Bill Drake (baseball)

For other people named Bill Drake, see Bill Drake (disambiguation).

Drake at the 1924 Colored World Series.

William "Plunk" Drake (June 8, 1895, Sedalia, Missouri - October 30, 1977) was a Negro League baseball pitcher.

Drake pitched for top Negro League teams between 1915 and 1930, primarily remembered for his time with the Kansas City Monarchs, participating in two Colored World Series in 1924 and 1925. He gained his colorful nickname from his propensity for pitching inside to batters and his willingness to hit batters who crowded the plate. He claimed to have taught Satchel Paige his famous Hesitation Pitch, though credit is usually given to Bill Gatewood.

Teams played for

• Tennessee Rats, 1914
• All Nations, 1915
• St. Louis Giants, 1916–21
• St. Louis Stars, 1922 & 1930
• Kansas City Monarchs, 1922–26
• Indianapolis ABCs, 1926
• Dayton Marcos, 1926
• Memphis Red Sox, 1926
• Detroit Stars, 1927

References

• Peterson, Robert (1984). Only the Ball Was White. McGraw-Hill Book Company. ISBN 0070495998. 
• Riley, James A. (1994). The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues. New York, NY: Carroll & Graf. ISBN 0786709596. 
• Holway, John B. (2001). The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues: The Other Half of Baseball History. Fern Park, FL: Hastings House Publishers. ISBN 0803820070. 
• University of Missouri-St Louis Negro Baseball Project: Oral History Interview with Bill Drake

External links

• Negro league baseball statistics for some seasons and player information from Seamheads.com
• Bill Drake (baseball) at Find a Grave