Jim Tray

From BR Bullpen

James Tray

  • Bats Unknown, Throws Unknown
  • Height 5' 11", Weight 180 lb.

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Biographical Information[edit]

Jim Tray appeared in six games for the Indianapolis Hoosiers in 1884. He hit .286 while the team average was .233.

Tray was born, and died, in Jackson, MI, about 250 miles from Indianapolis. In the minors he played for a number of Michigan teams such as Jackson, Bay City, Saginaw and Kalamazoo, as well as for some teams outside of the state. While he was with Saginaw, he and some other players made claims of unpaid salaries amounting to about $5,000 (per Sporting Life, Sept. 17, 1884}.

The SABR biography of Dan Abbott quotes the Jackson newspaper in 1889 regarding something Tray pulled: "By a trick, Jim Tray who was coaching had Brown tag him while [baserunner] Blackstock slid in and was safe which raised a big ruckus."

No other major leaguer, through 2019, has had the last name Tray, although Pie Traynor's name starts with Tray.

A biography of Jim Tray [1] indicates that articles sometimes credited him with being on the Pittsburgh team in 1884, although the stats do not show him playing any games with a Pittsburgh team that year. In addition to the minors, he also played some semi-pro ball after his time in the majors. One brother played some minor league ball with him, and another played semi-pro ball with him. Jim was often named captain or manager of his teams. After baseball, he was a saloon keeper.

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