Raymond Hall Hayworth (January 29, 1904 – September 25, 2002) was an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

player,

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

and

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement **Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom **Scouts BSA, sectio ...

. He played as a

catcher Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

between and , most notably as a member of the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

team that won two consecutive American League pennants in and and won the

1935 World Series The 1935 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1935 season. The 32nd edition of the World Series, it matched the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago Cubs. The Tigers won in six games for their first championship ...

. He was employed in

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

for nearly 50 years from 1926 to 1973. A native of

High Point, North Carolina High Point is a city in the Piedmont Triad region of the United States, U.S. state of North Carolina. Most of the city is in Guilford County, North Carolina, Guilford County, with parts extending into Randolph County, North Carolina, Randolph, ...

, Hayworth played professional baseball for 15 seasons in

with the

(1929–1938),

Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association (19th century), American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the ...

(1939, 1944–1945),

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

(1939), and

St. Louis Browns The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...

(1942). He posted a .265 career

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

with five

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s and 238 RBIs in 699 games played. A strong defensive catcher, he set an

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

record by handling 438 consecutive

total chances In baseball statistics, total chances (TC), also called ''chances offered'', represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is the sum of putouts plus assists plus errors. ''Chances accepted'' refers to the total ...

as a catcher without an

error An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'. In statistics ...

. Following his playing career, Hayworth managed the

Fort Worth Cats The Fort Worth Cats was a professional baseball team based in Fort Worth, Texas, in the United States. The Cats were a member of the South Division of the now disbanded United League Baseball, which was not affiliated with Major League Basebal ...

in 1946 and

Macon Peaches The Macon Peaches was the predominant name of the American minor league baseball franchise representing Macon, Georgia, during the 20th century. Although Macon did not field teams during and immediately after World War I, the height of the Great ...

in 1947. He also scouted the Negro leagues for

Branch Rickey Wesley Branch Rickey (December 20, 1881 – December 9, 1965) was an American baseball player and sports executive. Rickey was instrumental in breaking Major League Baseball's color barrier by signing black player Jackie Robinson. He also creat ...

and the

in 1946 and then continued scouting for more than 25 years for the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

(1947–1959), the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves (1960–1970), and the

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...

(1971–1973).

Early years

Hayworth was born in 1904 in

. He grew up as one of nine children in a Quaker family raised in a Quaker settlement south of High Point. His father had a tobacco and cotton farm and operated a store. He began playing baseball in grade school. He and three of his brothers played baseball. His brother

Red Hayworth Myron Claude "Red" Hayworth (May 14, 1916 – November 2, 2006) was an American professional baseball player, manager, coach and scout. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from to , most notably as a member of the only St. Louis Brow ...

also played in the major leagues. Hayworth was a pitcher in high school and began playing catcher at the

Oak Ridge Military Academy Oak Ridge Military Academy (ORMA) is a college-preparatory military school in northwestern Guilford County, North Carolina. The school is the third oldest military academy in the United States and the first military boarding school to admit girl ...

Oak Ridge, North Carolina Oak Ridge is a town in northwestern Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 6,185 at the 2010 census, up from 3,988 in 2000. As of 2018, the population had risen to an estimated 6,977. Oak Ridge is northwest of the cent ...

Professional baseball

Detroit Tigers

In January 1926, Hayworth was discovered at Oak Ridge by

' scout Billy Doyle. Doyle signed Hayworth for $250. He began the 1926 season with the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

of the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

, but he was called up when

Johnny Bassler John Landis Bassler (June 3, 1895 – June 29, 1979) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in professional baseball for 26 seasons between 1911 and 1937, including nine seasons in Major League Baseball with ...

broke his leg and then

Larry Woodall Charles Lawrence "Larry" Woodall (July 26, 1894 – May 16, 1963) was a professional baseball player. He played ten seasons in Major League Baseball, all in the American League with the Detroit Tigers (1920–1929), primarily as a catcher. Life ...

was also injured with a spike wound in his knee. He ended up playing 12 games for the 1926 Tigers, compiling a .233 batting average.

Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the las ...

was Hayworth's manager in 1926. He spent the 1927 and 1928 seasons in the minor leagues, playing for the

Nashville Volunteers The Nashville Vols were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1901 to 1963. Known only as the Nashville Baseball Club during their first seven seasons, they were officially named the Nashville Volunteers (often sh ...

of the

Southern Association The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A (1902–1935), Cl ...

and the

Shreveport Sports The Shreveport Sports were a professional Minor League Baseball team based in Shreveport, Louisiana, in the United States. The Sports fielded a team from 1925 to 1935, 1938 to 1942, 1946 to 1957, and 1959 to 1961. They were affiliated with the ...

of the

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

. He hit a career-high 13 home runs with Shreveport in 1928. He began the 1929 season with the

Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...

of the American Association where he played 73 games and hit for a career-high .330 batting average under manager

Casey Stengel Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel (; July 30, 1890 – September 29, 1975) was an American Major League Baseball right fielder and manager, best known as the manager of the championship New York Yankees of the 1950s and later, the expansion New York ...

