Ralph Rowe
Encyclopedia
Ralph Emanuel Rowe was an American
outfielder
and manager
in minor league baseball
, and a coach
at the Major League
level. A native and lifelong resident of Newberry, South Carolina
, Rowe threw right-handed, batted left-handed, stood 5'6" (167 cm) tall and weighed 175 pounds (79 kg). He graduated from Newberry High School and attended Newberry College
.
Rowe's professional career got off to a rousing start in 1942, when he batted
.357 for the Thomasville Hi-Toms
, a Cleveland Indians
affiliate in the Class D North Carolina State League
. But he lost the next four full seasons (1943-46) to military service and, despite batting .360 and leading the 1948 Class B Tri-State League
in runs batted in (123), he spent most of his playing career at the Double-A level. Rowe's career reached its apex with a 14-game trial with the Los Angeles Angels
of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League
in 1949. He played in the farm systems of the Indians, Chicago Cubs
, Chicago White Sox
and the Washington Senators
through 1958, then became a manager in the Washington/Minnesota Twins
farm system from 1959-71, winning two league championships. His overall record was 836-757 (.525).
He finally reached the Major Leagues as a coach, serving for four seasons with the Twins (1972-75) as their third base coach, and four more (1981-84) as the batting coach of the Baltimore Orioles
. He was a member of the Orioles' staff during their 1983
world championship season
. Rowe also served as a roving minor league batting coach for the Twins, Orioles, and, after 1984, the Montreal Expos
.
He died in Newberry at the age of 71.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
and manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
in minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
, and a coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
at the Major League
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
level. A native and lifelong resident of Newberry, South Carolina
Newberry, South Carolina
Newberry is a city in Newberry County, South Carolina, 43 miles west -northwest of Columbia. The charter was adopted in 1894. In 1890, 3,020 people lived in Newberry, South Carolina; in 1900, 4,607; in 1910, 5,028; and in 1940, 7,510. The population was 10,580 at the 2000 census. It is the county...
, Rowe threw right-handed, batted left-handed, stood 5'6" (167 cm) tall and weighed 175 pounds (79 kg). He graduated from Newberry High School and attended Newberry College
Newberry College
Newberry College is a liberal-arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located on a historic campus in Newberry, South Carolina.The college has 1,025 students and a 19:1 student-teacher ratio...
.
Rowe's professional career got off to a rousing start in 1942, when he batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.357 for the Thomasville Hi-Toms
Thomasville Hi-Toms
The Thomasville HiToms are a baseball team in the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The team plays its home games at Historic Finch Field in Thomasville, North Carolina. The HiToms were one of the earlier teams to compete in the Coastal Plain League and first started...
, a Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
affiliate in the Class D North Carolina State League
North Carolina State League
The North Carolina State League was a "Class D" league in Minor League Baseball. The original version of the league existed from 1913-1917 as the successor to the Carolina Association...
. But he lost the next four full seasons (1943-46) to military service and, despite batting .360 and leading the 1948 Class B Tri-State League
Tri-State League
The Tri-State League was the name of five different circuits in American minor league baseball.-History:The first league of that name played for four years and consisted of teams in Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia....
in runs batted in (123), he spent most of his playing career at the Double-A level. Rowe's career reached its apex with a 14-game trial with the Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels (PCL)
The Los Angeles Angels were a team based in Los Angeles, California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1957, after which they transferred to Spokane, Washington to become the Spokane Indians. Los Angeles would later become the host city to a Major League Baseball team, the...
of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
in 1949. He played in the farm systems of the Indians, Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
and the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
through 1958, then became a manager in the Washington/Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
farm system from 1959-71, winning two league championships. His overall record was 836-757 (.525).
He finally reached the Major Leagues as a coach, serving for four seasons with the Twins (1972-75) as their third base coach, and four more (1981-84) as the batting coach of the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. He was a member of the Orioles' staff during their 1983
1983 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 11, 1983 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandJohn Denver, whose Thank God I'm a Country Boy was played at the seventh-inning stretch of each Orioles home game, sang the National Anthem prior to this game....
world championship season
1983 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing 1st in the American League East with a record of 98 wins and 64 losses...
. Rowe also served as a roving minor league batting coach for the Twins, Orioles, and, after 1984, the Montreal Expos
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
.
He died in Newberry at the age of 71.