San Bernardino Valley College Hall of Famer Rich Dauer passes away
SAN BERNARDINO - San Bernardino Valley College is remembering the life of Rich Dauer, who passed away Monday at the age of 72.
Dauer was a four-sport athlete at Colton High School before enrolling at SBVC in 1970 and embarking in a long career in baseball, that included two World Series championships and inductions into several organizations’ Hall of Fame.
“Rich was a lifelong friend,” said fellow SBVC Hall of Fame inductee Stan Sanchez via email. “We grew up together in Colton, and was one of the best baseball player to ever come out of the Inland Empire. He was such a high energy individual on and off the field.
“His baseball career flourished at SBVC, leading to his career at USC and with the Baltimore Orioles.”
Dauer’s impact on the region led him to him being inducted in the inaugural class of the City of Colton Sports Hall of Fame in 2006, as well as having a park named in his honor in the city. He often held baseball clinics at San Bernardino Valley, including one that current SBVC coach Jason Kounas attended when he was 12.
“His baseball resume was outstanding,” Sanchez said. “He was a special person who loved his community, and a loving dad and grandfather. He was simply the best.”
He has since gone on to be inducted in the Halls of Fame at the University of Southern California (2005), San Bernardino Valley College (2010), the Baltimore Orioles (2012), Rochester Red Wings (2019), and National College Baseball (2021).
“He was a super nova,” said Michael Sola, former SBVC trainer and fellow SBVC Hall of Famer, who knew Dauer. “I will dearly miss his presence, sense of humor and friendship.”
Enrolling at SBVC in 1970, he left behind football, basketball, and track to turn his focus to baseball. With the then-Indians in 1972, Dauer was the state player of the year and set then school records with 65 hits, 16 doubles and 43 runs batted in. During his time at SBVC, he was drafted by the Athletics twice – in the fifth round in 1971, and the ninth round in 1972.
Instead, he opted to stay in school. After SBVC, he transferred to the University of Southern California, where he helped the Trojans win back-to-back College World Series championships in 1973 and 1974, while leading the team in batting average both seasons. He was drafted in the first round, 24th overall, by the Baltimore Orioles that summer.
In one season playing for Baltimore’s Triple-A affiliate Rochester Red Wings, he earned the International League’s Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year award, winning the league batting title with a .336 batting average. He earned his first call-up to the Orioles in 1976, and remained with the team in through 1985. Primarily a second baseman with the Orioles, he played in two World Series with the team, winning the championship in 1983.
He retired as a player in 1985, finishing his career with a .988 fielding percentage in 7,726 innings at second base. He set a pair of American League records in 1978, when he had a streak of 86 consecutive errorless games and 425 straight defensive chances without an error.
At the conclusion of his playing career, Dauer shifted into coaching. He was the manager of the San Bernardino Spirit in the team’s inaugural 1987 season. He went on to coach with five major league teams – the Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Colorado Rockies, and Houston Astros. He earned his second World Series ring with the Astros in 2017, announcing his retirement before the season ended.
Dauer’s health became a concern after he had to be rushed to the hospital from the Astros’ victory parade, where doctors treated him for an acute subdural hematoma in his brain. He made a full recovery, throwing out a first pitch before an Astros’ game in 2018. He suffered a stroke in 2022, and had been in declining health since then.
(Bill Norris, San Bernardino Valley College Athletics)