Solly Drake
| Solly Drake | |
|---|---|
Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Switch Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 17, 1956, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 27, 1959, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .232 |
| Home runs | 2 |
| Runs scored | 41 |
| Teams | |
Solomon Louis Drake (October 23, 1930 – August 18, 2021) was an American
Solly Drake was a
Early life and career
Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, he graduated from Dunbar High School. Later that year, Drake began his baseball career when he joined the Elmwood Giants of the Mandak League as a 17-year-old outfielder; he returned for two more seasons, in Manitoba. A .300 hitter with Elmwood in 1950, Drake was signed before the 1951 season by the Chicago Cubs, as an amateur free agent. He spent that year with the Class C Topeka Owls, a minor league Cubs affiliate.
The
Major league career
In April 1956, at the age of 25, Drake made his major league debut, with the Cubs. That same year, he also played with the
Drake's younger brother, Sammy Drake, was also a professional player, who spent two MLB seasons with the Cubs and New York Mets. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum states that the Drake brothers, Solly and Sammy, were the first African-American siblings to play in the majors in the 20th century.
Death
Drake died on August 18, 2021. He was 90 years old.[3]
References
- ^ Remembering Solly Drake
- ISBN 0-7864-2510-5. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
- ^ Dodger Blue.com. "Former Dodgers Outfielder Solly Drake Passes Away." https://dodgerblue.com/former-dodgers-outfielder-solly-drake-passes-away/2021/08/20/
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet