Alvin Dark

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Alvin Ralph Dark (January 7, 1922 – November 13, 2014), nicknamed "Blackie" and "The Swamp Fox," was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) shortstop and boss.

He appeared on five National League teams from 1946 to 1960.

After batting.322 for the Boston Braves, Dark was named the major leagues' 1948 Rookie of the Year. Dark was an All-Star for three seasons.

When playing for the New York Giants, he batted.300 or more three times, becoming the first NL shortstop to reach 20 home runs more than once.

His.411 career slugging average was the seventh highest by an NL shortstop at his retirement, and his 126 home runs ranked him behind only Ernie Banks and Travis Jackson.

He ended his career with the seventh most double plays (933) and tenth highest fielding percentage (.960) at shortstop in league history, leading the nation in putouts and triple plays three times per year.

He went on to become the third manager to win pennants in both the National and American Leagues (since then, five other managers have achieved the feat).

Early life

Dark was born in Comanche, Oklahoma, and was the third-oldest of four children of Ralph and Cordia Dark. Ralph was a tool pusher for oil drillers. The Darks migrated to Lake Charles, Louisiana, where Alvin spent a majority of his formative years while living in Oklahoma and Texas. Dark could not attend school until he turned seven, but by the time he reached high school, he was playing baseball, basketball, and football. Dark, a tailback, was an All-State and All-South player for Lake Charles High School, and he captained the basketball team as well. Dark did not have a baseball team, but he played American Legion baseball in his youth. He was offered a basketball scholarship from Texas A&M University, but he turned it down in favor of a baseball and basketball scholarship from Louisiana State University. (LSU).

Personal life

Dark was married twice before he was married twice. Adrienne Managan, his first wife, was his childhood sweetheart; the two children attended the same church as children. They had four children: Allison, Gene, Eve, and Margaret. He did not encounter Jacolyn Troy while she was on a flight he was on in 1962, but he was still on a flight he was on. Despite the fact that it went against his Christian values, he started having an affair with her. They attempted to crack it off multiple times, and Dark even told his wife about it in December 1962. Adrienne was nearer her family if the couple were divorced, according to Sports Illustrated's Robert Boyle, who believed the Darks were trying to become manager of the Houston Astros. Adrienne filed for divorce from Dark in November 1968, as Louisiana couples were legally separated for 14 months before they could get a divorce. The divorce was finalized early in the 1970 baseball season, and Alvin married Jackie the same day he signed the last divorce papers. Though he felt that divorce was sinful, "we just weren't allowing God to get in our way," he said of his decision to remarry. "There are people in Lake Charles who haven't spoken to me in a decade, but much less have to," Dark wrote in 1980. Alvin and Jackie married in 1974 and spent 44 years together until Alvin's death in 2014. Rusty and Lori, whom Dark adopted as his own in October 1970, Jackie had two children from a previous marriage.

"Blackie" was Dark's nickname.

Dark, a Baptist, had a reputation as a devout Christian. His parents took him to church "ever since I was old enough to breathe." Dark wrote "I had found it much easier not to go to church" during the 1960s, during the affair and his marriage broke apart. On road trips, it's easier not to take my Bible. It's quicker to jump on a player than to cuss an umpire." After his time with the Indians, he began to take his faith more seriously when he married a Bible scholar. During press conferences, he would often quote scripture. Dark began to preach his Christian faith in churches, but he stopped doing so from 1963 to early 1970s due to his divorce. Finley had once begged Dark to "lay off the Bible," but Finley had previously requested Dark to speak about his faith at a Chicago restaurant. Dark was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

When the two teams competed together on the Braves and Giants, Dark was a good friend with Stanky, his roommate. Both players aspired to lead major league franchises for one day, and Stanky's baseball intelligence impressed him. "Stanky knew so much more about the game than anyone else." Most guys would know four or five plays out of ten possible percentage plays to make. Stanky would have known ten." The two people didn't match as much as they did; Dark argued that it was because of the divorce that Stanky was a devout Catholic.

Dark's time in the major leagues as both a player and manager spanned 30 years. "Baseball is his life," Lee Walls, who was Dark's roommate with the Cubs, said. "He lives, breathes, and talks baseball most of the time." Dark will supplement his income during offseasons by working for the Magabar Mud Company, which supplied oil drillers with mud. Dark liked golf, and Maule named him the best baseball-playing golfer "with the possible exception of...Paul Richards." He competed in the Bing Crosby National Pro-Amateur in Pebble Beach, California, 12 times, and he also competed in Jackie Gleason's Inverrary Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. After his expulsion from the Indians, he briefly played for money, charging up to $100 for someone to play against him. Dark penned an autobiography (with John Underwood) entitled When in Doubt, Fire the Manager, published by E. P. Dutton, which also included Ted Williams and Gene Mauch endorsements.

