the O's in 1968 and would be part of three consecutive AL pennant winners from 1969 thru 1971 including a World Series ring in 1970.

Largely a fourth outfielder, Rettenmund would get more playing time after Paul Blair got beaned during the 1970 season. Rettenmund would hit a HR in Game 5 of that year's World Series against the Cincinnati Reds which proved to be the clinching game. His best seasons came in 1970 and 1971 when he hit .322 and .318, respectively.

Rettenmund's productivity declined in both 1972 and 1973 and would be traded to the Cincinnati Reds in December 1973 in a deal which saw pitcher Ross Grimsley go to the O's. While with The Big Red Machine, Rettenmund reverted back into a utility player and would earn his second World Series ring in 1975 as the Reds bested the Boston Red Sox in seven games. 

Just before the beginning of the 1976 season, the Reds traded Rettenmund to the San Diego Padres for infielder Rudy Meoli. After two seasons in San Diego, Rettenmund finished his big-league career with the California Angels. In 13 MLB seasons, Rettenmund collected 693 hits in 1023 games played for a lifetime batting average of .271 with 66 HR and 329 RBI. 

After being released by the Angels during the 1980 season, he was promptly invited to join their coaching staff at the request of manager Jim Fregosi. Rettenmund would spend the next quarter century as a hitting coach with the Angels, Texas Rangers, Oakland A's, San Diego Padres (twice), Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers and the Toronto Blue Jays. In 1989, Rettenmund earned his third World Series ring in his capacity as the A's hitting coach under Tony La Russa and would go two more World Series with the A's in 1990 and with the Padres in 1998. Rettenmund stopped coaching after he was dismissed by the Padres during the 2007 season and enjoyed a lengthy retirement. R.I.P.