Pete Gray was born on March 6, 1915. He was a regular kid until a wagon accident at age 6. He fell off a moving wagon and got his right arm caught in the wheel spokes. He had to have his arm amputated at the elbow. Pete loved baseball and did not want to give up the sport. He taught himself to bat left-handed, but the biggest challenge was fielding. “I’d catch the ball in my glove and stick it under the stub of my right arm,” Pete said. “Then I’d squeeze the ball out of my glove with my arm and it would roll across my chest and drop to my stomach. The ball would drop right into my hand and my small, crooked finger prevented it from bounding away.” He got so good at both hitting and fielding that he made it to the minor leagues. In 1941, he wanted to leave his career and join the Army after Pearl Harbor. He was turned down because of his disability. In 1944, he had his best year in the minor leagues. He batted .333 with 63 steals and 5 home runs. He was the Southern League MVP. In 1945, the St. Louis Browns brought him up to the major leagues. Some considered it a publicity stunt and a move to boost attendance. For this reason, he was resented by his teammates. The fact that he was not successful did not help. It did not take long for major league pitchers to figure out that he had trouble with curve balls, although he seldom struck out. He hit only .218, but fielded well. He played in 77 games in left field. Off the field he was an inspiration for disabled vets as he visited military hospitals and rehabilitation centers. He always made sure he pointed out that carrying a gun into combat (which he had wanted to do) was braver than using a bat with only one arm. After the unsuccessful 1945 season, he returned to the minor leagues for several years. His glove is now in the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1986, a TV movie was made about him entitled “A Winner Never Quits”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Gray
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/68039-the-touching-story-of-pete-gray
https://www.baseballhistorycomesalive.com/pete-gray-he-did-it-with-one-arm/
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