| Reinaldo Drake | |
|---|---|
| Center fielder / Manager | |
| Born:March 15, 1923 Havana, Cuba | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| Negro American League debut | |
| 1945, for the Cincinnati Clowns | |
| Last appearance | |
| 1954, for the Indianapolis Clowns | |
| Negro American League statistics | |
| Batting average | .274 |
| Home runs | 2 |
| Runs batted in | 34 |
| Managerial record | 4–9–1 |
| Winning % | .308 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| As player As manager
| |
Reinaldo Verdes Drake (born March 15,1923),sometimes spelled "Dreke",was a Cuban professional baseball Negro league center fielder and manager who played and managed in the 1940s.
A native of Havana,Cuba,Drake made his Negro leagues debut in 1945 with the Cincinnati Clowns. [1] [2] He remained with the club when it moved to Indianapolis the following season,and was one of three player-managers to manage the Clowns in 1947. The 1947 Clowns were 4–9–1 under Drake’s management,with future Hall of Fame shortstop Willie Wells (14–29) and shortstop/third baseman Hoss Walker (17–19) also serving as player-managers during the season. Drake played with the Clowns through 1954,and was selected to the East–West All-Star Game in 1953. [3] Drake later played minor league baseball with the Yakima Braves. [4]
