View source for Alan Bannister

{{Short description|American baseball player (born 1951)}}
{{for|the British cyclist|Alan Bannister (cyclist)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
| name       = Alan Bannister
| image      = Alan Bannister Phillies.jpg
| position   = [[Outfielder]] / [[Infielder]]
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1951|9|3}}
| birth_place = [[Montebello, California]], U.S.
| death_date  =
| death_place =
| bats       = Right
| throws     = Right
|debutleague = MLB
| debutdate  = July 13
| debutyear  = 1974
| debutteam  = Philadelphia Phillies
|finalleague = MLB
| finaldate  = October 6
| finalyear  = 1985
| finalteam  = Texas Rangers
|statleague = MLB
| stat3label = [[Runs batted in]]
| stat3value = 288
| stat2label = [[Home run]]s
| stat2value = 19
| stat1label = [[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
| stat1value = .270
| teams      = 
*[[Philadelphia Phillies]] ({{mlby|1974}}–{{mlby|1975}})
*[[Chicago White Sox]] ({{mlby|1976}}–{{mlby|1980}})
*[[Cleveland Indians]] ({{mlby|1980}}–{{mlby|1983}})
*[[Houston Astros]] ({{mlby|1984}})
*[[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] ({{mlby|1984}}–{{mlby|1985}})
|medaltemplates=
{{MedalSport | Men's [[baseball]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{bb|USA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Baseball at the 1971 Pan American Games|Pan American Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[1971 Pan American Games|1971 Cali]] | [[United States national baseball team|Team]]}}
}}
'''Alan Bannister''' (born September 3, 1951)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oldies.com/artist-view/Great-White.html|title=Great White|website=OLDIES.com}}</ref> is an American former professional [[baseball]] player who played in [[Major League Baseball]] for the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] {{nowrap|(1974–75),}} [[Chicago White Sox]] (1976–80), [[Cleveland Indians]] {{nowrap|(1980–83),}} [[Houston Astros]] (1984) and [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] {{nowrap|(1984–85).}} Developed as a [[shortstop]], he became a [[Utility player#Baseball|utility player]] during his major league career.

==Biography==
Bannister attended [[John F. Kennedy High School (La Palma, California)|John F. Kennedy High School]] in [[La Palma, California]] and then played [[college baseball]] at [[Arizona State Sun Devils baseball|Arizona State University]].<ref name=fbbpb>{{cite web|url=https://asunow.asu.edu/content/former-baseball-player-bannister-enters-hall-fame |publisher=Arizona State University |title=Former baseball player Bannister enters Hall of Fame |date=February 18, 2010 |access-date=June 27, 2018}}</ref> He represented the United States at the [[Baseball at the 1971 Pan American Games|1971 Pan American Games]], where he won a silver medal.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Olderr |first1=Steven |title=The Pan American Games / Los Juegos Panamericanos: A Statistical History |date=2009 |publisher=McFarland & Company |location=Jefferson, North Carolina and London |isbn=9780786443369 |page=41 |edition=Bilingual |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IXIwCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA41 |access-date=15 March 2020}}</ref> Highly touted in college, Bannister was the Phillies' first-round pick in the 1973 draft (January). Although versatile (he played every position but pitcher and catcher) he never lived up to his college billing and was rarely a regular.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://baseballbiography.com/alan-bannister-1951 |title=Alan Bannister |access-date=2011-05-27 }}</ref> He opened the [[1975 Philadelphia Phillies season|1975 season]] as the Phillies' starting center fielder until the arrival of [[Garry Maddox]] from the [[San Francisco Giants]] on May 4. He was traded with [[Dick Ruthven]] and [[Roy Thomas (pitcher)|Roy Thomas]] to the [[Chicago White Sox]] for [[Jim Kaat]] and [[Mike Buskey]] on December 10, 1975.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6hJZAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WUYNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3214,1920347&dq "Phillies Acquire Jim Kaat," ''The Associated Press'' (AP), Thursday, December 11, 1975.] Retrieved May 2, 2020</ref> He was the [[1977 Chicago White Sox season|1977 White Sox']] starting shortstop following the trade of [[Bucky Dent]] in April, the only season in which he played over 100 games at a position, and he led all [[American League]] shortstops in errors (40). That same season he led the AL in sacrifice flies with 11.

In 12 major league seasons he played in 972 games and recorded 3,007 at bats, 430 runs, 811 hits, 143 doubles, 28 triples, 19 home runs, 288 RBI, 108 stolen bases, 292 walks, with a .270 batting average, .334 on-base percentage and a .355 slugging percentage.

After his playing career, he managed two years in the [[Montreal Expos]] minor league system and three years for the [[AZL Giants]] of the [[Arizona League]]. He was inducted to the [[College Baseball Hall of Fame]] in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.asu.edu/20201228-former-baseball-player-bannister-enters-hall-fame|title=Former baseball player Bannister enters Hall of Fame &#124; ASU News|website=news.asu.edu|accessdate=13 March 2024}}</ref>

As an amateur, Bannister was involved in a play which resulted in a fatality. In July 1972, he was a participant in a Baseball Federation tour of [[Japan]]. While attempting to complete a [[double play]] during a game against a Japanese team, he made a throw to first base which struck the head of [[:ja:東門明|Akira Tohmon]], who was advancing from first base to second base. Tohmon was knocked unconscious, and later died at a hospital as a result of [[cerebral contusion]].<ref name=upi_bannister>"[https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/288401/ Bannister Prize In Free Agent Draft Today]", United Press International, January 10, 1978.</ref><ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/image/609062347/?terms=%22Alan%20Bannister%22%20and%20%22Akira%22&match=1]", United Press International, July 15, 1972.</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Baseballstats |mlb=110539 |espn=15 |br=b/bannial01 |fangraphs=1000515 |brm=bannis001ala |retro=B/Pbanna001 }}
*{{SABR Baseball Biography Project|3b1c391e}}
*[https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=bannial01 Alan Bannister] at Baseball Almanac

{{1971 College Baseball All-Americans}}
{{1972 College Baseball All-Americans}}
{{National College Baseball Hall of Fame}}
{{1969 MLB Draft}}
{{Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim first-round draft picks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bannister, Alan}}
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Arizona State Sun Devils baseball players]]
[[Category:Chicago White Sox players]]
[[Category:Cleveland Indians players]]
[[Category:National College Baseball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Eugene Emeralds players]]
[[Category:Houston Astros players]]
[[Category:Iowa Oaks players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball infielders]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball outfielders]]
[[Category:Minor league baseball managers]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Phillies players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Montebello, California]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Los Angeles County, California]]
[[Category:St. Petersburg Pelicans players]]
[[Category:Texas Rangers players]]
[[Category:Toledo Mud Hens players]]
[[Category:All-American college baseball players]]
[[Category:Baseball players at the 1971 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1971 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in baseball]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]