Dark and Jackie were born in 1983 and moved to Easley, South Carolina, where they would live for the remainder of their lives. He founded the Alvin Dark Foundation, which gives grants to Christian ministries. Dark died at his home in Easley, from Alzheimer's disease, on November 13, 2014, at the age of 92. He was saved by his second wife, his children, 20 grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.

Source

Baseball career

Dark's Major League Baseball (MLB) debut came on July 14, 1946, when he was used as a pinch runner for Don Padgett in a 5–2 loss in his second game of a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Braves by a score of 9–8 on August 8, doubling against Lefty Hoerst for his first hit. Dark made only 15 appearances for the Braves in 1946, scoring three runs in 13 at bats, mainly as a reserve player and only about once every five games.

Dark hoped to be the Braves' starting shortstop in 1947, but Brave boss Billy Southworth chose Sibby Sisti to replace him. For the first season he would play in the minor leagues, Dark was sent by the Milwaukee Brewers, an American Association team that was the Braves' top affiliate. He was named All-Star and Rookie of the Year in American Association Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting, and as the Brewers' starting shortstop. Dark led the league in runs scored (121) and doubles (49), finishing third in hits (186, third behind John Douglas' 195 and Bud Stewart's 189) and stolen bases (14, tied for ninth) until the league leader in hits (186, third). In RBI, he batted.303 with 10 home runs and 66 runs batted in (RBI). Despite being in possession of numerous mistakes, defensively, he has a reputation for his consistent play at the shortstop position.

Despite being drafted out of service in 1947, Dark made the Braves' Opening Day roster in 1948 as a reserve infielder, although Sisti was still the starting shortstop, but this would soon change. "I was first cut up on a takeout at second base, and that knocked me out of the lineup for a few weeks," Sisti said. "Dark came on, but he didn't do too well." I went in and found that I didn't do well, so they brought Darkback. He clicked this year, and the remainder of the year remained there.' Dark was a season-high three RBI in his second game of the year against the New York Giants in the second half of a doubleheader, despite not being allowed to enter the game until the third inning. By June, Dark and second baseman Eddie Stanky were already showing their ability at turning double plays together. Dark had a 23-game hitting streak from June 20 to July 11, three short of Guy Curtright's record for rookies. He made his first major league home run against Elmer Singleton in a 12-3 victory over the Pirates during that streak. Dark ranked among the top batting averages in the NL (2.22, fourth), hits (175, fifth), and doubles (39, third behind Stan Musial's 46 and Del Ennis' 40). He batted three home runs, and had 48 RBIs. In 1948, Dark, the second winner of the honor (after Jackie Robinson) and the last winner (before the Baseball Writers' Association of America) began awarding separate awards for the best rookie in the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). After being a central player in the Braves' quest to the pennant, the Dark Siders finished third in MLB MVP poll in 1948, their first since 1914. He struggled in the World Series, hitting just.167 as the Braves lost the World Series to the Cleveland Indians, going from four games to two. Gene Bearden's mistake allowed him to score in Game 3 of the game, resulting in a 2–0 loss to the Indians.

In 1949, the Braves' starting shortstop. In a 10-inning, 6–5 victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers on May 13, he had four hits on May 13. In a 13-9 loss to the Cincinnati Reds and an 8–2 victory over the Pirates on May 18 and May 21, he had three-RBI games in a 13–9 loss to the Cincinnati Reds and an 8–2 victory over the Pirates. After being struck in the head by a throw from Granny Hamner, he had to be carried off the field on July 9, but he was not seriously injured. In a 4–0 victory over the Dodgers on August 20, he had two hits and three RBI on August 20. Dark batted.276 runs, 146 runs, three home runs, and 53 RBI in 130 games (529 at bats). After the season, he came in 25th in MVP voting.

The Braves dropped to fourth place in the league after winning the pennant in 1948, with a 7-79 record. The New York Giants, the fifth place team, was hoping to become a more cohesive unit by swapping some of their power hitters for faster players that were better at defense. The Braves traded Dark and Stanky to the Giants for Sid Gordon, Willard Marshall, Red Webb, and Buddy Kerr on December 14, including Dark and Stanky. Fans of the Giants were initially dissatisfied with the contract, while Stanky was a fan favorite and was known for his success with the Dodgers, one of the Giants.

