Delos Drake
Encyclopedia
Delos Daniel Drake was a Major League Baseball
player who played 83 games in the Detroit Tigers
outfield in 1911 beside Ty Cobb
and also played in the Federal League
in 1914 and 1915 for the St. Louis Terriers
.
Born in Girard, Ohio
, Drake grew up around baseball as his father was the manager of the Findlay Sluggers, a semi-pro baseball team in the 1890s. Drake was signed by the Detroit Tigers
but struggled for several years to win a spot in the Detroit outfield featuring Ty Cobb
, Sam Crawford
, and the popular Davey Jones. He spent time in the minor leagues playing for the Wilkes-Barre Barons
in the Ohio-Pennsylvania League
. Drake finally won a place on the roster, sharing the left field spot with Davy Jones
in 1911. Drake had speed, hitting for a .279 average in 315 at bats for the Tigers, with 9 triples and 20 stolen bases. In two years with the Terriers, he played all three outfield positions and hit .251 in 1914 and .265 in 1915. In 3 major league seasons, Drake played in 335 games, scored 120 runs, and had 308 hits, 119 RBIs, and 43 stolen bases.
After leaving baseball, Drake worked for Marathon Oil
for over 30 years until his retirement in 1951. http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Drake.Delos.Obit.html Drake was also a prize-winning trap shooter and worked as a cowboy. http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Delos_Drake_1886 He died in 1965 at age 78 in Findlay, Ohio
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player who played 83 games in the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
outfield in 1911 beside Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
and also played in the Federal League
Federal League
The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs, known simply as the Federal League, was an American professional baseball league that operated as a "third major league", in competition with the established National and American Leagues, from to...
in 1914 and 1915 for the St. Louis Terriers
St. Louis Terriers
The St. Louis Terriers were a baseball club that played in the short-lived Federal League in and . They played their home games at Handlan's Park. The St. Louis Chapter of SABR placed a marker at the site of Handland's Park, now on the campus of St. Louis University, on October 17, 2007. The team...
.
Born in Girard, Ohio
Girard, Ohio
Girard is a city in Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. The population was 10,902 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Girard is located at ....
, Drake grew up around baseball as his father was the manager of the Findlay Sluggers, a semi-pro baseball team in the 1890s. Drake was signed by the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
but struggled for several years to win a spot in the Detroit outfield featuring Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
, Sam Crawford
Sam Crawford
Samuel Earl Crawford , nicknamed "Wahoo Sam", was a Major League Baseball player who played outfield for the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1957....
, and the popular Davey Jones. He spent time in the minor leagues playing for the Wilkes-Barre Barons
Wilkes-Barre Barons
The Wilkes-Barre Barons were a legendary basketball team from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.The Barons played between 1933 and 1972 in different American leagues. The team won 11 titles during this time, and the most memorable are those were won while playing in the American Basketball League and the...
in the Ohio-Pennsylvania League
Ohio-Pennsylvania League
The Ohio-Pennsylvania League was among scores of minor league baseball organizations that popped up throughout the country in the early 20th century...
. Drake finally won a place on the roster, sharing the left field spot with Davy Jones
Davy Jones
Davy Jones may refer to:People:*Davy Jones , English actor and singer, formerly of the band The Monkees*Davy Jones , American*Davy Jones , American baseball player...
in 1911. Drake had speed, hitting for a .279 average in 315 at bats for the Tigers, with 9 triples and 20 stolen bases. In two years with the Terriers, he played all three outfield positions and hit .251 in 1914 and .265 in 1915. In 3 major league seasons, Drake played in 335 games, scored 120 runs, and had 308 hits, 119 RBIs, and 43 stolen bases.
After leaving baseball, Drake worked for Marathon Oil
Marathon Oil
Marathon Oil Corporation is a United States-based oil and natural gas exploration and production company. Principal exploration activities are in the United States, Norway, Equatorial Guinea, Angola and Canada. Principal development activities are in the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway,...
for over 30 years until his retirement in 1951. http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Drake.Delos.Obit.html Drake was also a prize-winning trap shooter and worked as a cowboy. http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Delos_Drake_1886 He died in 1965 at age 78 in Findlay, Ohio
Findlay, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,967 people, 15,905 households, and 10,004 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,266.3 people per square mile . There were 17,152 housing units at an average density of 997.6 per square mile...
.