Eugene Okey

Eugene P. Okey

• Bats Right , Throws Left
• Height 6' 2" , Weight 175 lb.
• School Kent State University
• High School Lehman High School
• Born June 17, 1923 in Canton, OH USA
• Died July 1, 2009 in North Canton, OH USA

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Eugene Okey pitched one season in the Chicago Cubs farm system.

Okey split the 1942 campaign between the Georgia-Florida League Americus Pioneers and the Miami Seminoles of the Florida East Coast League. He compiled a 4-5 record with a 4.81 earned run average over 58 innings pitched.

Following his baseball career, Okey joined the military and served in North Africa, Europe and Japan as an officer during World War II. After the war, Okey earned a degree from Kent State University and rejoined the military during the Korean War. During the war, Okey served in Japan and stateside.

Okey went to law school following his second stint in the military, and he became an attorney. He is especially well-known for two cases he handled that got national attention. The first of the cases was the liability case for the death of Thurman Munson which established new precedents for employer liability for improperly training employees. In 1981, Okey was involved in an early rollover case against Jeep that utilized the company's own commercials as evidence.

Okey had four children - two sons and two daughters. Both of his sons are politicians in Ohio. Okey died in July 2009 due to complications from kidney failure.