. Hayworth later recalled that Stengel influenced him more than anyone else. Hayworth was recalled by the Tigers later in the 1929 season and appeared in 14 games, hitting for a .256 average. He remained with the Tigers for nearly a decade through the start of the 1938 season. He received significant playing time with 77 games 1930, 88 games in 1931, 109 games in 1932, and 134 games in 1933. Hayworth led the

with 11 passed balls in 1930, but he quickly established himself as one of the best defensive catchers in the

from 1931 to 1933. He set an American League record for the most consecutive chances by a catcher without an

at 439, over a span of 97 games from September 2, 1931, to August 29, 1932. The previous record was set by Johnny Bassler with 285 chances. In 1932, Hayworth hit .293 and ranked among the league's top catchers with a .991

fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...

(second), 59 assists (third), a 4.99 range factor per nine innings (third), 399 putouts (fourth), 31 runners caught stealing (fourth), and eight double plays turned (fifth). He ranked among the leaders again in 1933 with a .994 fielding percentage (second), 44 runners caught stealing (second), a 5.33 range factor per nine innings (second), 546 putouts (third), 79 assists (third), and 14 double plays turned (third). On December 12, 1933, the Tigers acquired Hall of Fame catcher

Mickey Cochrane Gordon Stanley "Mickey" Cochrane (April 6, 1903 – June 28, 1962), nicknamed "Black Mike", was an American professional baseball player, manager and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and Detro ...

in a trade with the

Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...

. With Cochrane's arrival, Hayworth's playing time was reduced to 54 games in 1934 and 51 games in 1935. The Tigers won the American League pennant in both of those seasons with Cochrane as player-manager. Despite the limited playing time, Hayworth hit .293 in 1934 and .309 in 1935. Hayworth attributed his higher average in 1934 and 1935 to having Cochrane facing right-handed pitchers and leaving Hayworth to face only left-handed pitchers. Cochrane suffered a nervous breakdown during the 1936 season, and Hayworth was called on to catch 81 games. He led the league's catchers with a .988 fielding percentage in 1936.

Rudy York Preston Rudolph York (August 17, 1913 – February 5, 1970) was an American professional baseball player, coach, scout, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher and a first baseman between and , most notably as a member of the ...

became the Tigers' starting catcher in 1937, and Hayworth was limited to 30 games in 1937 and eight games in 1938.

Brooklyn, New York and St. Louis

On September 14, 1938, Hayworth was selected off waivers by the

from the Tigers. He appeared in 26 games for the Dodgers in 1938 and 1939. On September 9, 1939, the Dodgers sent Hayworth to the

in exchange for $6,000 and in completion of another deal made two days earlier. He appeared in only five games for the Giants and was released on December 4, 1940. Hayworth signed with the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association in the spring of 1941. He appeared in 40 games for the Brewers, but was released at the end of June. Hayworth next signed with the

as a free agent in March 1942. He appeared in only one game and was given an unconditional release in mid-May. He finished the 1942 season playing for the

Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Field ...

of the International League. In February 1944, Hayworth signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers who needed an insurance policy in case the team's regular catchers were called to wartime duty. Hayworth remained with the Dodgers in 1944 and 1945 but appeared in only nine games. Interviewed by ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'' in 1944, Hayworth said he intended to keep playing until his knees "buckle under me," adding: "Baseball is full of regrets when you come down to your last innings. Just when you learn how to play it one morning you wake up with a crick in your knee and you realize you're washed up. It would be great turn back the clock on the outfield wall 10 years. But I guess the same thing could be said of life, too."

Managerial and scouting career

In December 1945, Brooklyn Dodgers president Branch Rickey hired Hayworth to take over as manager of the club's Texas League affiliate, the

. Hayworth coached at Fort Worth during the 1946 season and also worked as a scout for Rickey and the Dodgers in the Negro leagues. In 1947, Hayworth became manager of the

, a

affiliate. He went on to scout for the Cubs from 1947 to 1959, serving as the club's chief of scouting operations in 1959. He later scouted for the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves (1960–1970) and the

(1971–1973). He scouted

Ernie Banks Ernest Banks (January 31, 1931 – January 23, 2015), nicknamed "Mr. Cub" and "Mr. Sunshine", was an American professional baseball player who starred in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs between ...

for the Cubs and arranged to buy Banks' contract for $22,000.

Family and later years

Hayworth was married in 1927 to Virginia Jones. They two sons, Raymond Jr. and John D. His grandson,

J. D. Hayworth John David Hayworth Jr. (born July 12, 1958) is an American television host and former politician. He served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2007 from Arizona's 5th Congressional District. He curr ...

, was a Republican Party member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. In 2002, Hayworth died in

Salisbury, North Carolina Salisbury is a city in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, United States; it has been the county seat of Rowan County since 1753 when its territory extended to the Mississippi River. Located northeast of Charlotte and within its metropolita ...

, at age of 98. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living former major league player.[Deathwatch] Ray Hayworth, oldest surviving major league player, 98
/ref> He was buried at Guilford Memorial Park in Greensboro, North Carolina.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayworth, Ray Brooklyn Dodgers players Detroit Tigers players New York Giants (NL) players St. Louis Browns players Brooklyn Dodgers coaches Major League Baseball catchers Atlanta Braves scouts Chicago Cubs scouts Montreal Expos scouts Baseball players from North Carolina 1904 births 2002 deaths Minor league baseball managers Chicago Cubs coaches Sportspeople from High Point, North Carolina Columbus Senators players Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players Nashville Vols players Shreveport Sports players Toledo Mud Hens players Milwaukee Brewers (AA) players Rochester Red Wings players Rochester Red Wings managers People from High Point, North Carolina Zanesville Dodgers players