Ellis Clary

Who was Ellis Clary?

Ellis Clary, nicknamed "Cat," was an American professional baseball player. Born in Valdosta, Georgia, he threw and batted right-handed, stood 5 ft 8 in tall, and weighed 160 pounds. He played in the major leagues during World War II, when the talent pool was depleted due to the military draft.

Clary's Major League Baseball career began with the Washington Senators in 1942, and he hit .275 in 240 at-bats as an infielder. In 1943, he was traded during the season to the St. Louis Browns, where he became a reserve player. He was a member of St. Louis' only American League championship team, the 1944 Browns.

In 1945, Clary batted just .211. Despite his own poor performance, he blamed the team's struggles on one-armed outfielder Pete Gray. Clary was sent down to the minor league Toledo Mud Hens in 1946. His career major league batting average was .263.

Following his playing career, Clary was a coach for the Senators for six seasons, and then a longtime scout for the Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays.

Clary is a member of the Valdosta/Lowndes County Sports Hall of Fame, the Charlotte Sports Hall of Fame, and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.