Daniel Miers Ardell (born May 27, 1941) is a retired American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

player. A

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

, he was one of the first

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players signed by the expansion

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...

in the Angels' maiden season, . Ardell spent most of that year in the lower minors, but was recalled for a seven-

game A game is a structured type of play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or video games) or art ...

Major League trial in September. After appearing in three games as a

pinch runner In baseball or softball, a pinch runner is a player substituted into a game for the purpose of base running. Description A pinch runner may be faster or otherwise more skilled at base running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been s ...

, Ardell singled in his first big-league

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, ...

as a

pinch hitter In baseball, a pinch hitter (PH) is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, A ...

on September 20 against Ron Kline of the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

Retrosheet Retrosheet is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose website features box scores of Major League Baseball (MLB) games from 1906 to the present, and play-by-play narratives for almost every contest since the 1930s. It also includes scores fr ...

br>box score: 1961-09-20
/ref> Ardell threw and batted left-handed and was listed at tall and . He was signed by the Angels on July 15, 1961, after his

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

career at the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

. He was one of two players signed off the campus of 1961 NCAA tournament champion USC that season;

Tom Satriano Thomas Victor Nicholas Satriano (born August 28, 1940) is an American former professional baseball player. Although he began his professional career as a third baseman, he converted to catcher and played 321 games as a backstop during a ten-year, ...

, who joined the Angels a week after Ardell, would fashion a ten-year Major League career. Ardell was loaned to the Class D Artesia Dodgers for the 1961 season (where he batted .240 in 33 games) before his September recall. After his pinch single against the Tigers, he appeared in three more games (starting one at first base) and was hitless in three at bats. Ardell did not return to the Majors after 1961. He played from 1962 to 1964 in the Angel

farm system In sports, a farm team (also referred to as farm system, developmental system, feeder team, or nursery club) is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful pl ...

before leaving pro baseball. Ardell married writer Jean Hastings Ardell in 1981. They live in Laguna Beach, California.

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1941 births Living people Artesia Dodgers players Baseball players from Seattle Los Angeles Angels players Major League Baseball first basemen Nashville Vols players San Jose Bees players Tri-City Angels players USC Trojans baseball players University High School (Los Angeles) alumni Baseball players from Los Angeles 20th-century American sportsmen {{US-baseball-first-baseman-stub