Buck Ross

Lee Ravon Ross

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 170 lb.

• Debut May 7, 1936
• Final Game September 10, 1945
• Born February 2, 1915 in Norwood, NC USA

Died November 23, 1978 in Charlotte, NC USA

BR page

Biographical Information

North Carolina native Buck Ross pitched thirteen seasons in professional baseball from 1936 to 1948. He had ten years in the major leagues and three in the minor leagues.

Ross was able to bypass the minor league baseball system, and at the age of twenty-one, go directly to the major leagues. The Philadelphia Athletics had discovered him in the 1935 Carolina Textile League.

Despite his slight physical stature, 6' 2" in height and weighing just 160 lbs., Buck impressed Connie Mack in spring training and made his major league debut on May 7, 1936.

In a stroke of bad luck for Ross, he arrived in Philadelphia just after the organization had sold off most of their best players. During his five full seasons1936-1940) with Philadelphia, the team finished dead last in three seasons and next to last in the other two years. He did manage to win 34 games, but lost 65 before he was sold to the Chicago White Sox on April 30, 1941.

Ross spent five seasons (1941-1945) with the Comiskey Park team, earning his only winning season in 1943 when the White Sox finished in fourth place with a 82-72 record, under manager Jimmy Dykes, and Buck threw a 11-7 record at the American League. Ross stayed with the Chicago team, building a 22-30 record and pitched his final game for the club and in the major leagues on September 10, 1945. Ross finished his big league pitching at this point with a career record of 56 wins and 95 losses with a 4.94 ERA.

Buck finished out his pro baseball career with three seasons (1946-1948) in the American Association with the Milwaukee Brewers and the Toledo Mud Hens. He put together a 22-25 record in 109 games. His final season in Toledo in 1948 featured two highlights. On August 1, he pitched a no-hitter against the Minneapolis Millers. In the weeks following, the club had a Buck Ross Day where he was honored by the fans.

After baseball, Ross was employed at a textile mill near Albemarle, NC, where he had worked during the winters of his baseball career. Lee "Buck" Ross died on November 23, 1978, in Charlotte, NC, at the age of 63

Related Sites

• BR Minors page