Dark was immediately named team captain by Leo Durocher, a surprise to many sportswriters who had hoped that the more veteran Stanky would play the role. Durocher was expected to remain with the club longer than Stanky, according to an Associated Press article two years later, who argued the move was "smart." "I think Leo chose me because he knew Stanky would be the way he was supposed to be," Dark said, "and he wanted me to have more of the brashness Stanky had and Leo loved." Dark had four hits in their first game of a doubleheader against the Reds on May 20, 1950, defeating them 8–0. In the second game of a doubleheader against the Dodgers on July 4, he had a three-run home run against Bud Podbielan, but that was all the scoring for the Giants as they lost 5–3. The Giants defeated the Chicago Cubs in Game 2 of a doubleheader on July 23, with a home run and a two-RBI single against Johnny Schmitz. In the second game of a doubleheader versus the Cubs on August 2, he had a bases-clearing triple against Johnny Klippstein and an RBI-sacrifice fly against Doyle Lade as the Giants defeated the Cubs 8–6. In a 2–0 victory over the Dodgers on September 9, he home runs against Preacher Roe were the only points. Dark batted.279 in 154 games, with 79 runs scored, 164 hits, 16 home runs, and 67 RBI. Stanky's nine stolen bases rank eighth-best in the Netherlands, tied for eighth in the NL.

Dark had four-RBI games on the first, fifth, and ninth, bringing up four hits in each of the latter two tournaments; the Giants won each of the games. In an 8-5 victory over the Phillies, he had his third four-hit game of the month on May 25, including two RBI in his third four-hit game of the month. In the fourth run against Paul Minner, Dark hit a three-run home run off the back of back-to-back home runs off Bob Schultz in the second inning (with Stanky) as the Giants defeated the Cubs 10–1. For the first time in 1951, Dark joined the NL All-Star team. In the NL's 8–3 victory, he was named as the starting shortstop over Pee Wee Reese. Dark had four hits in an 8–5 win over the Phillies on August 17, this time scoring three runs. He had four hits in a 9–1 win in Game 2 of a doubleheader against the Braves on September 5. As the Giants defeated Bill Werle on September 16, he had four hits, including an inside-the-park home run against Bill Werle in the second game of a doubleheader against the Pirates at Forbes Field. Dark had 14 home runs and 69 RBI in 156 games. He was leader of the NL with 41 doubles and also ranked eighth in the batting average (.303, eighth), runs scored (114, fourth, behind Musial's and Ralph Kiner's 206), and stolen bases (12, tied with teammate Monte Irvin for eighth). Although he had 45 mistakes, Dark also led in putouts (295), assists (4605), and double plays (114). Since the season, Dark finished 12th in MVP voting.

The Giants played a three-game tie-breaker series with Brooklyn to determine the NL pennant champion, tying with the Dodgers at the end of the season. Dark led off a single against Don Newcombe in Game 3 of the deciding Game 3. "I must have fouled off six or seven pitches with two strikes before getting the hit," Dark remembered. On a Whitey Lockman double, he scored three batters later. The Shot Heard was the first to reach the 'World,' a three-run home run against Ralph Branca that clinched the Giants' pennant.' Dark beat the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the 1951 World Series, winning 5–1. In Game 3, which the Giants won 6–2, he had an RBI single against Vic Raschi. He had three doubles in Game 4, but the Yankees won the game 6–2. Dark had a hit in every game of the series, batting.417, but the Giants lost in six games to the Yankees.

Dark picked up where he'd left off the previous year, 1952. In a 9-1 win over the Pirates on June 8, 1952, he had three hits and two runs scored, as well as a home run against Howie Pollet. In a 12–3 win over the Phillies on June 29, he had three runs, three hits, and three RBI. He was selected to the All-Star Game for the second year in a row, but Durocher (the boss) made sure the starting lineup (except the pitcher) play the entire game. In the first game of a doubleheader against the Cubs on July 30, his eighth inning three-run home run against Bob Rush gave the Giants three insurance runs against him. On August 26, 27, 28, and 28, he had three hits in each of three victories in a rivalry against the Pirates. When the Giants defeated Boston 11–8 in the first game of a doubleheader on September 24, he had five hits and three runs scored, including a home run against Sheldon Jones. Dark had 14 home runs and 73 RBI in 151 games. He was seventh in the NL in runs scored (92), fourth in hits (177, behind Musial's 194 and Bobby Adams' 180), eighth in doubles (29, tied with Eddie Waitkus and Thomson), and seventh in batting average (1.11). Despite losing Stanky as a double play partner (the Cardinals' second baseman was traded before the season), Dark still led the NL in 116 double plays as a shortstop, now playing with Davey Williams at second base. With 324 points, he led the NL in putouts for the second year in a row.

