- Pete Gray
Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=#1c2841
bgcolor2=#6d7380
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
name=Pete Gray
width=256
position=Left Field
bats=Left
throws=Left
birthdate=March 6 ,1915
deathdate=death date and age|2002|6|30|1915|3|6
debutdate=April 17
debutyear=1945
debutteam=St. Louis Browns
finaldate=September 30
finalyear=1945
finalteam=St. Louis Browns
stat1label=AVG
stat1value=.218
stat2label=HR
stat2value=0
stat3label=RBI
stat3value=13
teams=
*St. Louis Browns (by|1945)
highlights=;Notable achievements
* Only one-armed man ever to playMajor League Baseball Pete Gray (
March 6 1915 –June 30 2002 ) was aprofessional baseball player best known for playing in the major leagues despite having lost his right arm in a childhood accident.cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= Pete Gray, Major Leaguer With One Arm, Dies at 87 |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0DE3DA1631F931A35754C0A9649C8B63 |quote=Pete Gray, who became a major league outfielder despite the loss of his right arm in a childhood accident, appearing with the St. Louis Browns for a single season duringWorld War II , died Sunday at a nursing home inSheatown, Pennsylvania . He was 87. |publisher="The New York Times " |date=July 2 ,2002 |accessdate=2007-08-21 ]Biography
Early life
Pete Gray was born as Peter Wyshner in the mining town of
Nanticoke, Pennsylvania . He was right-handed until he lost his right arm, at age 6, when he slipped while riding on a farmer's wagon and his right arm was caught in the spokes. The arm had to be amputated above the elbow. Gray's enthusiasm for baseball led him to learn to bat and field one-handed, catching the ball in his glove and then quickly removing his glove and transferring the ball to his hand in one motion.Career
His speed and placehitting ability made him a successful minor league outfielder. Gray attained a batting average of .333 and a stolen-base record of 63; as a result, he was named the 1944 Southern League Most Valuable Player.
During his career, Gray played for semi-pro teams including the Trois Rivieres Renards of the
Canadian-American League , theMemphis Chicks of theSouthern Association and theBrooklyn Bushwicks .The St. Louis Browns purchased his contract in 1945 from the Memphis Chicks. Wearing uniform number 14 [cite book |coauthors= The editors of the Sporting News |title= Baseball A Doubleheader Collection of Facts, Feats, & Firsts |year= 1992|publisher=The Sporting News Publishing Co. |location=St. Louis, Mo. |isbn=0-88365-785-6 . ] , Gray played left and center field for the Browns. He appeared in 77 games, batting .218 with a .958 fielding percentage in center field. He played competently in the outfield, transferring the ball from glove to hand with remarkable quickness.
He collected his first major league hit (a single) against the Detroit Tigers on April 17, 1945. On May 19, he played in Yankee Stadium, collecting five hits and two RBI as the Browns swept the Yankees. Gray also proved to be an accomplished bunter. In order to bunt, he would plant the knob of the bat against his side. Then he would slide his hand about a third of the way up the shaft of the bat.
As the season progressed, however, it became apparent that Gray could not hit breaking pitches. Once he started his swing, he could not change his timing because he had no second hand to check the swing. Opposing pitchers discovered that fact and would throw curve balls.
Gray's on-field exploits set an inspirational example for disabled servicemen returning from
World War II , as was portrayed in newsreels of the period. He visited army hospitals and rehabilitation centers, speaking with amputees and reassuring them that they too could lead a productive life.Later years and death
Gray’s major league career ended on
V-J Day when many of baseball’s stars returned from the battlefront. From 1946 to 1949, he played on as a journeyman minor leaguer with the Toledo Mud Hens, Elmira Pioneers and Dallas Stars. Left to wonder if he had made the majors on his playing abilities or because of his one arm, Gray returned home to Nanticoke where, although a local hero/celebrity, he struggled with gambling, alcohol and lived in near poverty.The 1986 television-movie "A Winner Never Quits" starring
Keith Carradine , and the publication of Gray's biography, "One-Armed Wonder: Pete Gray, Wartime Baseball, and the American Dream" written by William C. Kashatus, published in 1995 by McFarland & Company, renewed public interest in Gray.
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