Mr. Diering grew up playing baseball on streets and playgrounds of St.
Louis.
When he graduated from Beaumont High School in 1940, he was recruited
by both the city’s professional teams — the St. Louis Browns and
Cardinals. Mr. Diering chose the Cardinals because a friend’s dad
worked for the organization as a scout.
But then Mr. Diering put his career on hold for four years to serve in
the Army during World War II.
When he returned to the major leagues, he played for the Cardinals for
five years, then went on to stints with the New York Giants and
Baltimore Orioles.
The biggest moment of Mr. Diering’s career came in 1954, when the
Orioles named him their Most Valuable Player in their first year in
Baltimore after the St. Louis Browns moved there. The honor came with
a trophy and some cash.
That year, Mr. Diering had hoped to win the team’s other award: Most
Popular Player. That winner would receive a Cadillac. But that award
went to pitcher "Bullet" Bob Turley.
Turns out, Mr. Diering was glad about the way things worked out. His
granddaughter Kristen interviewed him for a short documentary she
posted on Youtube this past summer.
"One thing I can say about it is Bob Turley doesn’t have the
Cadillac," Mr. Diering said at the time. "But I’ve still got my
trophy."
After baseball, Mr. Diering owned a car dealership in Alton. Until his
death, he lived in a Spanish Lake home that he built in 1957.
Bob Diering said his dad never lost his love of the game.
"If you wanted to sit down and talk baseball, he would sit there and
talk baseball,” Diering said. “He would smoke your ears talking."
Source: St. Louis Post Dispatch ~ By Stephen Deere
In retirement, Diering's passionate hobby was building dollhouses.
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