The Giants considered moving Dark to second base in the 1953 season, with Williams and Daryl Spencer as the candidates. Dark held out at the start of spring training, demanding a higher salary for 1953, as Reese of the Dodgers had earned $40,000 the year before. On March 3, he and the Giants finally agreed on a two-year contract that reportedly paid somewhere between $30,000 per year (what the Giants had wished) and $35,000 per year (what Dark wanted). Dark was playing indifferently at second base, presumably causing the team to move him back to shortstop once spring training began. On March 20, Durocher held a press conference in his hotel room to address the rumors, but Dark barged in as it was going on. "I've told Leo I will play second, third, or somewhere else he wants me to play if he thinks it will improve the team," Dark said, and Durocher confirmed that there is no such thing between him and Dark. Even though he was "not feeling well" that day, John Drebinger of The New York Times doubted that Dark had played indifferently, noting that his worst day as a fielder in spring training occurred in a game in which he was playing shortstop.

Dark began the season at the shortstop position. Durocher flocked him to left field on June 21, and then to second base on June 25, as Spencer continued to get time at short. In a 20–6 victory over Brooklyn on July 5, he had three runs and three RBI, as well as a two-run home run against Clem Labine. Dark was pushed back to shortstop for the remainder of the season on July 29, after Spencer's batting average had been low the previous month. In a 13-4 win over the Cardinals, he had five hits and five RBI, including a two-run home run against Harvey Haddix. In victories over the Cubs on August 31 and September 1, he had back-to-back four-hit games. Dark convinced Durocher to do something he had always wanted to do in the big leagues, with the Giants out of playoff contention at the end of the 1953 season: pitch. Dark began the first two innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 27, giving up two runs before being replaced by Ruben Gomez. The Dark got a no decision, but the Giants lost 6–4. Dark batted.300 with 88 RBI in 155 games. He led the NL in at bats (647) and was ranked third in runs scored (126, third behind Duke Snider's 132 and Musial's 127), and doubles (41, second to Musial's 53). His 23 home runs were a record for NL shortstops at the time, but Ernie Banks would break it two years later by hitting 44 runs.

Spencer left the Army in 1954, leaving the shortstop position unquestionably Dark. In a 9-6 victory over the Cubs on May 14, he had five hits, two runs scored, and two RBI, including a home run against Rush. In a 13–8 victory over the Cardinals on June 3, he had four hits and five runs. He had four hits against Cincinnati the next day and then thrashed the Milwaukee Braves on June 8 and 9. In a 10–0 win over the Phillies in the first game of a doubleheader, Dark had four hits, three runs scored, and an RBI. On July 10, he hit Max Surkont for his grand slam, but he lost in a 10-7 loss to Pittsburgh. In the NL's 11–9 loss to the AL, he was the starting shortstop in the All-Star Game, recording a single against Bob Keegan. He hit Gene Conley of the Braves solo home runs on August 6, which was a solo home run. "I'm gonna get it," an irate Conley roared from the Braves' dugout and screamed: "I'm gonna get that." For that, I'm going to cut his hair. "It's hitting me too well," says the narrator. Conley's threw a pitch at his chin next time, putting Dark face first on the ground as the hitter dove out of the way. Dark batted another home run against Dave Jolly on Friday night, but the Giants lost by 6–5. On August 14 and September 1, he had four-hit games, but both lost, but they were both disappointed. As the Giants took the pennant, he batted.293 and was fifth in the MVP voting. He had 98 runs scored, 26 doubles, and 70 RBI. Dark led the NL in at bats (664), as well as games (tied for first with 154) and finished seventh in hits (189). He was the first NL shortstop to reach at least 20 home runs in multiple seasons after 20 home runs. Despite being lead the league in errors (36), defensively, he played a solid game at the shortstop position.

The Giants faced the Cleveland Indians, who had set a new AL record with 111 victories in the 1954 World Series. In every game, Dark batted.412 with a hit. As the Giants cruised off to win their first championship since 1933, he had three hits and two runs in Game 4 of Game 4. In the first car with Willie Mays in front of 500,000 parade-goers in New York City, Dark rode in the first car in the World Series parade.

The Giants were playing the Dodgers at Ebbets Field on April 23, 1955. Sal Maglie had been tossing back scrapes through the heads of several Brooklyn batters, and enraged third baseman Jackie Robinson retaliated by striking Williams with a shoulder block as he charged into first base in the fourth inning. Williams was unconscious and had to be taken off the field on a stretcher, and Dark attempted to hurt Robinson. Both benches were cleared, but umpire Tom Gorman kept Darkness from doing more than screaming. "Somebody's got to get him" during innings. It was decided that the first runner to reach third base would be charged with this task. Dark earned a hit against Carl Erskine and advanced right into Robinson at third base next inning. The two talked again, but umpire Babe Pinelli kept it from getting out of hand. Dark scored a two-run home run against Billy Loes on the ninth day, leaving the Giants trailing Brooklyn 5–3 in the ninth; the Giants tied the game in the ninth; the Giants won the next inning 11–10. Dark had four hits and scored two runs in a 9–4 victory in the second game of a doubleheader against the Cubs on May 15. In an 8-5 victory over the Phillies on July 7, he had a three-run home run against Murry Dickson. Dark hurt his ribs in his second game of a doubleheader against Cincinnati on August 7, colliding with first baseman Ted Kluszewski. He thought the injury was a bruise and wanted to return to play again on August 14, but he had to leave early and was later diagnosed with a fractured rib. He was forced to miss two games since his return, but he only played two games before he tripped over a base against the Phillies on September 2, splitting his shoulder. He was out the remainder of the season due to his injury. The injuries cost Dark 40 games all together. Dark batted.282 in 115 games, with 77 runs scored, 134 runs, 20 doubles, nine home runs, and 45 RBI. Dark earned the first Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, given to the player who best exemplified Gehrig's character and ethics on and off the field.

