Ray Caldwell

Caldwell was a successful major league pitcher and hitter who could have been even more successful if not for his off-field activities.

Caldwell was born in Corydon, Pa., on April 26, 1888. Corydon no longer exists because in 1965 it was put under the water of the Allegheny Reservoir when the Kinzua Dam was built. He grew up and completed high school at Salamanca.

Caldwell had a 133-120 record with 184 complete games and an ERA of 3.22 while pitching for the New York Highlanders, also called the Americans and later the Yankees, from 1910 through 1918, the Boston Red Sox for part of 1919 and the Cleveland Indians from 1919 through 1921. He had 1,006 strikeouts and 21 shutouts.

He won 20 games in 1920 for the Indians. He pitched more than 300 innings in 1915 with the Yankees and worked more than 200 innings in 1911, 1914, 1917 and 1920.

more about Ray Caldwell

Memorabilia

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Ray Caldwell pennant.

Ray Caldwell as a NY Highlander (1910-12).

Back of postcard Ray sent to his grandmother in 1911 when he was a rookie with the NY Highlanders (now Yankees).

Postcard Ray sent to his grandmother in 1911 when he was a rookie with the NY Highlanders (now Yankees).

Ray Caldwell in cigarette advertisement.

1915 Sporting News baseball card. From 'Slim' - A Documentary History of the Professional Baseball Career of Ray 'Slim' Caldwell, compiled by RJ Smith.

1919 Helmar Brewing Co. baseball card. From 'Slim' - A Documentary History of the Professional Baseball Career of Ray 'Slim' Caldwell, compiled by RJ Smith.

Drawing of Caldwell when he played AA in Kansas City, 1922-24.

1929 Birmingham Barons minor league team.

1929 Cracker Jack baseball card. From 'Slim' - A Documentary History of the Professional Baseball Career of Ray 'Slim' Caldwell, compiled by RJ Smith.

Birmingham Barons, 1931.

John George Taylor Spink (November 6, 1888 – December 7, 1962), or Taylor Spink, was the publisher of The Sporting News from 1914 until his death in 1962. He inherited the weekly American baseball newspaper from his father Charles Spink, younger brother of its founder Alfred H. Spink. Upon Taylor Spink's death in 1962, the Baseball Writers' Association of America established the annual J. G. Taylor Spink Award, given to writers "for meritorious contributions to baseball writing", and made him its first recipient. Telegram dated August 1, 1946.

Certificate Ray Caldwell received when he was inducted into the defunct Jamestown Sports Hall of Fame in 1954.

Las Vegas police registration card from 1958 when Ray Caldwell was working at a casino.

Comic strip version of Ray Caldwell being struck by lightning.

Ray "Slim" Caldwell autograph.

Photographs

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Ray Caldwell from Classic Baseball Photographs 1869-1947 by Donald Honig, 1999, Smithmark Publishers.

Ray Caldwell, New York AL, pitching in exhibition game which was the first game at Ebbets Field, April 5, 1913. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division [reproduction number, LC-B2- 2669-11 P&P].

Ray Caldwell, New York AL, at Ebbets Field exhibition game, 1913. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division [reproduction number, LC-DIG-ggbain-13526].

Ray Caldwell, New York AL, at Polo Grounds, NY, 1913. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division [reproduction number,LC-DIG-ggbain-12241].

Ray Caldwell, New York AL, at Polo Grounds, NY, 1913. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division [reproduction number, LC-DIG-ggbain-14164].

Ray Caldwell, 1918, with the NY Yankees. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division [reproduction number, LC-USZ62-115199].

The Cleveland baseball club, American League, season 1920. Ray Caldwell is below the "9" in "1920". Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division [reproduction number, LC-USZ62-123950].

1920 Cleveland Indians. They are wearing black armbands honoring the memory of Ray Chapman. Ray Caldwell, first row, second from left. Photo courtesy of SABR Pictorial on Twitter (@SABRPictorial) L-R: Top: Nunamkaer, Jamieson, Odenwald, Cycowski [?], Smallwood, Hamilton, Wood, Graney, Smith, Morton, Middle row: O'Neill, Thomas, Evans, Burns, Gardner, Lunte, Johnston, Wambsganss, Sewell, Bottom row: Uhle, Caldwell, Bagby, Speaker, Dunn, McAllister, Coveleski, Clark, Mails.

