Dave Oliver

Who is Dave Oliver?

David Jacob Oliver is a former infielder and coach in Major League Baseball, and is currently a member of the front office of the Texas Rangers. Primarily a second baseman as a professional player, he batted left-handed and threw right-handed, stood 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighed 180 pounds. He attended California Polytechnic University.

Oliver originally signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1973 after being selected in the third round of the June draft, and his only trial in the Major Leagues consisted of seven games with the 1977 Indians. He batted 22 times, collecting seven hits, including a triple, three runs batted in, and four bases on balls. His batting average was .318. He returned to the Cleveland farm system and played through 1980, then became manager of the Indians' Batavia farm club in the Short Season Class A New York-Penn League in 1981–1982. The following year, he joined to the Rangers for the first time, as manager of their Tri-Cities affiliate in the Short Season-A Northwest League. Then, in 1984, he became the Rangers' roving minor league infield instructor.