Raymond Emmett Dandridge (1933-1955)
Raymond Emmett Dandridge was born in 1913 in Richmond, Virginia. Dandridge started playing sandlot ball in Buffalo, New York in 1928 with Jacobson Pharmacy. From 1931 to 1933, Ray played semi-professional baseball in Richmond (Virginia) for the Richmond All-Stars, Richmond Violets and Paramount All-Stars. In 1933 he signed with the Detroit Stars of the Negro National League. During his Negro National League career, Dandridge played for the following teams:
Detroit Stars 1933
Nashville Elite Giants 1933
Newark Dodgers 1934-1935
Newark Eagles 1936-1939, 1942 & 1944
New York Cubans 1948-1949
Like most Negro league players, Ray would continue to play baseball when the Negro League season ended. He played for the following barnstorming teams during his career: Colored All-Stars, Satchel Paige’s All-Stars, Brooklyn Eagles, American All-Stars, Negro National League All-Stars and Luke Easters All-Stars. Dandridge also played winter league baseball in the California Winter league (1 season with the Kansas City Royals), Cuba (11 seasons), Venezuela (2 seasons), Mexico (1 season) and Puerto Rico (2 seasons).
Ray Dandridge
Ray played baseball in Latin America for the following teams:
Caracas Venezuelan League 1938-1939
Vera Cruz Mexican League 1939-1943
Mexico City Reds Mexican League 1945-1947
Vera Cruz Mexican League 1948
Escogido Dominican Summer League 1953
In 1949, Alex Pompez, the owner of the New York Cubans, sold Dandridge’s contract to the New York Giants of the National League. During his career in organized baseball, Ray played for the Minneapolis Millers (American Association) from 1949-1952, Sacramento Solons (Pacific Coast League) in 1953 and the Oakland Oaks (Pacific Coast League) in 1953. Ray Dandridge finished his professional baseball career with the Bismarck Barons of the Mandak League from 1954-1955.
Highlights of Ray Dandridge’s baseball career include:
• Negro National League batting title (1938 -.417)
• Negro League All-Star team (1935, 1937 and 1944)
• Negro National League career batting average .355
• Mexican League batting title (1948 - .373)
• Numerous all star teams in Latin America
• Considered one of the greatest third basemen of all time
• American Association Most Valuable Player (1950)
• Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame (1989)
• National Baseball Hall of Fame (Cooperstown) ( 1987)
Center for Negro League Baseball Research
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