Dark was back in the lineup for Opening Day after recovering from his injury in 1956. He batted.364 in April in April but he only hit.222 in his next 37 games until June 15. The Giants were searching for a second baseman in June. However, the Cardinals wanted a shortstop and also traded Red Schoendienst, as prospect Don Blasingame appeared to be able to take over the position and St. Louis wanted to trade him before his abilities faded. Claude Chancellor, Patrick Sarni, Ray Katt, Don Liddle, and cash were sold to the Cardinals on June 14 for Schoendienst, Bill Sarni, Jackie Brandt, Jackie Brandt, and two players to be announced later (eventually Bob Stephenson and Gordon Jones). Dark batted.252 with 19 runs scored, 52 hits, two home runs, and 17 RBI in 48 games with the Giants.

Dark defeated the Giants 5–3 on July 12, 1956, on a seventh-inning sacrifice fly against Marv Grissom to break a 3–3 tie. The Cardinals defeated New York by a score of 7–5 on the next day, with four hits and three RBI, including a tie-breaking two-run double in the eighth inning against Hoyt Wilhelm. In a 5–2 victory in the third game of the season, he had three RBI in his third game. In St. Louis's 9-1 victory, then had three hits, two runs scored, and four RBI in the first game of a doubleheader against Philadelphia on July 15. In a 9-4 victory over the Giants, Dark had four hits and three runs, with one hitting Mike McCormick for three runs, as well as a two-run home run against Mike McCormick. Dark batted.286 runs, 118 hits, four home runs, and 37 RBI in 100 games for St. Louis. His combined numbers for the Giants and the Cardinals were a.275 batting average, 73 runs scored, 26 doubles, six home runs, and 54 RBI.

Dark's range was not as wide as it had been; the season would be his last as a shortstop, but it would not have been an exception. In his autobiography, he wrote, "I got by knowing the hitters, knowing where to play, what to watch for." In 1957, he only hit four home runs, three of which came against the Giants. In Game 1 of a doubleheader against Cincinnati on May 30, he had three RBI in a 7–2 victory. In a 5–2 win over the Phillies on June 11, he had four hits and an RBI. In a 5–4 victory over the Cubs on July 3, he had four hits, two runs scored, and an RBI. In a 5–1 victory over the Giants on July 31, he had four hits and two RBI. In a 10–1 victory over the Braves on September 1, he had three RBI. Dark batted.290 with 80 runs, 169 hits, 25 doubles, and 64 RBI in 140 games. Despite his reduced reach, he led the NL in putouts (26) and double plays (105) for the third time.

Dark had to be suspended from a game after being struck by a pitch from Dick Donovan, but he was back in the lineup by Opening Day. He started the year at shortstop, but after making two errors in his first four games, he was moved to third base in favor of Ducky Schofield. After batting.297 in 18 games, Dark was traded to the Cubs on May 20 for Jim Brosnan.

Dark began to play third base after the Cubs' trade, as Banks was the shortstop. In an 11–4 win over the Phillies, he had three hits, three RBI, and a run scored on May 23. In an 11–3 win over Cincinnati on June 20, he had four hits and three RBI. In an 8–6 victory, two days later, in his second game of a doubleheader against Cincinnati, he had two hits and three RBI. In a 2–1 victory over the Phillies in their second game of a doubleheader against the Phillies on July 13, he had four hits and scored both Cub runs. In a 10–8 victory over the Phillies, his two-RBI single against Don Erickson in the 10th innings on September 16 resulted in an 8-8 tie. Dark batted.295 in 114 games with the Cubs, with 54 runs scored, 137 runs, 16 doubles, three home runs, and 43 RBI. He played 132 games for both teams, batting.295 with 61 runs scored, 16 doubles, four home runs, and 48 RBI.

