Larry Raines facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Larry Raines |
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| Third baseman/Shortstop/Second baseman | |||
| Born: March 9, 1930 St. Albans, West Virginia |
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| Died: January 28, 1978 (aged 47) Lansing, Michigan |
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| debut | |||
| April 16, 1957, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 26, 1958, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .253 | ||
| Home runs | 2 | ||
| Runs batted in | 16 | ||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .302 | ||
| Home runs | 31 | ||
| Runs batted in | 172 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Lawrence Glenn Hope Raines (born March 9, 1930 – died January 28, 1978) was a talented baseball player. He played as an infielder and second baseman. He is famous for being the first player to play professionally in four different types of baseball leagues: Minor League Baseball, Negro league baseball, Japanese Baseball, and Major League Baseball.
Contents
Larry Raines: A Baseball Pioneer
Early Life and Unique Journey
Larry Raines was born in St. Albans, West Virginia. He made history in the world of baseball. He was the first player to play professionally in four different leagues. These included Minor League Baseball, Negro League Baseball, Japanese Baseball, and Major League Baseball. This shows how versatile and skilled he was.
Playing in the Negro Leagues
Larry Raines started his professional career with the Chicago American Giants. This was a top team in the Negro American League. This league was very important for African-American players during a time when Major League Baseball was segregated. The team was owned by the famous Rube Foster.
In 1952, Larry was very popular with fans. He received the most votes in the East–West All-Star Game poll. He got 24,583 votes! He played as the starting shortstop for the Western Division team. This All-Star game took place at Comiskey Park.
Baseball in Japan
In 1953, Larry Raines traveled to Japan. He played two seasons for the Hankyu Braves. In his first season, he had a batting average of .286. He also hit eight home runs and had 49 runs batted in (RBI).
In 1954, he had an even better year. He won the Pacific League batting title. His batting average was .337. He also hit 18 home runs and had 96 RBI in 137 games. Playing in Japan helped him become an even stronger player.
Reaching Major League Baseball
After his time in Japan, Larry Raines returned to the United States in 1955. He signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians. He spent two years playing in their minor league teams. This helped him get ready for the big leagues.
In 1957, he was called up to play for the Cleveland Indians in Major League Baseball. He played for them until 1958. During this time, he sometimes played in the major leagues and sometimes in the minor leagues.
Later Career and Legacy
After his time with the Cleveland Indians, Larry Raines continued to play baseball. From 1959 to 1961, he played at the Triple-A level. He played for teams connected to the Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and Minnesota Twins.
He went back to Japan for one more season with the Hankyu Braves in 1962. After that, he retired from baseball. He also played winter baseball in Venezuela in 1960-61 for the Rapiños de Occidente club.
Larry Raines passed away in 1978 in Lansing, Michigan. He was 47 years old. He is remembered as a unique player who played in many different baseball leagues around the world.
See also
- American expatriate baseball players in Japan
