One-Armed Wonder: Pete Gray, Wartime Baseball, and the American Dream [Paperback]

William C. Kashatus (Author), Bill Borst (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2001

In the spring of 1945 Pete Gray, who had lost his right arm in a childhood accident, made his debut with the St. Louis Browns of the American League. Dubbed "the one-armed wonder" by sportswriters, Gray was a controversial figure from the moment he stepped on a major league diamond. Club owners saw him as a gate attraction for war-weary baseball fans; some of his teammates openly questioned his ability and felt that he cost them a chance to capture a second consecutive pennant. Gray was left to wonder just how good a ballplayer he really was. Though some may have doubted Gray's ability, no one questioned the cantankerous outfielder's desire to reach the major leagues. From the coalfields of northeastern Pennsylvania, Pete Gray fought his way through the minor leagues with single-minded determination. Despite his missing arm, he was the most valuable player of the minor league's Southern Association in 1944. His on-field exploits and relentless fire became an inspiration to the many servicemen who returned from the battlefields of World War II with missing limbs.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"a fine biography" -- Philadelphia Inquirer

"much more than just a story of one man's courage and determination" -- The Commercial Appeal

About the Author

William C. Kashatus is a professional historian at the Chester County Historical Society in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He is also a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania. A regular contributor to the Philadelphia Daily News, he is also the author of Connie Mack's '29 Triumph (1999, $28.50) and Mike Schmidt (2000, $22.50).

Product Details

• Paperback: 171 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786400943
• ISBN-13: 978-0786400942
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,300,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-written story of a one-armed man who played in Majors., August 7, 1999

By 

Coach T (Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: One-Armed Wonder: Pete Gray, Wartime Baseball, and the American Dream (Paperback)

This book is well-written. It is the life story of Major League Baseball's one-armed outfielder, Pete Gray. Gray grew up in the Hanover section of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania in the coal belt. He lost his right arm as a youngster, yet still played one year in the Major League for the St. Louis Browns. Grey was MVP of class AAA Memphis, stealing 68 bases and batting over .300. Here's the neat part: I visited Pete Gray this week (8-5-99), who is 84 years old, in a nursing home in Sheatown (near Nanticoke, PA). He signed my book and we spoke for about 30 minutes. He is still very sharp and friendly. The book reflects life in the coal towns. Gray (who's real last name is Wyshner, which is listed on his nursing home room) told me he never worked, making his income only from baseball. He said his most memorable moment was going 8 for 8 in a doubleheader, then getting pinch hit for in his 9th at-bat! A great book for history buffs. Vince Trivelpiece 8-7-99

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid Biography of Pete Gray's Experience in MLB, August 13, 2006

By 

Roger D. Launius "Historian" (Washington, D.C., United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One-Armed Wonder: Pete Gray, Wartime Baseball, and the American Dream (Paperback)

When Pete Gray reached the St. Louis Browns in 1945, the team was coming off the only pennant-winning season in its history. This fine biography by veteran baseball historian William C. Kashatus relates the story of Gray before, during, and after his stint with the Browns. Sportswriters dubbed Gray the "one-armed wonder." Born Peter J. Wyshner in the grimy coal-mining town of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, Gray at age six lost his right arm in a farming accident. He showed remarkable perseverance, however, and pursued sports with a zeal born of adversity. He overcame his handicap to play semi-pro and later professional ball. In 1943 and 1944 he stared for the Class A Southern Association's Memphis Chicks. In 1944 he hit .333, drove in sixty runs, stole sixty-three bases, led the league in fielding percentage, and was voted the Southern Association's most valuable player. While his handicap certainly raised questions about his ability to play in the major league, his 1944 performance earned him a serious look and the Browns acquired his contract for $20,000. Manager Luke Sewell viewed Gray as a sparkplug whose bat and speed would stimulate the Browns' pitiful offense. His strong fielding could only help in the outfield. The Browns' owner believed the one-armed outfielder would also be a gate attraction, especially for thousands of soldiers returning from World War II with handicaps just as significant as Gray's.

For his part, Gray understood that he was something of a token acquisition for the team, but he believed he could help the perennial American League doormat. And Gray had some spectacular moments, as Kashatus relates. He beat the Tigers all by himself during their first meeting of the season. A reporter with the "Detroit News" opined in June 1945 that no one could any longer be suspicious of the Browns' owner for "hiring the outfielder for box office purposes. That he helps the gate receipts is inevitable, but that he helped the Browns win games now is evident to all who have watched him play." And he did help at the gate. By July 1945 the Browns had won over many die-hard Cardinals fans because of the sympathy and excitement generated by Gray's presence in a Browns uniform.

Unfortunately for Gray and the Browns, the "one-armed wonder" could not sustain his early season success. Once opposing pitchers found his weakness they were merciless. Since he had only one arm he had to start the bat earlier than most other hitters and had less control over it once he began his swing. He had become a star in the Southern Association by murdering fast balls, and he could hit big league ones as well, but he had trouble with curves and change-ups because of his difficulty in altering the bat during his swing. Appearing in seventy-seven games for the Browns, Gray batted only .218 with fifty-one hits in 234 plate appearances. Sewell finally benched him when his hitting tapered off.

In an irony of the first magnitude, the noble experiment of giving a one-armed ballplayer a major league opportunity may have actually cost the Browns the pennant. While his teammates admired Gray's courage and resolution in overcoming a handicap, several blamed their third-place finish on him. According to third baseman Mark Christman: "Pete did a great job with what he had. But he cost us the pennant in 1945. We finished third, only six games out. There were an awful lot of ground balls hit to center field. When the kids who hit those balls were pretty good runners, they could keep on going and wind up at second base [because Gray could not throw the ball in as fast as a two-armed player]. I know that lost us eight or ten ball games because it took away the double play or somebody would single and the runner on second would score, where if he had been on first it would take two hits to get him to score."

When the Browns' 1945 season ended, so did the major league career of Pete Gray. Thereafter he played with several minor league clubs all over the country but retired to his hometown of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, in 1949. He finally died in 2002, but was still alive when Kashatus wrote this short biography and oral histories provided much of the information contained in this work.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One-Armed Wonder: Pete Gray, Wartime Baseball, and The Amer, January 19, 2000

By 

Juan Domingo Peron (Suffolk County, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: One-Armed Wonder: Pete Gray, Wartime Baseball, and the American Dream (Paperback)

Brilliant overview of not only the man, rather a well balanced portrayal of his struggles, victories and defeats. A fine overview of the culture in which he was nurtured, (and ultimately retired into), helps set the tone for this fine biography.

Having met Mr. Gray, I believe in this books authenticity.