Ray Caldwell vs. Dizzy Dean in Birmingham, September 16, 1931.

Bob Feller (left) with Ray Caldwell - both pitchers for the Cleveland Indians.

Ray Caldwell.

Ray Caldwell and his former Cleveland Indian manager and Hall-of-Famer Tris Speaker taken at 1950 Indians Old-Timers' Day.

CSHOF inductees from left, Ray Caldwell, "Swat" Erickson, and Hugh Bedient.

Ray Caldwell, second from right next to Hugh Bedient, far right, applauds as Swat Erickson is recognized by Frank Hyde.

Ray Caldwell's grave marker.

Publications

transcribed publications

scanned publications

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Ray Caldwell, the Hard Luck Pitcher. Baseball Magazine, September, 1916

Ray Caldwell, the Hard Luck Pitcher. Baseball Magazine, page 1, September, 1916.

Ray Caldwell, the Hard Luck Pitcher. Baseball Magazine, page 2, September, 1916.

Ray Caldwell, the Hard Luck Pitcher. Baseball Magazine, page 3, September, 1916.

Ray Caldwell, the Hard Luck Pitcher. Baseball Magazine, page 4, September, 1916.

Box score from the very first game played at Fenway Park, Boston, April 20, 1912. Ray Caldwell was the starting pitcher for the New York Highlanders (later Yankees).

I Remember This One!

Pitching Greats At Local Game. Post-Journal (Jamestown), July 1961.

Ray Caldwell obituary, 1967.

The Corydon Cannonball. Bradford (PA) Era, October 7, 1976.

Caldwell was help to baseball during Black Sox scandal. Oneonta Star, June 7, 1997.

A book about Ray Caldwell and baseball hall of famer Dizzy Dean by Art Black was researched through the CSHOF.

Websites

"1919 Red Sox." Fenway Park Diaries. Accessed March 3, 2019. http://fenwayparkdiaries.com/1919%20red%20sox/sox%2006-24-1919.htm.
Osborne, Chad. "August 24, 1919: Ray Caldwell struck by lightning, sparks Indians to win." Society for American Baseball Research. Accessed March 3, 2019. https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/august-24-1919-ray-caldwell-struck-lightning-sparks-indians-win.
Hockensmith, Ryan. "The incredible story of Ray Caldwell, the MLB pitcher who survived a lightning strike to finish a game." ESPN. Accessed September 16, 2021. https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/32061845/the-incredible-story-mlb-pitcher-survived-lightning-strike-finish-game.
Puleo, Mark. "A lightning strike fueled baseball's most electrifying performance." Accuweather. Accessed July 1, 2021. https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/pitcher-ray-caldwell-struck-by-lightning-went-on-to-win-baseball-game/967197.
"Ray Caldwell." Baseball Reference. Accessed March 3, 2019. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/caldwra02.shtml.
Steinberg, Steve. "Ray Caldwell." Society for American Baseball Research. Accessed March 3, 2019. https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/8311d756.
"Ray Caldwell." Wikipedia. Accessed March 3, 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Caldwell.
"Ray Caldwell Stats." Baseball Almanac. Accessed March 3, 2019. http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=caldwra02.
"Ray 'Slim' Caldwell." Find A Grave. Accessed November 16, 2022. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20691/ray-caldwell.
Brady, Erik. "Remembering Salamanca's own 'Remarkable Ray Caldwell,' who brought the heat and survived the lightning ." Buffalo News. Accessed April 25, 2022. https://buffalonews.com/news/local/erik-brady-remembering-salamancas-own-remarkable-ray-caldwell-who-brought-the-heat-and-survived-the/article_777aa39e-c0a4-11ec-

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Ray Caldwell

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more about Ray Caldwell

Memorabilia

Photographs

Publications

Websites