Sammy Drake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sammy Drake |
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| Second Baseman / Third Baseman | |||
| Born: October 7, 1934 Little Rock, Arkansas |
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| Died: January 27, 2010 (aged 75) Los Angeles, California |
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| debut | |||
| April 17, 1960, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 30, 1962, for the New York Mets | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .153 | ||
| Home runs | 0 | ||
| Runs batted in | 7 | ||
| Games played | 53 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Samuel Harrison Drake, known as Sammy, was a talented baseball player. He was born on October 7, 1934, and passed away on January 27, 2010. Sammy played as a second baseman and third baseman in Major League Baseball. This means he played in the infield, helping to stop the ball and throw runners out.
He played for the Chicago Cubs from 1960 to 1961. Then, he joined the new New York Mets team in 1962. Sammy and his brother, Solly Drake, made history. They were the first two African-American brothers to play in modern baseball. Sammy was a switch hitter, meaning he could bat from both sides of the plate. He threw the ball with his right hand.
Contents
Sammy Drake: A Baseball Journey
Growing Up and Starting Baseball
Sammy Drake was born in Arkansas. He went to Dunbar High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. After high school, he attended Philander Smith College. Sammy tried out for the Kansas City Monarchs, a famous baseball team. However, his brother Solly suggested he play baseball in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. At that time, there was less unfair treatment based on race in Canada compared to the United States.
Playing in the Minor Leagues
The Chicago Cubs baseball team signed Sammy in 1955. He impressed their manager, Pepper Martin, during spring training. Sammy played for the Macon Peaches in the South Atlantic League in 1955. He had a batting average of .251 in 105 games. He also led the league in stolen bases. A stolen base is when a runner advances to the next base while the pitcher is throwing the ball.
Sammy and his teammate Ernest Johnson were the first African-American players for Macon. Sammy faced unfair treatment and Jim Crow laws from some local fans. These laws were unfair rules that separated people based on their race. Sammy later said this experience motivated him to play even better. While the local African-American community supported them, Sammy and Johnson could not stay in the same hotels as their white teammates.
Reaching the Major Leagues
Sammy Drake moved up to the Chicago Cubs team in 1960. He played in 15 games that year. His batting average was .067 in 16 at-bats. An at-bat is when a player tries to hit the ball. He scored five times, mostly as a pinch runner. A pinch runner is a player who takes the place of another player on base to run faster.
In 1961, Sammy played in 12 more games. He was again mainly used as a pinch runner. He did not get any hits in five at-bats that year. Before the 1962 season, the new New York Mets team chose him in a special draft. He played in only 25 games with the Mets. He had a .192 batting average with 10 hits. He also had seven runs batted in. A run batted in (RBI) means he helped a teammate score a run.
Sammy was sent back to the minor leagues because of ongoing knee problems. In his 53 career games in the Major Leagues, Sammy had a .153 batting average. He also had seven runs batted in and scored eight runs.
Life After Baseball
After his baseball career ended, Sammy Drake worked for the United States government. He worked for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. He also taught Sunday school at his brother's church. Sammy passed away from cancer on January 27, 2010, in Los Angeles, California. He was 75 years old.
