Ralph Buxton

Ralph Stanley Buxton (Buck)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11½", Weight 163 lb.
• Debut September 11, 1938
• Final Game September 23, 1949
• Born June 7, 1914 in Rainton, SK CAN
• Died January 6, 1988 in San Leandro, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Ralph Buxton saw action in two big league seasons... eleven years apart. He had a whole career in between with the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League.

Born in Saskatchewan, he went to high school in Long Beach, CA. He played in the Western League in 1934, the Pacific Coast League in 1935, the Texas League in 1937, and the Eastern League in 1938. His first do si do in the majors came at age 24, 1938, with the Philadelphia A's. He pitched 5 games, finishing 0-1, 4.82 in 9 1/3 innings, considerably better than the team's ERA of 5.48. He then began his long career with the Oakland Oaks. In 1940, he won 17 games. He was part of their great 1948 team managed by Casey Stengel and went down in history that August when Lefty O'Doul, managing the San Francisco Seals, had the umpire check Buxton's glove and found pine tar there. Buxton was suspended for ten days and the inning was eventually replayed. When Casey went to manager the New York Yankees the next year, Buxton got his second and final chance in the majors, pitching 14 games with an 0-1, 4.05 record.

Notable Achievement

• Won a World Series with the New York Yankees in 1949 (he did not play in the World Series)