Vocation : Sports : Baseball

Ray Wilson Hathaway (October 13, 1916 – February 11, 2015) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher who appeared in four games for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945. The 28-year-old rookie right-hander stood 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) and weighed 165 pounds (75 kg).
Hathaway was born in Greenville, Ohio in October 1916. He was one of many ballplayers who only appeared in the major leagues during World War II. He made his major league debut on April 20, 1945 in relief against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds. In his one major league start, the Dodgers lost to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, 5–3, on May 28, 1945. Season and career totals for 4 games include a 0–1 record, 1 start, no complete games, 3 games finished, and an ERA of 4.00 in 9 innings pitched.
He had a lengthy career as a minor league baseball manager following his playing days. He was inducted in the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame. Hathaway was the uncle of former major league pitcher Dave Burba.
At the time of his death in February 2015, he had been the second oldest former major league player still alive. Ironically the only man he was behind in this distinction, Mike Sandlock, was a teammate and played in Hathaway's first major league game, and Hathaway's only career start batting 8th just ahead of Hathaway in that game. This means Ray was never the oldest living player from his major league debut, or even the oldest living player to bat in the same inning as he had batted. (Sandlock batted before him in both of Ray's major league at bats.) His nephew is former Giants pitcher Dave Burba.

Jack Price Hallett (November 13, 1914 – June 11, 1982) was a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants between 1940 and 1948. He was a 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m), 215 pounds (98 kg) right-hander.
Hallett, a native of Toledo, Ohio, made his big-league debut on September 13, 1940 at the age of 25 for the White Sox, wearing #28. In two games that year, he went 1 and 1 with a 6.43 ERA in 14 innings of work.
In 1941, Hallett spent time as both a starter and reliever. He posted a 5 and 5 record and a 6.03 ERA. On December 9, 1941, Hallett was traded from the White Sox with Mike Kreevich to the Philadelphia Athletics for Wally Moses. He went from the A's to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the International League in the spring of 1942 before being traded in September to the Pirates. He appeared in only 3 games in 1942, starting all of them. He had an 0 and 1 record, but he completed two of the games he appeared in. In 1943, with his number changed to 40, he posted a tiny 1.70 ERA in 47 innings of work, but still had a losing record of 1 and 2.
Hallett missed 1944 and 1945, serving in the Pacific with the Navy during World War II.Hallett came back after his time in the military and posted a solid 3.29 ERA in 115 innings of work for the Pirates in 1946. Still, his record was only 5 and 7. His number was 39.
After playing for the minor league Indianapolis Indians in 1947, Hallett came back in 1948 and finished his big league career with the Giants at the age of 33. In four innings of work in 1948 and wearing number 40, he posted a 4.50 ERA. His final game was on April 29.
Overall, Hallett went 12-16 in 277.2 innings of work over a span of six seasons. He appeared in a total of 73 games, starting 24 of them and completing 11 of his starts (2 of his complete games were shutouts). His career ERA was 4.05. He was a fairly solid batter, hitting .238 with one home run in 80 career at-bats. He was a perfect fielder, committing zero errors in 60 total chances (14 putouts, 46 assists). His career pitching statistics are most similar to those of Jim Britton.
Hallett died in 1982 at the age of 67 in Toledo, Ohio. He was buried at the United Church of Christ Cemetery in Holgate, Ohio.

Donald Grate (August 27, 1923 – November 22, 2014) was an American former professional baseball and pro basketball player. He played both Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies (seven games pitched over two seasons, 1945–1946) and NBA basketball as a small forward/shooting guard for the Sheboygan Redskins (two games played during the 1949–1950 season). Grate was listed at 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and 180 pounds (82 kg).

