# Merritt Ranew > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Merritt_Ranew > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Merritt_Ranew.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merritt_Ranew > Source revision: 1339137368 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American baseball player (1938–2011)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{more citations needed|date=February 2023}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Merritt Ranew |position=[Catcher](/source/Catcher) |image=Merritt_Ranew.JPG |caption=Ranew with the [Triple-A](/source/Triple-A_(baseball)) [Louisville Colonels](/source/Louisville_Colonels_(minor_league_baseball)) (1961) |bats=Left |throws=Right |birth_date={{Birth date|1938|5|10}} |birth_place=[Albany, Georgia](/source/Albany%2C_Georgia), U.S. |death_date={{Death date and age|2011|10|18|1938|05|10|mf=yes}} |death_place=[Valdosta, Georgia](/source/Valdosta%2C_Georgia), U.S. |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=April 13 |debutyear=1962 |debutteam=Houston Colt .45s |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=September 30 |finalyear=1969 |finalteam=Seattle Pilots |statleague = MLB |stat1label=[Batting average](/source/Batting_average_(baseball)) |stat1value=.247 |stat2label=[Home runs](/source/Home_runs) |stat2value=8 |stat3label=[Runs batted in](/source/Runs_batted_in) |stat3value=54 |teams= *[Houston Colt .45s](/source/Houston_Colt_.45s) ({{baseball year|1962}}) *[Chicago Cubs](/source/Chicago_Cubs) ({{baseball year|1963}}–{{baseball year|1964}}) *[Milwaukee Braves](/source/Milwaukee_Braves_(1953%E2%80%9369)) ({{baseball year|1964}}) *[Los Angeles/California Angels](/source/Los_Angeles_Angels) ({{baseball year|1965}}) *[Seattle Pilots](/source/Seattle_Pilots) ({{baseball year|1969}}) }} '''Merritt Thomas Ranew''' (May 10, 1938 – October 18, 2011) was an American professional [baseball](/source/baseball) [catcher](/source/catcher) who appeared in 269 [games](/source/games_played) over all or parts of five [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) seasons (1962–65; 1969) for five different teams. He batted [left-handed](/source/left-handed), threw [right-handed](/source/right-handed), and was listed as {{convert|5|ft|11|in}} tall and {{convert|170|lb}}. ==Early professional career== Ranew was born in [Albany, Georgia](/source/Albany%2C_Georgia). After graduating from [Lee County High School (Leesburg, Georgia)](/source/Lee_County_High_School_(Leesburg%2C_Georgia)), he signed with the [Milwaukee Braves](/source/Milwaukee_Braves_(1953%E2%80%9365)) in 1957 and spent five years rising through the Braves' [farm system](/source/farm_system), reaching the [Triple-A](/source/Triple-A_(baseball)) level in 1961 with the [Louisville Colonels](/source/Louisville_Colonels_(minor_league)). At Louisville, he [batted](/source/batting_average_(baseball)) .347 in limited service, his third consecutive over-300 season. On October 10, 1961, he was the 17th overall selection in the [1961 MLB Expansion Draft](/source/1961_MLB_Expansion_Draft) as the ninth pick of the fledgling [Houston Colt .45s](/source/Houston_Colt_.45s). ==Major League service== Ranew began {{mlby|1962}} on the Colt .45s' roster. He appeared in 63 games, starting 45 games at catcher, through July 15, but he hit only .227 with three [home runs](/source/home_runs) and was sent to Triple-A [Oklahoma City](/source/Oklahoma_City_89ers) for six weeks before a September recall. During [spring training](/source/spring_training) in {{mlby|1963}}, Houston traded him to the [Chicago Cubs](/source/Chicago_Cubs), where he spent the full season as a [pinch hitter](/source/pinch_hitter) and third-string catcher and batted a lofty .338 with three home runs and 15 RBI in 78 games.{{Cite web |title=Merritt Ranew Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ranewme01.shtml |access-date=March 1, 2023 |website=[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com) |language=en}} He was especially successful as a pinch hitter, with 17 [hits](/source/hit_(baseball)) in 41 [at-bats](/source/at_bats) (.415), including two [doubles](/source/double_(baseball)) and one [home run](/source/home_run).{{Cite web |title=Merritt Ranew 1963 Batting Splits |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.fcgi?id=ranewme01&t=b&year=1963 |access-date= |website=[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com) |language=en}} However, he began {{mlby|1964}} in a deep slump and was hitting only .091 with three hits in 16 games when he was traded back to the Braves on June 3.