Ray Blemker

Raymond Blemker

• Bats Right, Throws Left
• Height 5' 11", Weight 190 lb.
• School Georgia Institute of Technology
• High School Huntingburg High School
• Debut July 3, 1960
• Final Game July 3, 1960
• Born August 9, 1937 in Huntingburg, IN USA
• Died February 15, 1994 in Evansville, IN USA

BR page

Biographical Information

In 1959, the Kansas City A's signed left-handed pitcher Ray Blemker to a free agent contract. He was sent to the Class AA Southern Association Shreveport Sports and appeared in five games before being sent to the Class B Three I League Sioux City Soos. Blemker finished 1959 in Shreveport where he had a good season, going 8-2 with a 3.45 ERA.

On July 3, 1960 Blemker was called up to the big league A's for his one and only chance in the Major Leagues. It was not his time and he gave up 3 hits, 5 runs, 2 walks and 5 earned runs in 1 2/3 innings. After this outing, he was sent back to the minors where he finished the year with the Shreveport Sports, going 8-6 with a 4.78 ERA. Ray had been with the American Association's Dallas-Fort Worth Rangers when he was called up to the Athletics in July. He had a 5-3 record with a 4.83 ERA while there. He spent the next two seasons, 1961 and 1962, with four different teams in the minors and left baseball after the 1962 season.

A Huntingburg, Indiana native, "Buddy", as he was known in his earlier years, was the first major league baseball player from Dubois County. He was an outstanding three-sport athlete at Huntingburg High School, ending his high school career with 12 varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball. He went on to have a stellar career in college at Georgia Tech, playing basketball and baseball for the Yellow Jackets. In 1957 and 1959, Buddy helped pitch Georgia Tech to the Southeastern Conference Championship.

After leaving baseball, there was a brief period in sales before beginning a 29-year career with the Federal Government. He was an investigator for the U.S. Department of Labor. Buddy passed away at the early age of 56. He was inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001.

Source

SABR Minor League Data base
Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, Third Edition
baseball-reference.com
Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame