Ray Katt

Raymond Frederick Katt

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 200 lb.
• School Texas A&M University
• High School New Braunfels High School
• Debut September 16, 1952
• Final Game July 21, 1959
• Born May 9, 1927 in New Braunfels, TX USA
• Died October 20, 1999 in New Braunfels, TX USA

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Biographical Information

" . . . known for his compassion and competitive spirit . . ." - from the Associated Press obituary of Ray Katt

Ray Katt, who played eight seasons in the majors and was a longtime college coach, was known for being a decent human being.

Katt, who played exclusively catcher while in the majors, broke in with the New York Giants in 1952 and was on their 1954 World Series championship team.

In mid-1956 he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, then traded in the off-season to the Chicago Cubs and back to the Giants in April of 1957. After playing for the Giants that year, it was back to the Cardinals in 1958.

Katt showed some power in 1956, hitting 13 home runs in only 259 at-bats.

On the 1954 Giants, Wes Westrum appeared in 98 games at catcher while Katt was in 82. Katt set a record by allowing four passed balls in one inning that year, with knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm on the mound. The record has since been tied by Geno Petralli and Ryan Lavarnway, who were also dealing with errant knuckleballs.

Katt's minor league career started in 1947 and finished up in 1961. From 1951 to 1953 he hit over .300 each year with the Minneapolis Millers.

Katt was a St. Louis Cardinals coach in 1959 and 1960 and was a member of the Cleveland Indians staff in 1962. He then coached high school baseball in New Braunfels, TX before becoming baseball coach at Texas Lutheran University from 1971 to 1992.

Related Sites

• Ray Katt at the SABR Bio Project