{{Cite web |title=The 1964 CHI N Regular Season Batting Log for Merritt Ranew |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1964/Iranem1010031964.htm |access-date= |website=[Retrosheet](/source/Retrosheet)}} He collected only two more hits with Milwaukee before he was sent to Triple-A [Toronto](/source/Toronto_Maple_Leafs_(International_League)). The [Los Angeles Angels](/source/Los_Angeles_Angels) acquired Ranew before the {{mlby|1965}} campaign and recalled him from the Triple-A [Seattle Angels](/source/Seattle_Angels) in June; he spent the rest of the season with the MLB Angels, appearing in 24 games and collecting 19 hits. Returning to Seattle at the outset of 1966, Ranew was batting .283 in 25 games when, on May 11, he sustained serious head injuries during a wild, on-field fight between his club and the [Vancouver Mounties](/source/Vancouver_Mounties). After Seattle [pitcher](/source/pitcher) [Jim Coates](/source/Jim_Coates) was accused of throwing [beanball](/source/beanball)s, Vancouver's [Tommie Reynolds](/source/Tommie_Reynolds) dropped a [bunt](/source/bunt_(baseball)) down the first-base line and charged into Coates as he tried to field it, precipitating a bench-clearing brawl. Catcher Ranew, engaging with Reynolds, was hit in the head by a bat-wielding [Santiago Rosario](/source/Santiago_Rosario), the on-deck hitter. Ranew was hospitalized and underwent surgery in a Seattle hospital on June 4 to relieve a blood clot; he missed the rest of the season recovering from the injury. Rosario was suspended for the balance of the 1966 campaign.{{Cite web |last=Lemke |first=Bob |date=December 27, 2016 |title=Bob Lemke's Blog: Ranew survived 1966 bat attack |url=http://boblemke.blogspot.com/2016/12/ranew-survived-1966-bat-attack.html |access-date= |website=Bob Lemke's Blog}} Ranew was able to rejoin the Seattle Angels in 1967 and played in 91 [Pacific Coast League](/source/Pacific_Coast_League) games. Then, after spending 1968 in the [New York Yankees](/source/New_York_Yankees)' organization, he returned to Seattle as a member of the {{mlby|1969}} [Seattle Pilots](/source/Seattle_Pilots), the [American League](/source/American_League) [expansion team](/source/expansion_team). He appeared in 54 games for the Pilots, starting nine contests at catcher, three in [left field](/source/left_fielder), and one at [third base](/source/third_baseman), collected 20 hits and hit .247—coincidentally, his career big-league batting average. It was his last year in the major leagues. He retired in 1971 after 15 seasons in professional baseball. Ranew's 147 MLB hits included 20 doubles, nine [triples](/source/triple_(baseball)) and eight home runs. He had 54 career [runs batted in](/source/runs_batted_in). After leaving baseball, he became a well-known trainer of [quarter horses](/source/quarter_horses) and [cutting horses](/source/cutting_horses) in [Georgia](/source/Georgia_(U.S._state)), [Florida](/source/Florida) and [Texas](/source/Texas), as well as a rider.{{Cite web |date=October 19, 2011 |title=In Memory of Merritt Ranew |url=http://www.astrosdaily.com/players/obits/Ranew_Merritt.html |access-date= |website=Astros Daily |publisher=Albany Journal}} He died in [Valdosta, Georgia](/source/Valdosta%2C_Georgia), aged 73. ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{Baseballstats|br=r/ranewme01|brm=ranew-001mer}} *[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/R/Pranem101.htm Retrosheet] {{DEFAULTSORT:Ranew, Merritt}} Category:1938 births Category:2011 deaths Category:American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Category:Austin Braves players Category:Baseball players from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:California Angels players Category:Cedar Rapids Braves players Category:Chicago Cubs players Category:Denver Bears players Category:Hawaii Islanders players Category:Houston Colt .45s players Category:Jacksonville Braves players Category:Los Angeles Angels players Category:Louisville Colonels (minor league) players Category:Major League Baseball catchers Category:McCook Braves players Category:Milwaukee Braves players Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:Navegantes del Magallanes players Category:Oklahoma City 89ers players Category:People from Lee County, Georgia Category:Seattle Angels players Category:Seattle Pilots players Category:Sportspeople from Albany, Georgia Category:Syracuse Chiefs players Category:Tiburones de La Guaira players Category:Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players Category:Vancouver Mounties players Category:Wellsville Braves players Category:Yakima Braves players --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Merritt Ranew](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merritt_Ranew) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merritt_Ranew?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.