Don Grate
Encyclopedia
Donald "Buckeye" Grate is a former pitcher
for the Philadelphia Phillies
and a small forward
/shooting guard
for the Sheboygan Redskins
of the NBA. He was known for his outstanding throwing arm, including throwing the ball 445 feet and 1 inch.
, lettering in both baseball and basketball in the 1944 and 1945 seasons. As a pitcher he had impressive career totals of 95 strikeouts and only 25 walks in just 89 innings. As a basketball standout, Grate was a two-time all-Big Ten
selection and earned All-America
honors as a senior after scoring 272 points in 21 games. He was the captain of the 1944 team, leading the Buckeyes to a conference championship. Grate was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame
in 1996.
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
and a small forward
Small forward
The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
/shooting guard
Shooting guard
The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...
for the Sheboygan Redskins
Sheboygan Redskins
The Sheboygan Red Skins were a National Basketball League, National Basketball Association, National Professional Basketball League and professional independent team based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA.- Barnstorming roots :...
of the NBA. He was known for his outstanding throwing arm, including throwing the ball 445 feet and 1 inch.
College career
Don Grate was a two-sport star at the Ohio State UniversityOhio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, lettering in both baseball and basketball in the 1944 and 1945 seasons. As a pitcher he had impressive career totals of 95 strikeouts and only 25 walks in just 89 innings. As a basketball standout, Grate was a two-time all-Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
selection and earned All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
honors as a senior after scoring 272 points in 21 games. He was the captain of the 1944 team, leading the Buckeyes to a conference championship. Grate was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame
Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame
The Ohio State Varsity "O" Hall of Fame is the athletic hall of fame for The Ohio State University. Its purpose is to recognize individuals who have contributed to the honor and fame of the University in the field of athletics....
in 1996.