Ray Hayworth

Ray Hayworth
File:Ray Hayworth 1939.jpg
Catcher
Born: (1904-01-29)January 29, 1904 High Point, North Carolina
Died: Salisbury, North Carolina
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
June 27, 1926, for the Detroit Tigers
Last MLB appearance
June 18, 1945, for the Brooklyn Dodgers
MLB statistics
Batting average	.265
Home runs	5
RBI	238
Teams
Detroit Tigers (1926, 1929–1938) Brooklyn Dodgers (1938–1939) New York Giants (1939) St. Louis Browns (1942) Brooklyn Dodgers (1944–1945)
Career highlights and awards
Participated in the 1934 World Series

Raymond Hall Hayworth (January 29, 1904 – September 25, 2002) was a catcher in Major League Baseball. From 1926 through 1945, Hayworth played for the Detroit Tigers, Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants and St. Louis Browns. He batted and threw right-handed.

Career

A native of High Point, North Carolina, Ray Hayworth was a solid defensive catcher but a modest hitter. Hayworth, who worked in baseball for more than 50 years, spent 15 seasons in the majors, almost all of it with the Detroit Tigers. He played with Ty Cobb in 1926, Hayworth's rookie season, and Cobb's final season in Detroit.

Hayworth was a member of two World Series teams with Detroit in 1934 and 1935. He set an American League record for most consecutive chances by a catcher without an error at 439, from September 2, 1931 to August 29, 1932, and his glove is exhibited in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The record was later broken by Hall of Famer Yogi Berra.

Hayworth also had two stints with the Brooklyn Dodgers and played briefly for the New York Giants and St. Louis Browns. He posted a .265 career batting average with five home runs and 238 RBI in 699 games played.

Following his playing career, Hayworth worked for several teams, including the Chicago Cubs, the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves and the Montreal Expos. Hayworth retired from baseball in 1973. After that, he threw out the ceremonial first ball in the last game played at Tiger Stadium on September 29, 1999.

Hayworth died in Salisbury, North Carolina, at age of 98. At the time of his death, he was the oldest surviving major league player.

His younger brother, Red Hayworth, also was a major league catcher, and his grandson, J. D. Hayworth, was a Republican Party member of the United States House of Representatives from Arizona between 1995 and 2007.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
• Baseball Library
• Detroit Free Press
• Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers
• Hayworth Obituary

Records
Preceded by Ralph Erickson	Oldest recognized verified living baseball player June 27, 2002 – September 25, 2002	Succeeded by Paul Hopkins