Buck Lai

William Tin Lai

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 160 lb.

• Born December 24, 1894 in Honolulu, HI USA
• Died March 21, 1978 in Audubon, NJ USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

William "Buck" Lai was a long-time minor league and semi-pro third baseman. He started his career in 1911 with the Stars of the Oahu Senior League, hitting .140 in 10 games that year, and ended it in 1936 with his Hawaiian team. He played for the Bridgeport Americans in the Eastern League from 1919 to 1921, and for the semi-pro Brooklyn Bushwicks for many years. He was known as Lai Tin up to around 1917.

On January 9, 1928, he was signed to a contract by the New York Giants having earlier been under contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1918. He was on the Giants roster for a month at the start of the season, but never appeared in a game, making him a phantom major leaguer.

His son, William Lai, Jr., coached LIU Brooklyn from 1949-1960 and also coached basketball there.