Robert William Gillespie (October 8, 1919 – November 4, 2001) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played between 1944 and 1950 for the Detroit Tigers (1944), Chicago White Sox (1947–48) and Boston Red Sox (1950). Listed at 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m), 187 lb., Gillespie batted and threw right-handed. The native of Columbus, Ohio, served in the United States Coast Guard during World War II.
In a four-season career, Gillespie posted a 5–13 record with a 4.73 ERA in 58 pitching appearances, including 23 starts, two complete games, 59 strikeouts, 102 walks, and 202 ⅓ innings of work.
Gillespie died in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on November 4, 2001, at the age of 82.

Douglas Eugene Gallagher (February 21, 1940 – December 17, 2017) was an American professional baseball player and left-handed pitcher who appeared in nine games for the Detroit Tigers in 1962. Born in Fremont, Ohio, he batted right-handed and was listed as 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall and 195 pounds (88 kg).
Gallagher attended Fremont Ross High School before signing with the Tigers' organization in 1958. He made his professional debut with the Class-D Erie Sailors of the New York-Pennsylvania League. He threw a no-hitter for the Double-A Birmingham Barons in the 1961 Southern Association playoffs. Overall he was 15–9 for the Barons that season, which led to his getting called up to the Tigers the following season.Gallagher made his Major League Baseball debut as a relief pitcher on April 9, 1962, opening day, against the Washington Senators, a game attended by President John F. Kennedy. He pitched 11⁄3 innings of relief in the game, allowing two hits and striking out Bennie Daniels. He would pitch in nine total games for the Tigers that season, including making two starts, and finished with an 0–4 record and 4.68 ERA in 25 full innings pitched. He allowed 31 hits and 15 bases on balls, and was credited with 14 strikeouts.
One highlight of Gallagher's MLB career came on April 27, 1962, when he pitched the final three innings against the Los Angeles Angels to preserve a 13–4 Tigers' victory for future Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Bunning and pick up his lone big-league save.The following year, Gallagher was invited to spring training, where the Tigers wanted him to work on his curveball in an effort to get him back on the MLB roster. However, he ended up not making the varsity, and 1962 became his only year in the majors.After his playing career, he served in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. In later life, he coached American Legion Baseball.

Gerald Eugene Fosnow (born September 21, 1940) is an American former professional baseball player, a left-handed pitcher who appeared in parts of the 1964 and 1965 seasons for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball. Fosnow batted right-handed, stood 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) tall and weighed 195 pounds (88 kg).
Originally signed by the Cleveland Indians, Fosnow pitched a no-hit game on August 20, 1959, his first professional season, in the Class D Alabama–Florida League. He was eventually acquired by the Twins' farm system and was recalled by Minnesota from the Triple-A Atlanta Crackers in the middle of the 1964 season. In seven appearances and 10+2⁄3 innings pitched, all in relief, Fosnow sported a 0–1 win–loss record and a poor 10.64 earned run average.
However, he earned a job in the 1965 Twins' bullpen coming out of spring training and won his first Major League game on Opening Day, April 12, pitching two scoreless innings against the New York Yankees in relief of Jim Kaat. The Yankees were the defending American League champions, but the 1965 Twins would go on to win the AL pennant, the first for the franchise since its relocation to the Twin Cities in 1961. Fosnow would appear in 29 games that season, and compile a 3–3 record with a 4.44 earned average in 46+2⁄3 innings. But he was sent to the Triple-A Denver Bears after his last MLB game on July 16, 1965, and did not appear on the Twins' World Series roster. He left baseball after the 1967 season.

Thomas Gene Fisher (April 4, 1942 – November 21, 2016) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. Nicknamed "Big Fish", the 6'0", 180 lb. right-hander was signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent before the 1962 season. He played briefly for the Orioles in 1967.
Fisher had a record of 10–6 with a 3.04 earned run average for the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings when he was called up to Baltimore in September 1967. His career minor league record at the time was 65–33, a winning percentage of .663. He made his major league debut in relief on September 20 against the Washington Senators at D.C. Stadium. He pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, walking two batters. His second big league action came two days later, in a home game against the Boston Red Sox. He hurled two more scoreless innings, striking out one batter, All-Star catcher Elston Howard.
On April 30, 1969 he was traded by the Orioles along with pitcher John O'Donoghue to the Seattle Pilots, and never again made it to the major league level. His lifetime ERA for 3.1 innings stands at 0.00.

