Athletes - Ron Fairly

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	Athletes - Ron Fairly

Ronald Ray Fairly (born July 12, 1938 in Macon, Georgia) is a former Major League Baseball player. He batted and threw left-handed.

Fairly played varsity baseball only one season at University of Southern California (1958), but he made the most of it. He hit .348 with team highs of nine home runs and 67 RBI while lettering as a sophomore center fielder on the 1958 Trojan baseball team which won USC's second College World Series championship. An All-District 8 selection that season, he was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent. After two brief minor league stops, he made the big club late in September 1958.

A competitive player and highly disciplined hitter, Fairly had a short and compact swing with occasional power to all fields. With his glove, he was a competent first baseman as well as all three outfield positions, being best suited for right field. His talents were overshadowed by a notorious lack of speed.

Fairly hit two home runs in the 1965 World Series when the Dodgers defeated the Minnesota Twins.

In 21-season career, Fairly played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1958-69), Montreal Expos (1969-74), St. Louis Cardinals (1975-76), Oakland Athletics (1976), Toronto Blue Jays (1977) and California Angels (1978). He owns the distinction of being the first player to play for both Canadian-based Major League franchises.

A career .266 hitter with 215 home runs and 1044 RBI in 2442 games, Fairly was selected an All-Star in 1973 and 1977. He retired at age of 40 after the 1978 season.

After retiring, Fairly served as a radio and television baseball commentator. After starting with the San Francisco Giants, he is currently a broadcaster for the Seattle Mariners. Fairly serves primarily as a color commentator, but occasionally steps in to do play-by-play as well. Advocate of "keeping the ball down " in his pre-game scouting reports.

In 1997, Fairly was selected to the USC's Athletic Hall of Fame. He joined former Trojans inductees as Marcus Allen, Buster Crabbe, Charles Dumas, Frank Gifford, Ronnie Lott, Fred Lynn, Tom Seaver and O.J. Simpson, between others.

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