Bill Doran
A fine defensive second baseman, Bill Doran starred for the Houston Astros in the 1980s, frequently batting leadoff. He and Dickie Thon formed an excellent young doubleplay combination which helped Houston to the 1986 playoffs. A Cincinnati native, Doran was dealt to the Reds at the trade deadline in 1990, and hit very well for three weeks for his new team, helping them win the division title. But an injury prevented him from participating in the post-season, and he was not able to play in their World Series upset against Oakland.
Quotes About Doran
"He makes those plays so regularly that when he doesn't, you're kind of surprised. I can't say enough about Billy. He's the kind of guy you can't get out of the lineup. He actually gets mad when I want to give him a day off." — manager Hal Lanier
Played For
Houston Astros (1982-1990)
Cincinnati Reds (1990-1992)
Milwaukee Brewers (1993)
Best Season: 1985
Doran was fifth in Rookie of the Year voting in 1983, and he received MVP votes in 1985, 1986, and 1987. But his '85 campaign was his best overall. He batted .287 with a .434 SLG percentage and 14 homers. He also swiped 23 bases and scored 84 runs.
Born
William Donald Doran was born on May 28, 1958, in Cincinnati, OH.
Batted: Both
Threw: Right
Primary Position: 2B
Primary Team: HOU
College: Miami (FL)
Major League Debut
September 6, 1982
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1982
Tony Gwynn
Wade Boggs
Julio Franco
Willie McGee
Tony Phillips
Don Mattingly
Frank Viola
Doug Jones
Kevin Bass
Similar Players
Jerry Priddy and Bobby Avila
Related Players
Dickie Thon... Johnny Ray was a top prospect in the Astros' system when he was dealt to the Pirates for Phil Garner in 1981. GM Al Rosen was willing to part with Ray, whom he knew was a fine player, because Doran was also in their system, and was projected to be just as good at second base.
Post-Season Appearances
1986 National League Championship Series
Post-Season Notes
Doran clubbed a two-run homer off Ron Darling in the second inning of Game Two in the 1986 League Championship Series. It gave the Astros a commanding 4-0 lead, but the Mets came back to defeat Houston, 605.
Transactions
June 5, 1979: Drafted by the Houston Astros in the 6th round of the 1979 amateur draft.
August 30, 1990: Traded by the Houston Astros to the Cincinnati Reds for players to be named later. The Cincinnati Reds sent Terry McGriff (September 7, 1990), Keith Kaiser (minors) (September 7, 1990), and Butch Henry (September 7, 1990) to the Houston Astros to complete the trade.
November 5, 1990: Granted Free Agency.
December 5, 1990: Signed as a Free Agent with the Cincinnati Reds.
January 13, 1993: Purchased by the Milwaukee Brewers from the Cincinnati Reds.
Replaced
Phil Garner
Replaced By
Juan Samuel
Best Strength as a Player
Defensive range.
Largest Weakness as a Player
Basestealing acumen.
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