Ray Shearer
Encyclopedia
Ray Solomon Shearer was a professional baseball
player. He played in two games in Major League Baseball
for the Milwaukee Braves
in 1957, one as a left fielder
and the other as a pinch hitter
.
, Ray was originally signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers before the 1950 season and had a big year in his first season in pro ball, hitting .317 for the Sheboygan Indians
and leading the class D Wisconsin State League
with 30 home run
s and 137 RBIs. Ray spent the next eight seasons (1950-57) in the minors
, hitting over .300 three different times with double-digit figures in home runs seven of those years. The Dodgers traded Shearer to the Milwaukee Braves for Jim Frey
on July 4, 1956.
of the American Association in 1957, hitting .316 with 29 home run
s in 138 games. He was given a late-season promotion to the majors, and made his MLB debut on September 18, with the Milwaukee Braves. He started the game in left field for the Braves who were hosting the New York Giants. In his first plate appearance, Ray struck out against Johnny Antonelli
. He walked
in his second plate appearance before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning.
, were trailing the Cincinnati Redlegs
3-2 in bottom of the ninth inning when Joe Adcock
led off the inning with a base hit off new Redlegs' pitcher Bill Kennedy. The Redlegs brought in Mel Roach
to pinch run for Adcock, and Del Crandall
to pinch-hit for pitcher
Don McMahon
. After Crandall flied out to center field, Shearer was brought in to pinch-hit for catcher
Carl Sawatski
. Shearer came through with a single to right field advancing Roach to third base with the tying run, with Ray now becoming the winning run on first base.
Andy Pafko
struck out
against Kennedy for the second out of the inning, bringing up Red Schoendienst
. Red kept the inning alive with another single, his league-leading 200th hit of the year, advancing Ray to second base while Roach scored the tying run. Light-hitting shortstop Félix Mantilla then came to bat and drove a single to left field, scoring Ray and giving the Braves a 4-3 victory for their 95th win. Ray's base hit was the only one for the 28-year-old outfielder
giving him a lifetime .500 batting average
in the major leagues. Interestingly, it was also Kennedy's final major league appearance.
, Atlanta Crackers
, Louisville Colonels and Richmond Virginians
and finished out his 13-season minor league run in 1962 with the York White Roses
and the Augusta Yankees. Ray was 32 years old when he left baseball and had put together a minor league stat sheet that shows him hitting at a .288 average with 204 home runs while appearing in 1,614 games.
Ray died in York, Pennsylvania
at the age of 52.
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
player. He played in two games in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
for the Milwaukee Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
in 1957, one as a left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
and the other as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
.
Early career
Born in Jacobus, PennsylvaniaJacobus, Pennsylvania
Jacobus is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,841 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Jacobus is located at ....
, Ray was originally signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers before the 1950 season and had a big year in his first season in pro ball, hitting .317 for the Sheboygan Indians
Sheboygan Indians
The Sheboygan Indians were a minor-league baseball team based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.They operated from 1940–1942 and 1946-1953. Joe Hauser was the manager of the team for its entire history. Hauser, incidentally, had been a major-league first baseman in the 1920s primarily with the Philadelphia...
and leading the class D Wisconsin State League
Wisconsin State League
There was a class D league called the Wisconsin State League which began in 1905. In 1908 it changed its name to the Wisconsin-Illinois League. Another Wisconsin State League began in 1940, shut down for World War II from 1943 through 1945, then operated from 1946 through 1953...
with 30 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 137 RBIs. Ray spent the next eight seasons (1950-57) in the minors
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
, hitting over .300 three different times with double-digit figures in home runs seven of those years. The Dodgers traded Shearer to the Milwaukee Braves for Jim Frey
Jim Frey
James Gottfried Frey is a former manager and coach in Major League Baseball. He led the Kansas City Royals to their first American League championship in 1980, in his first year with the team...
on July 4, 1956.
1957: MLB cup of coffee
Ray played for the Wichita BravesWichita Braves
The Wichita Braves were a Class AAA minor league baseball franchise based in Wichita, Kansas, that played in the American Association during the 1956-57-58 seasons as a top affiliate of the then-dominant Milwaukee Braves of the National League....
of the American Association in 1957, hitting .316 with 29 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in 138 games. He was given a late-season promotion to the majors, and made his MLB debut on September 18, with the Milwaukee Braves. He started the game in left field for the Braves who were hosting the New York Giants. In his first plate appearance, Ray struck out against Johnny Antonelli
Johnny Antonelli
John August Antonelli is an American former left-handed starting pitcher who played for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves, New York and San Francisco Giants, and Cleveland Indians....
