Solly Drake
Encyclopedia
Solomon Louis Drake was an outfielder
in Major League Baseball
. He played in 141 games for the Chicago Cubs
, Los Angeles Dodgers
and Philadelphia Phillies
during the 1956 & 1959 baseball seasons. Solly and his brother, Sammy, were the first African-American brothers to play in the majors.
Solly was born Solomon Louis Drake on October 23, 1930 in Little Rock, Arkansas to Jessie and Solomon Drake. He is the oldest of three children. He and his siblings were raised by their devout, Christian mother and grandparents. Throughout his childhood, he played football, baseball, ran track and field, and worked numerous small jobs. In 1948, he graduated from Dunbar High School. After high school, Solomon Drake began his baseball career when he joined the Elmwood Giants
of the Mandak League
as a 17-year-old outfielder that same year and returned for two more seasons in Manitoba. He suited up with the Giants in 1950 for the inaugural season of the Mandak League. A .300 hitter with Elmwood in 1950, Drake began his pro career in 1951 as an all-star with Topeka. After he served two years in the military, Drake put in two more seasons in the minors before his debut, at age 25, with the Cubs in April, 1956. In 1957, he was declared a Campeon de Bateo (Baseball Champion) in Havana, Cuba. He had at least .455 hits at that time.
He officially retired from baseball in 1960. Solomon Drake then went on to graduate from Philander Smith College
with a double major in Psychology and Physical Education. Drake is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi
Fraternity. He is married to Isabelle Dunlap and is the father of three children. His younger brother Sammy Drake
was also a player in the Major League baseball having spent two seasons with the Chicago Cubs and one season with the New York Mets. Drake is currently the Pastor of the Greater Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, California. In 2008, the corner of 53rd Street and Denker Avenue, where the church is located, was renamed the Rev. Dr. Solomon L. Drake Square. The ceremony for this presentation was attended by numerous members and visitors. Bernard C. Parks, the former LAPD police chief who lost to Mark Ridley-Thomas for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors seat, was one of the numerous visitors at the ceremony and briefly gave a speech praising the life and accomplishments of Pastor Drake. On September 27, 2009, a library across the street from the church was named in his honor.
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
in Major League Baseball
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...
. He played in 141 games for the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and 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...
during the 1956 & 1959 baseball seasons. Solly and his brother, Sammy, were the first African-American brothers to play in the majors.
Solly was born Solomon Louis Drake on October 23, 1930 in Little Rock, Arkansas to Jessie and Solomon Drake. He is the oldest of three children. He and his siblings were raised by their devout, Christian mother and grandparents. Throughout his childhood, he played football, baseball, ran track and field, and worked numerous small jobs. In 1948, he graduated from Dunbar High School. After high school, Solomon Drake began his baseball career when he joined the Elmwood Giants
Elmwood Giants
The name Elmwood Giants is used today and was used in the past by various baseball teams since 1905. The current Elmwood Giants Baseball Club, Inc...
of the Mandak League
Mandak League
The Manitoba-Dakota League was an independent league in North Dakota and Manitoba that was founded in 1950. It became the home for many African-American and Latino players. The league lasted through the 1957 season...
as a 17-year-old outfielder that same year and returned for two more seasons in Manitoba. He suited up with the Giants in 1950 for the inaugural season of the Mandak League. A .300 hitter with Elmwood in 1950, Drake began his pro career in 1951 as an all-star with Topeka. After he served two years in the military, Drake put in two more seasons in the minors before his debut, at age 25, with the Cubs in April, 1956. In 1957, he was declared a Campeon de Bateo (Baseball Champion) in Havana, Cuba. He had at least .455 hits at that time.
He officially retired from baseball in 1960. Solomon Drake then went on to graduate from Philander Smith College
Philander Smith College
Philander Smith College is a private, historically black college that is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It is located in Little Rock, Arkansas. The student body averages around 850 attendees, with around 30% of that figure attending part time. Although known historically as a school...
with a double major in Psychology and Physical Education. Drake is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
Fraternity. He is married to Isabelle Dunlap and is the father of three children. His younger brother Sammy Drake
Sammy Drake
Samuel Harrison Drake was a former Major League Baseball second and third baseman. He played two seasons with the Chicago Cubs from 1960 to 1961 and one season with the 1962 New York Mets expansion team. Drake died on January 27, 2010 in Los Angeles, California...
was also a player in the Major League baseball having spent two seasons with the Chicago Cubs and one season with the New York Mets. Drake is currently the Pastor of the Greater Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, California. In 2008, the corner of 53rd Street and Denker Avenue, where the church is located, was renamed the Rev. Dr. Solomon L. Drake Square. The ceremony for this presentation was attended by numerous members and visitors. Bernard C. Parks, the former LAPD police chief who lost to Mark Ridley-Thomas for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors seat, was one of the numerous visitors at the ceremony and briefly gave a speech praising the life and accomplishments of Pastor Drake. On September 27, 2009, a library across the street from the church was named in his honor.