Dark remained at third base in 1959. In a 10–0 win over Cincinnati on May 13, he had three hits, three runs, and had two RBI. Dark appeared in one of baseball's most unusual games on June 30, against the Cardinals. Musial was on the menu, with a count of 3–1. Pitcher Bob Anderson threw a wild pitch that evaded catcher Sammy Taylor and rolled all the way to the backstop. Umpire Vic Delmore called the ball four times, but Anderson and Taylor maintained that Musial foul had tipped the ball. Musial decided to advance to second base when the ball was still in play and because Delmore was embroiled in a dispute with the catcher and pitcher. Dark ran to the backstop to retrieve the ball as Musial was going for second. A ball boy had threw it to field announcer Pat Pieper, who was in charge of retaining baseballs for the umpire, but Dark picked it up before it could reach Pieper. Delmore did not play a new ball and gave it to Taylor, but curiously. Musial was eventually found to be second, grabbed the ball and threw it to second baseman Tony Taylor, who threw it to second baseman Tony Taylor. Anderson's throw sailed over Tony Taylor's head into the outfield. Anderson threw the old ball at the Banks, but Anderson threw the original ball at them simultaneously. Musial didn't get to third base and tried to go to third base after Anderson's ball was over the second baseman's head. Musial was arrested by Banks on his way to the bank, and after a delay, he was ruled out. Despite this, the Cardinals won the game by a score of 4–1.

In 1959, Darkness had only six home runs, three of whom were in consecutive games from August 11-13. In the third run of the Giants, the home run was a grand slam against McCormick in a 20–9 victory. In a 2–1 victory over the Giants on September 4, his two-run double against Jack Sanford gave Chicago the only runs for the city. In a 12–2 victory over the Dodgers on September 26, he struck a three-run home run against Podres. He batted.264, scored 60 runs, 22 doubles, a career-high nine triples, and 45 RBI in 136 games.

Dark was traded by John Buzhardt and Jim Woods to the Philadelphia Phillies in return for Ashburn on January 11, 1960. "Trades tell you exactly which side of the cliff you're on," he wrote in his 1980 autobiography, comparing this one with the one that brought him and Stanky to New York, where four players were exchanged for those two players. He debuted as Philadelphia's starting third baseman in the year. The Braves advanced to their second game of the year on April 14, hitting a single against Don McMahon in a 10-inning, 5–4 victory. On May 6 and 7, he had back-to-back home runs against the Dodgers. Dark was traded back to the Braves (now in Milwaukee) on June 23 for Joe Morgan, after hitting.242 in 55 games. With Milwaukee, he was primarily known as a pinch hitter and utility player. In September, he made the most of the Braves' starts in left field. In a 9–5 loss to Pittsburgh, he appeared in his last major league game on October 2, playing left field in his last big league game. In 50 games for Milwaukee, Dark struck.298. He batted.265 runs, 90 runs, 11 doubles, four home runs, and 32 RBI in 105 games between the two teams.

Charlie Dressen, the Braves' manager, told Dark that if he returned to the 1961 season, "you'll be my utility infielder-outfielder." To Dark, playing the game was more of a chore than a joy, and he was worried about being sent to the minor leagues. He decided to leave rather than wait for another year as a player. Dark struck a.289 batting average, 358 doubles, 1,064 runs, 1,064 runs scored, and 757 RBI in 1,828 games played during his 14-year career in major leagues. He had a.959 fielding percentage as a defensive liner.

On October 30, 1960, Dark was traded back to the Giants (who had migrated to San Francisco after the 1957 season) for Andre Rodgers, a change made so the team could bring Dark as their new manager. Horace Stoneham, the Giants' owner, attempted to fill coaching positions with former Giants players, thereby instilling pride in the organization. Dark began as the Giants' head coach, and one of the first things the team did was rearranging the team's locker assignments so that players were no longer divided by gender. "The Giants are no longer a conglomerate of actors divided roughly along colour lines, with no suggestion of being a team," Sports Illustrated's Tex Maule wrote in May 1961. Dark threw a metal stool against the wall and then realized he'd missing a point of his little finger tip during a bout of rage following a 1–0 loss to the Phillies on June 26, then realized he'd lost a piece of his little finger tip. "I made up my mind two weeks ago not to vent my rage on the players." "I guess I took it out on myself tonight," he mused. Dark oversaw a team that finished third in the NL in his first year as manager of the Giants, with an 85–69 record.

The Giants defeated the Dodgers for the NL pennant during the 1962 season, when both teams occupied the top-two spots in the league beginning May 10. One sore spot in the rivalry is in regards to field dirt. The Dodgers packed the dirt at Dodger Stadium tightly, resulting in a difficult infield that made it possible for Maury Wills, who stole 104 bases in 1962, to move on. As Dark's nascent voiced criticism at Candlestick Park, he decided to seek revenge at Candlestick Park. Dark had the groundskeepers soak the infield around first base before starting a Dodger series of three weeks; the muddy soil prevented anyone from getting enough of a foothold to steal bases. Dark earned the nickname "The Swamp Fox" for the incident. With seven games remaining on the season, the Dodgers had a four-game lead, but San Francisco pulled into a tie on the final day of the season, necessitated yet another tie-breaker series. The Giants met the Yankees in the World Series prevailing in three games. The teams pushed the series to its maximum seven games, with the Giants losing 1–0 in the series's finale after Bobby Richardson snared a Willie McCovey line drive that would have almost won the Giants if it had been a success.

