Ralph Capron

Ralph Earl Capron

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11½", Weight 165 lb.
• School University of Minnesota
• Debut April 25, 1912
• Final Game May 8, 1913
• Born June 16, 1889 in Minneapolis, MN USA
• Died September 19, 1980 in Los Angeles, CA USA

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Biographical Information

"They do say that Ralph Capron, now with Milwaukee and the property of the Pittsburgh Club, is so fast that if a ground ball takes two jumps he beats the throw to first base." - Sporting Life, July 6, 1912

"Ralph Capron is the third member of the great athletic family of Caprons. Dr. Harry Capron was the first of the family to star in athletics at the University of Minnesota, and then came George, who made a national reputation as a drop kicker. Last year Ralph played marvelous football for the Gophers, and so great was his work on the gridiron, Walter Camp gave him the quarterback position on his third All-American team." - Baseball Magazine, July 1912

A February 8, 1913 article in the New York Times says that Ralph Capron was a baseball star and quarterback for the University of Minnesota, having played at Milwaukee and St. Paul in the minors. Pitcher Russ Ford of the New York Yankees is said to have suggested to manager Frank Chance that Capron was a good player to sign. However, Capron never appeared with the Yankees, going instead with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1912 and Philadelphia Phillies in 1913. In three big league games, he scored a run. It was reported in November 1913 that he was giving up baseball to go into a real estate business with his brother, George, but he did continue to play some in 1914. As of 1916, he was working for a big advertising company. After the age of 30, he played professional football very briefly with the Chicago Tigers of the AFPA (eventually renamed the NFL) in 1920.

Related Sites

• Ralph Capron at the SABR Bio Project