Ray Hathaway
Ray Wilson Hathaway
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 165 lb.
- High School Greenville (OH) High School
- Debut April 20, 1945
- Final Game June 3, 1945
- Born October 13, 1916 in Greenville, OH USA
- Died February 11, 2015 in Asheville, NC USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Ray Hathaway pitched in just a handful of major league games but found greater success as a minor league manager.
An Ohio native, Hathaway began his pro career in 1939. After three seasons in the minors, he joined the Navy, and during World War II, he earned the Bronze Star after taking part in the Battle of Guadalcanal. He returned to baseball in 1945, appearing in 4 big league games with the Brooklyn Dodgers but spending most of the year with the Montreal Royals.
Hathaway was back in the minors in 1946 and began his managerial career the following year, serving as a player/manager of the Santa Barbara Dodgers, while going 18-6 with a 2.39 ERA. He was the ace of the Zanesville Dodgers staff the next summer, posting a 23-7 record and a 2.82 ERA, while leading the club to an Ohio-Indiana League crown.
By 1952, Hathaway focused on managing but made occasional appearances on the mound through 1965. He managed in the minors through 1973, compiling a 1608-168 record. He spent time in the Dodgers (1947-1957), Pittsburgh Pirates (1958-1964), St. Louis Cardinals (1965-1969), and Cleveland Indians (1970-1972) organizations as well as leading a co-op team, the Wilson Pennants, in 1973. Most notably, he spent seven years as skipper of the Asheville Tourists, leading them to a South Atlantic League title in 1961, and was the winningest manager in the team history until passed by Joe Mikulik. He was elected to the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame in 2011.
Hathaway was the uncle of big leaguer Dave Burba. When he passed away in 2015, at the age of 98, he was the second-oldest living former major league player.
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