Dark was involved with Orlando Cepeda, one of the Giants' most popular players. Dark confessed to the paper that he had a point system by which he rated the participants during 1963 spring training, although Cepeda was refusing to play in the hopes of a higher paycheck. When asked about Cepeda, Dark replied, "He's got more minuses than anybody." Dark admitted later, "It may have been unfair for me to bring it up." The two players squabbled over Cepeda's ostensible lack of interest over the next two seasons, with the player blaming a sore knee. The Giants had a winning record all season, but they didn't fare as well as 1962, winning 11 less games and finishing 11 games behind the Dodgers for the pennant.

Willie Mays, the Giants' captain in 1964, made Mays the first African-American captain in Major League Baseball in Mays. Dark told the player, "You should have had it long before this." Stoneham was considering firing Dark amidst rumors that the two were not speaking, according to Sports Illustrated. Dark later wrote in his autobiography that his Stoneham friendship had been rocky ever since Stoneham discovered in 1963 that the manager was having an affair. "You can't take care of your ball players if you can't," he had told Dark. "You have rules you are breaking." When Stan Isaacs of Newsday said that the number of black and Hispanic players on the team was a point of worry, it would be difficult to function properly as a result of mental alertness." Dark told the Giants that he had been greatly misquoted; Mays, who had been named team captain, met with several of the black and Hispanic players at the Carlton House in Pittsburgh (where the Giants were on vacation), advising them that their best chance of winning came if Dark remained the team's boss the remainder of the year. "I have known Dark for many years, and my friendships with him have always been positive," Jackie Robinson said. "I've found him to be a gentleman and, most importantly, unbiased." Dark considered suing the journal but decided not to do so after being told that Newsday would cover his affair with Jackie Troy. In his autobiography, Dark later wrote, "You don't have to be prejudiced if you are accused of it." "You are always guilty of being arrested." Most of the year, the Giants were contenders for the pennant, but they fell just three games out of first place; in 1964, they were fourth place in a close three-way contest. After the Giants had been barred from playoff contention, Stoneham fired Dark during the sixth inning of the season's last game of the season.

Dark became the Cubs' third base coach after being fired from the Giants in 1965. He made it clear to general manager John Holland that he did not want to be the Cubs' manager because he disliked the prospect of working under a new boss while being prepared to fire him "offensive." Dark was hired as an assistant to Kansas City Athletics owner Charlie Finley as a month goes by. He had been named manager of the last-place Athletics, who had lost 103 games in 1965. In 1966, the ballclub played 14 of its first 17 games, but for the remainder of the year, it was a game under.500, resulting in a 15-game increase and a seventh-place finish in the ten-team American League. Dark made sure he used the young starting pitchers to get them experience; the Athletics had five starters with average age of 21.8 when they started the season. Kansas City's seventh-place finish since Finley had bought the team in 1966, and the team's grateful owner gifted Dark with a Cadillac after the season. They weren't as strong as they were in 1967, when Dark piloted them to a 52–69 record in their first 131 games. After Finley fined and suspended pitcher Lew Krausse Jr. for his conduct on a team flight, his second season with the Athletics ended in August due to a rift over player discipline. After speaking with several of the other participants, Dark learned that Krausse had been playing little pranks on Athletics broadcaster Monte Moore, who later mistakenly announced that Krausse used "deplorable words" when speaking to a pregnant woman on the flight. Finley demanded to see him in his hotel room in Washington, D.C., where the Athletics had gone on a road trip against the Washington Senators because Dark refused to carry out the suspension. Finley fired him in a seven-hour meeting, after a player's reaction in support of Dark and questioning Finley's use of spies to track players. In addition, Finley recalled first baseman Ken Harrelson, who had also played for Krausse. Finley has been dubbed "a danger to the game," Harrelson said. Despite the dismissal, Dark remained in touch with Finley, who would often make long-distance phone calls to his ex-manager.

