Athletes - Gene Oliver

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	Athletes - Gene Oliver

Eugene George Oliver (born March 22, 1935 in Moline, Illinois) is a former catcher and first baseman in Major League Baseball. From 1959 through 1969, Oliver played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1959, 1961-63), Milwaukee & Atlanta Braves (1963-67), Philadelphia Phillies (1967), Boston Red Sox (1968) and Chicago Cubs (1968-69). He batted and threw right handed.

Oliver was a regular catcher for the Cardinals and Phillies, but most of his career he served as a back-up. Oliver had a strong arm and was good blocking the plate. As a batter, he had some power and decent speed for a catcher.

In 1965, Oliver reached a high-career mark of 21 home runs with the Milwaukee Braves, enabled the team to set a National League record with six 20-HR hitters in one season. The others were Hank Aaron (32), Eddie Mathews (32), Mack Jones (31), Joe Torre (27) and Felipe Alou (23). The same season, Torre, Mathews, Aaron and Oliver, hit 10th-inning home runs in a Braves victory over the Cubs, setting a major-league record for most home runs in an extra-inning game.

The Philies and Braves switched catchers in 1967, with Bob Uecker going to Atlanta. After the trade, Oliver suffered a severe knee injury that shortened his career.

In a 10-season career, Oliver hit .246 with 93 home runs, 320 RBI, 268 runs, 111 doubles, five triples, and 24 stolen bases in 786 games.

Fact

On June 20, 2003, Marcus Giles
hit a home run off Brad Penny
's 3-2 pitch, as the Atlanta Braves tied the National League record by having six players to hit at least 20 home runs in a season. Along with Giles, Javy López
, Gary Sheffield
, Andruw Jones
, Chipper Jones
and Vinny Castilla
equaled the mark established by the 1965 Milwaukee Braves.

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