Sport: One-Armed Outfielder

Back in the ’80s, U.S. baseball fans were spellbound by a one-armed pitcher named Hugh Dailey. Playing big-league ball, Dailey once struck out 19 batters in one game—a record that still stands. Last week turnstiles in the Class C Canadian-American League were clicking because of another one-armed ballplayer: 26-year-old Peter Gray, center fielder for the Three Rivers (Quebec) club.

Peter Gray lost his right arm (well above the elbow) in an automobile accident when he was six. Despite his handicap, he was leading his league last week in both batting (.393) and fielding (1.000). True, he had played only 16 games (he broke his collarbone diving for a shoestring catch early in the season). But in those 16 games, his first in organized baseball, Pete Gray had given fans something to cheer about.

At bat, Pete uses the same stance and swing as most ballplayers. But his fielding is almost incredible. In one flashing paroxysm, he catches the ball in his gloved left hand, tucks it under his right stump, shakes the glove off, grabs the ball and throws. The second or two lost in this complicated motion are made up for by Gray’s powerful and accurate peg. So far this season, no errors have been chalked against him.

A quiet lad, Pete boasts of only one thing: in seven years of fast semi-pro baseball, he has never hit under .300 for a season. He confidently expects to play in the major leagues some day.