Vernon Stouffer was hired to lead the Cleveland Indians in 1968, the Indians' best performance since 1959. Sam McDowell predicted that the team would have had a much better year if they had more hits with runners in scoring position. Dark requested and was given the additional responsibilities of general manager during an initial third-place season, but having the field manager negotiate the players' contracts was an uncomfortable situation. The general manager's job is to make the player think he is worth less money, while the manager's job is to convince him that he is more valuable to the team. The team sank to a 62–99 record in 1969 and a 76–86 finish in 1970. Dark was fired on July 29 with the team in last place in the AL East in mid-1971 and attendance down by 60,000. Cleveland had to continue to pay him through the 1973 season after he had signed a five-year deal with the team in 1969.

The Athletics had migrated to Oakland, California, and Finley rehired Dark after manager Dick Williams resigned after consecutive World Series victories in 1972–73. "The only thing worse than being hired by Charlie Finley is being hired by him for the second time," a newscaster on the move said. Dark promised not to complain about players in public or demean them, now that his faith is more important. Some of the Athletics coaches, such as Irv Noren, the third base coach, who had hoped to be hired as the manager himself, expressed disappointment with Dark's recruiting, such as Irv Noren. In July, Noren and Vern Hoscheit, the bullpen coach, were fired. Dark pitchers such as Vida Blue and Ken Holtzman had a difficult time earning the respect of Athletics pitchers like Vida Blue and Ken Holtzman. The pitchers would often flip the ball over to him rather than handing it over. Dark had finally had enough in July. "I made up my mind to have a squad meeting [on July 14] at the park," he said. He chastised the team for their attitudes, fineing Blue $250. "I had a huge old money bag that probably weighed about 75 pounds," Blue wrote. The player learned to be more alert to Dark, and they did win the AL West despite Dick Bosman of the Indians' no-hit days later. The Athletics beat the Orioles three games to one in the ALCS, halting Baltimore from scoringless for 30 straight innings during the series. Oakland won pennants in both leagues, making Dark the third manager (after Joe McCarthy and Yogi Berra) at the time. (Sparky Anderson, Dick Williams, Tony La Russa, Jim Leyland, Jim Leyland, and Joe Maddon have all succeeded in this feat.) The Athletics faced the Dodgers in the first World Series made up of only California clubs in the World Series. Oakland dominated the series in five games, becoming the first team to win three straight World Series since the Yankees won five straight from 1949 to 1953.

The Athletics were forced to cope with the absence of pitcher Catfish Hunter, who had played in 20 or more games in a row, who had used a contract bribery to become a free agent and sign with the Yankees. Nevertheless, the team set a 55-32 record in the first half of the season, and seven Athletics were part of the AL All-Star Team, directed by Dark. The Boston Red Sox swept the AL West by seven games over the runner-up Kansas City Royals, but the team was swept in the ALCS by the Boston Red Sox. Despite being in the playoffs both years under Dark, Mattelton was not rehired as the Athletics manager in 1976. "To God, Charlie Finley is just a little bitty thing," Dark had said during a church talk in September. If he doesn't accept Jesus Christ as his personal savior, he's going to hell." When Finley announced that Dark would not return for 1976, he said that the manager was "too busy with church duties."

For the first time in 30 years, Dark was out of baseball in 1976. He was hired as a coach for the Cubs in 1977, under Herman Franks, who had coached under and later replaced Dark as the Giants' manager. Although Dark had been dissatisfied with the replacement, the guys were able to work together again and were eager to resume their careers. His time with the Cubs was short-lived, as he was hired to replace John McNamara as the San Diego Padres' manager on May 28. The Padres, who had a 21-28 record when they took over, had a 48–65 record for the remainder of the season. Dark's contract called for him to lead for two years, but general manager Buzzie Bavasi was fired by Bob Fontaine Sr. in 1978, and Fontaine prefers someone other than Dark to control the ballclub. On March 21, Dark was fired, and Roger Craig was brought to a halt in spring training. It was only the second time a major league boss had been fired during spring training. Because his deal lasted from 1979 to 1979, the Padres were still obligated to pay him for two years, much as the Indians were expected to do from 1971 to 1973. Dark ended his managerial career with a 994-904 record, good for a.510 winning percentage.

Dark will stand in the front of his team's dugout with one foot up on the steps, drawing comparisons to Washington crossing the Delaware during games he coached. He went beyond traditional statistics in determining players by using a point system to determine who his best were. In key situations or hits that propelled a player, players were awarded points, but players were disqualified if they missed a base or ignored a warning, which could result in a denial. "There are winning.275 batters and losing.310 hitters," Dark said of his device. Cepeda had a low rating, which enraged the player when he found out about it. Dark stopped using the program later in his managerial career, not wanting to cause resentment but not wanting to cause frustration.

Though Dark never ruled again after 1978 spring training, he did hold two other baseball positions. The Cubs recruited him in 1981 to be their farm system appraiser. Later in 1986, the Chicago White Sox hired him to be their minor league director. He was thrilled that the White Sox were recruiting former major league players to help with minor league teams, something that was not often seen at the time.

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