Solly Drake
Solly Drake | |||
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Outfielder | |||
Born: Little Rock, Arkansas |
October 23, 1930 |||
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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 | |||
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Solomon Louis Drake (born October 23, 1930) was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played in 141 games for the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies during the 1956 & 1959 baseball seasons. Solly and his brother, Sammy Drake, were the first African-American brothers to play in the majors.[1]
He is the oldest of three children. In 1948, he graduated from Dunbar High School. After high school, Drake began his baseball career when he joined the Elmwood Giants of the Mandak League as a 17-year-old outfielder that same year and returned for two more seasons in Manitoba. A .300 hitter with Elmwood in 1950, Drake began his pro career in 1951 as an all-star with Topeka. After he served two years in the military, Drake put in two more seasons in the minors before his debut, at age 25 with the Cubs in April, 1956.
He officially retired from baseball in 1960. Solomon Drake then went on to graduate from Philander Smith College with a double major in Psychology and Physical Education. He is married to Isabelle Dunlap and is the father of three children.Drake is currently the Pastor of the Greater Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, California.
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Major League Baseball outfielders
- Los Angeles Dodgers players
- Chicago Cubs players
- Philadelphia Phillies players
- 1930 births
- Living people
- Baseball players from Arkansas
- Philander Smith Panthers baseball players
- Sportspeople from Little Rock, Arkansas
- Topeka Owls players
- Des Moines Bruins players
- Los Angeles Angels (minor league) players
- St. Paul Saints (AA) players
- Portland Beavers players
- Montreal Royals players
- Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
- Portsmouth-Norfolk Tides players