Donald Raymond Fisher (February 6, 1916 – July 29, 1973) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who appeared in two games for the New York Giants in 1945. The 29-year-old rookie was a native of Cleveland, Ohio.
Fisher is one of many ballplayers who only appeared in the major leagues during World War II. Fisher did not play minor league baseball for several years before joining the Giants. The Giants instead signed him directly out of the semi-pro ranks.He made his major league debut in relief on August 25, 1945, against the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. He pitched the last five innings of one of the games of the doubleheader and gave up four earned runs.
Fisher played his next and last game on September 30, 1945, the last day of the season, he started the first game of a doubleheader against the Boston Braves at Braves Field. He pitched a 13-inning complete game shutout, winning 1–0.
In 18 total innings pitched, Fisher allowed just 19 baserunners and 4 earned runs, giving him an ERA of 2.00 to go along with his 1–0 record.
Fisher died at the age of 57 in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.

Donald Ray Elston (April 6, 1929 – January 2, 1995) was an American relief pitcher who appeared in 450 games in Major League Baseball, all but one of them as a member of the Chicago Cubs (1953, 1957–1964). Elston batted and threw right-handed, stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and weighed 165 pounds (75 kg). He was born in Campbellstown, Ohio, and attended Camden High School. His 18-season professional baseball career began in the Cub farm system in 1948.
A hard thrower, Elston played for perennially weak Cubs teams over the course of his nine-year major league tenure. After a brief late-season trial with the 1953 Cubs, when he was treated rudely by the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals, he was sent back to the minor leagues for the next two campaigns. Chicago included him in a December 1955 trade with the defending world champion Brooklyn Dodgers that was headlined by veterans Randy Jackson, Don Hoak, Russ Meyer and Walt Moryn, but Elston remained in the minors for all of 1956. He made the Dodgers' 1957 early-season roster and worked in one game. throwing one inning of shutout relief on May 5 against the Milwaukee Braves. He was traded back to the Cubs 18 days later for pitchers Jackie Collum and Vito Valentinetti.
The Cubs first used him as a swingman: in 1957, after his re-acquisition, he began as a reliever, then, beginning June 30, he made 14 appearances as a starter through September 13. But on September 18, he moved back to the bullpen, where he would spend the rest of his career. Elston became one of the best relief pitchers in the National League. He led the league with 69 games pitched in 1958, setting a club mark. Then, in 1959, he tied teammate Bill Henry for the league lead in appearances, with 65. That season, Elston won a career-high ten games and was selected to the 1959 National League All-Star team. He came on in the ninth inning of the first of 1959's two All-Star tilts and earned a save to preserve a 5–4 victory over the American League at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, on July 7. His 14 saves in 1959, third in the league, also was a career high. He was one of the Senior Circuit's top five relief pitchers for five straight years in saves (1957–1961) and games pitched (1958–1962). He posted sub-3.00 earned run averages in 1958, 1962 and 1963.
In 450 career MLB games, Elston compiled a 49–54 won–lost record with a 3.69 ERA and 64 saves. In 7552⁄3 innings pitched, he allowed 702 hits and 327 bases on balls. He struck out 519. During his brief career as a starting pitcher, he registered two complete games.
Elston died in Arlington Heights, Illinois, at the age of 65.

Richard Anthony Drago (June 25, 1945 – November 2, 2023) was an American relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City Royals (1969–1973), Boston Red Sox (1974–1975, 1978–1980), California Angels (1976–1977), Baltimore Orioles (1977), and Seattle Mariners (1981). He batted and threw right-handed.