Dain Clay

Dain Elmer Clay
(Sniffy or Ding-A-Ling)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10½", Weight 160 lb.
• School Kent State University
• High School Cuyahoga Falls High School
• Debut June 12, 1943
• Final Game September 29, 1946
• Born July 10, 1919 in Hicksville, OH USA
• Died August 28, 1994 in Chula Vista, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Dain Clay played four seasons with the Cincinnati Reds in the 1940s, patrolling center field from 1943 to 1946. In 1945, Dain led the NL in at bats (656) and finished third in stolen bases (19) en route to a .280/.321/.335 batting line. When the overwhelming majority of stars returned from World War II, he fell off the cliff to a .228/.318/.280 line in 435 at bats, never to return. He does hold a place of honor as the first member of the Kent State Golden Flashes to reach the bigs.

Clay's minor league career covered 13 seasons, running from 1938 to 1954. He played parts of six seasons with the San Diego Padres when they were a Pacific Coast League team. The book Baseball in San Diego has a photo of Dain and two daughters along with a Chevrolet he won for being the fans' most popular player. While not a power hitter in the majors, in the minors he belted 105 home runs and batted .298.

Clay is a member of the Greater Akron Baseball Hall of Fame. In a biography on their website, it says that he starred in three sports at Cuyahoga Falls High School. He played several years with local sandlot teams before signing a pro contract in 1938. An arm injury is said to have shortened his major league career.

Notable Achievements

• NL At Bats Leader (1945)