# Ray Shearer

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ray_Shearer
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ray_Shearer.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Shearer
> Source revision: 1329618235
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{short description|American baseball player (1929-1982)}}
{{for|the Australian footballer|Ray Shearer (footballer)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Ray Shearer
|position=[Outfielder](/source/Outfielder)
|image=Ray Shearer.jpg
|caption = Ray Shearer 
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date|1929|9|19}}
|birth_place=[Jacobus, Pennsylvania](/source/Jacobus%2C_Pennsylvania), U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|1982|2|21|1929|9|19}}
|death_place=[York, Pennsylvania](/source/York%2C_Pennsylvania), U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=September 18
|debutyear=1957
|debutteam=Milwaukee Braves
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 29
|finalyear=1957
|finalteam=Milwaukee Braves
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[Games played](/source/Games_played)
|stat1value=2
|stat2label=[At bat](/source/At_bat)s
|stat2value=2
|stat3label=[Hit](/source/Hit_(baseball))s
|stat3value=1
|teams=
* [Milwaukee Braves](/source/Milwaukee_Braves_(1953%E2%80%9369)) ({{Baseball year|1957}})
}}
'''Ray Solomon Shearer''' (September 19, 1929 – February 21, 1982) was an American professional [baseball](/source/baseball) player. He played in two [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) games for the [Milwaukee Braves](/source/Milwaukee_Braves_(1953%E2%80%9369)) in 1957, one as a [left fielder](/source/left_fielder) and the other as a [pinch hitter](/source/pinch_hitter).

== Early career ==
Born in [Jacobus, Pennsylvania](/source/Jacobus%2C_Pennsylvania),<ref name=york>''York County (PA) Court House, County Records''</ref> Shearer was signed by the [Brooklyn Dodgers](/source/Brooklyn_Dodgers) before the 1950 season and had a big year in his first season in pro ball, hitting .317 for the [Sheboygan Indians](/source/Sheboygan_Indians) and leading the class D [Wisconsin State League](/source/Wisconsin_State_League) with 30 [home run](/source/home_run)s and 137 [RBIs](/source/RBIs).<ref name=brguide/> He spent the next eight seasons (1950–57) in the [minors](/source/minor_league_baseball), hitting over .300 three different times with double-digit figures in home runs seven of those years. The Dodgers traded Shearer to the Milwaukee Braves for [Jim Frey](/source/Jim_Frey) on July 4, 1956.

== 1957: MLB cup of coffee ==
Shearer played for the [Wichita Braves](/source/Wichita_Braves) of the American Association in 1957, hitting .316 with 29 [home run](/source/home_run)s in 138 games.<ref name=brguide/> He was given a late-season promotion to the majors, and made his MLB debut on September 18, with the Milwaukee Braves. He started the game in left field for the Braves who were hosting the New York Giants.<ref name=debut>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MLN/MLN195709180.shtml NYG 8, MLN 2, September 18, 1957]</ref> In his first plate appearance, Shearer struck out against [Johnny Antonelli](/source/Johnny_Antonelli). He [walked](/source/base_on_balls) in his second plate appearance before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning.<ref name=debut/>

=== Moment in the spotlight ===
On September 29, on the final day of the 1957 season in front of 45,000 fans at [County Stadium](/source/County_Stadium), Shearer helped the Milwaukee Braves to a come-from-behind victory. The Braves, who had already clinched the [pennant](/source/pennant_(sports)), were trailing the [Cincinnati Redlegs](/source/Cincinnati_Redlegs) 3–2 in bottom of the ninth inning when [Joe Adcock](/source/Joe_Adcock) led off the inning with a [base hit](/source/base_hit) off new Redlegs' pitcher [Bill Kennedy](/source/Bill_Kennedy_(1948%E2%80%931957_pitcher)).<ref name=box>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MLN/MLN195709290.shtml September 29, 1957 box score]</ref> The Braves brought in [Mel Roach](/source/Mel_Roach) to [pinch run](/source/pinch-runner) for Adcock, and [Del Crandall](/source/Del_Crandall) to pinch-hit for [pitcher](/source/pitcher) [Don McMahon](/source/Don_McMahon).<ref name=box/> After Crandall flied out to center field, Shearer was brought in to pinch-hit for [catcher](/source/catcher) [Carl Sawatski](/source/Carl_Sawatski).<ref name=box/> Shearer came through with a single to right field advancing Roach to third base with the tying run, and becoming the potential winning run on first base.<ref name=brguide/>

[Andy Pafko](/source/Andy_Pafko) [struck out](/source/strikeout) against Kennedy for the second out of the inning, bringing up [Red Schoendienst](/source/Red_Schoendienst),<ref name=box/> who kept the inning alive with another single, his league-leading 200th hit of the year, advancing Shearer to second base while Roach scored the tying run. Light-hitting shortstop [Félix Mantilla](/source/F%C3%A9lix_Mantilla_(baseball)) then came to bat and drove a single to left field, scoring Shearer and giving the Braves a 4–3 victory for their 95th win.<ref name=brguide/> Shearer's [base hit](/source/base_hit) was the only one for the 28-year-old [outfielder](/source/outfielder), giving him a lifetime .500 [batting average](/source/batting_average_(baseball)) in the major leagues.<ref name=brguide>''Baseball Players from The 1950s'', ''Baseball Reference Guide '', June 3, 1974</ref> It was also Kennedy's final major league appearance.<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kennebi02.shtml Bill Kennedy page at Baseball-Reference]</ref>

== Return to the minors ==
After his late season call-up to County Stadium in Milwaukee in 1957, his only shot at the big leagues, Shearer spent the rest of his career in the minors, playing five more seasons, all in class A ball or better.<ref name=brguide/> He played with teams like the [Nashville Vols](/source/Nashville_Vols), [Atlanta Crackers](/source/Atlanta_Crackers), [Louisville Colonels](/source/Louisville_Colonels_(minor_league_baseball)) and [Richmond Virginians](/source/Richmond_Virginians) and finished out his 13-season minor league run in 1962 with the [York White Roses](/source/York_White_Roses) and the Augusta Yankees.<ref name=brguide/> Shearer was 32 years old when he left baseball and had put together a minor league stat sheet with a .288 average and 204 home runs while appearing in 1,614 games.<ref name=brguide/>

Shearer died in [York, Pennsylvania](/source/York%2C_Pennsylvania) at the age of 52.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ex-Big Leaguer Ray Shearer Dies at 52|work=[The York Dispatch](/source/The_York_Dispatch)|date= February 22, 1982|page= 28}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{baseballstats | br=s/shearra01 | brm=sheare001ray }}
*{{sabrbio|ray-shearer}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shearer, Ray}}
Category:1929 births
Category:1982 deaths
Category:American expatriate baseball players in Cuba
Category:Asheville Tourists players
Category:Atlanta Crackers players
Category:Augusta Yankees players
Category:Austin Braves players
Category:Baseball players from York, Pennsylvania
Category:Fort Worth Cats players
Category:Havana Sugar Kings players
Category:Jersey City Jerseys players
Category:Louisville Colonels (minor league) players
Category:Major League Baseball left fielders
Category:Milwaukee Braves players
Category:20th-century American sportsmen
Category:Mobile Bears players
Category:Montreal Royals players
Category:Nashville Vols players
Category:Pueblo Dodgers players
Category:Richmond Virginians (minor league) players
Category:Salt Lake City Bees players
Category:Sheboygan Indians players
Category:Wichita Braves players
Category:York White Roses players

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ray Shearer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Shearer) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Shearer?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.