. He walked
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
in his second plate appearance before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning.
Moment in the spotlight
On September 29, on the final day of the 1957 season in front of 45,000 fans at County Stadium, Ray helped the Milwaukee Braves to a come-from-behind victory. The Braves who had already clinched the pennantPennant (sports)
A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...
, were trailing the Cincinnati Redlegs
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
3-2 in bottom of the ninth inning when Joe Adcock
Joe Adcock
Joseph Wilbur "Billy Joe" Adcock was an American first baseman and right-handed batter in Major League Baseball, best known for his years with the powerful Milwaukee Braves teams of the 1950s, whose career included numerous home run feats...
led off the inning with a base hit off new Redlegs' pitcher Bill Kennedy. The Redlegs brought in Mel Roach
Mel Roach
Melvin Earl Roach was a utility player for the Milwaukee Braves , Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies .He helped the Braves win the 1958 National League Pennant....
to pinch run for Adcock, and Del Crandall
Del Crandall
Delmar Wesley Crandall is a former professional baseball catcher and manager in Major League Baseball who played most of his career with the Boston & Milwaukee Braves...
to pinch-hit for pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Don McMahon
Don McMahon
Donald John McMahon was a right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he was signed by the Boston Braves before the 1950 season...
. After Crandall flied out to center field, Shearer was brought in to pinch-hit for catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
Carl Sawatski
Carl Sawatski
Carl Ernest Sawatski was a catcher for the Chicago Cubs , Chicago White Sox , Milwaukee Braves , Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals...
. Shearer came through with a single to right field advancing Roach to third base with the tying run, with Ray now becoming the winning run on first base.
Andy Pafko
Andy Pafko
Andrew Pafko is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1943 through 1959, Pafko played for the Chicago Cubs , Brooklyn Dodgers and Milwaukee Braves . He batted and threw right-handed...
struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
against Kennedy for the second out of the inning, bringing up Red Schoendienst
Red Schoendienst
Albert Fred "Red" Schoendienst is an American Major League Baseball coach, former player and manager, and 10-time All-star. After a 19-year playing career with the St...
. Red kept the inning alive with another single, his league-leading 200th hit of the year, advancing Ray to second base while Roach scored the tying run. Light-hitting shortstop Félix Mantilla then came to bat and drove a single to left field, scoring Ray and giving the Braves a 4-3 victory for their 95th win. Ray's base hit was the only one for the 28-year-old outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
giving him a lifetime .500 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
in the major leagues. Interestingly, it was also Kennedy's final major league appearance.
Return to the minors
After his late season call-up to County Stadium in Milwaukee in 1957, his only shot at the big leagues, Ray would spend the rest of his career in the minors, playing five more seasons, all in class A ball or better. He played with teams like the Nashville VolsNashville Vols
The Nashville Vols were a minor league baseball team based in Nashville, Tennessee from 1901 to 1963; the team was inactive in 1962. Known as the Nashville Baseball Club during their first seven seasons, they were officially named the Nashville Volunteers in 1908 for the state's nickname, The...
, Atlanta Crackers
Atlanta Crackers
The Atlanta Crackers were minor league baseball teams based in Atlanta, Georgia, between 1901 and 1965. The Crackers were Atlanta's home team until the Atlanta Braves moved from Milwaukee in 1966....
, Louisville Colonels and Richmond Virginians
Richmond Virginians
The Richmond Virginians was the name of a minor league baseball Class AAA International League franchise that played in Richmond, Virginia, from 1954 through 1964....
and finished out his 13-season minor league run in 1962 with the York White Roses
York White Roses
The York White Roses was the name of a minor league baseball team in the city of York, Pennsylvania, USA, that existed from 1894–1969.-Early years:...
and the Augusta Yankees. Ray was 32 years old when he left baseball and had put together a minor league stat sheet that shows him hitting at a .288 average with 204 home runs while appearing in 1,614 games.
Ray died in York, Pennsylvania
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
at the age of 52.