Billy Raimondi/pagetext

From SABR Encyclopedia

Contents 1 Profile 1.1 Personal 1.2 Pre-professional career 1.3 Achievements 1.4 Outside of baseball 1.5 Career notes 1.6 Contract signing 1.7 Relatives 2 Sources

[edit] Profile

[edit] Personal

• Resided in Alameda, California in 1952.
• Resided in Alameda, California in 1953.
• Self-identified as being of Italian ancestry.
• Was the oldest player in the Pacific Coast League, having spent the last 17 seasons in the league with all but 1950 with Oakland.
• Was the oldest player in 1953, in point of service, being in the Pacific Coast League since 1933.
• Said in 1952 the funniest play he ever saw was Joe Becker stealing second, then reversing himself and stealing first, sliding into the bag both times.
• Said his greatest thrill came in helping his team win games.
• Was regarded as the best catching prospect in the league in 1935.
• Had a fling at managing the Oakland Oaks for weeks when Dolph Camilli resigned.
• SABR member

[edit] Pre-professional career

• Attended high school in Oakland, California.
• Was an all-city catcher for two years in high school.

[edit] Achievements

• As of 1952, had caught 100 or more games in the 16 of his 17 years in the Pacific Coast League, the lone year under 100 was 1941 when he caught 97 games.

[edit] Outside of baseball

• Was a laborer during the off-season in 1952.

[edit] Career notes

• "Inactive because of arm injury" in 1936.

[edit] Contract signing

• Was purchased by the New York Yankees but they were overstocked with high class receivers and he was sold to Cincinnati' he reported to the Reds with a bad arm and it shelved him throughout the 1936 season.
• Was released by Sacramento after the 1950 season and he signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Angels.

[edit] Relatives

• Three of his brothers also played in the Pacific Coast League.

[edit] Sources

• 1952 Pacific Coast League Thumbnail Sketches.
• 1953 Pacific Coast League Sketch Book.
• SABR Bulletin, Volume 15, issue 5.