Pete Gray Wyshner (1915-2002)
Nanticoke, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
The only one-armed man to play major league baseball. Born and resided in Nanticoke's Hanover section. As a child, he lost his right arm in an accident. Named Most Valuable Player of the Southern Assn. while playing for the Memphis Chicks in 1944. In 1945, he played 77 games as an outfielder for the St. Louis Browns and batted .218. His on-field exploits set an inspirational example for disabled servicemen returning from World War II.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Pete Gray grew up in the coal town of Nanticoke, where a boyhood accident cost him his right arm — yet he taught himself to bat, field, and quickly transfer the ball from glove to bare hand. Named MVP of the Southern Association with the Memphis Chicks in 1944, he reached the majors the next year, playing 77 games in the outfield for the wartime St. Louis Browns. His single big-league season made him one of baseball's most improbable and inspiring figures.
Why it matters
Playing as thousands of wounded veterans came home from World War II, Gray showed a watching nation that a lost limb need not mean a lost future.
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Related people
- · Pete Gray Wyshner
Themes & tags
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