Ray Webster (webstra01)
From BR Bullpen
Raymond George Webster
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 175 lb.
- Debut April 17, 1959
- Final Game May 15, 1960
- Born November 15, 1937 in Grass Valley, CA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Ray Webster spent three solid seasons in the minors. He led the Western League in runs scored (136) while playing for the Amarillo Gold Sox in 1957. Ray was then drafted by the Cleveland Indians from the Sacramento Solons of the Pacific Coast League in the 1958 Rule V Draft.
The following year would see Ray challenging Billy Martin for playing time on the 1959 Cleveland Indians. Martin was 31 at the time while Webster was a 21-year-old rookie. Ray would appear in 40 outings and hit .203 before being called up for military duty late in the season at Fort Knox, KY. On January 8, 1960 the Indians would trade Ray to the Boston Red Sox for Leo Kiely. On his return from military duty, Ray would only be with the Red Sox for seven games in 1960, finishing his major league time with a .195 average in 47 games.
In 1960 he also played for the Montreal Royals of the International League and the Indianapolis Indians of the American Association, hitting .230 in 86 games in a combined season. He appeared in 1961 with the Vancouver Mounties and the Hawaii Islanders of the Pacific Coast League. He was again with the Hawaii club in 1962 before finishing up his eight-season minor league career with the Charlotte Hornets of the AA South Atlantic League. Ray's minor league totals show that he hit .248 with 52 home runs while appearing in 732 games. Ray also had a taste of winter baseball with the Leones del Caracas of the Venezuelan League in the 1960 and '61 seasons.
Ray recalled his two biggest career highlights. "My first big league hit was a home run off Billy Loes of the Orioles as a pinch hitter for Billy Martin. My other greatest thrill was playing on the same field with Ted Williams in Boston.
Since 1964, he has owned the Webster Insurance Agency in Marysville, CA, where he also managed and played for a semi-pro team, the Twin City Giants, for several years after leaving pro baseball.
