Ralph Winegarner, professional baseball athlete and coach, was born October 29, 1909 in Benton, KS. Attending Benton schools, he graduated high school in 1927.

 

Shortly after dropping out of Southwestern College, while he was working for Travel Air (later Beech Aircraft, today known as Raytheon), he found himself being offered a professional baseball contract.

 

Ralph played in the major league with the Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Braves and St. Louis Browns, as well as several minor league teams. Playing all positions except catcher, in 1935, Winegarner led the American League in pinch hitting.

 

During World War II, he left baseball temporarily to do defense work for Beech Aircraft Corp.

Winegarner later had the opportunity to coach in the major leagues and manage in the minor leagues.  In 1952, he managed the Wichita Indians. He died in 1988.

 

Ralph Winegarner was named to Kansas’ Baseball Hall of Fame in 1965. In 1999, he was inducted into the National Baseball Congress’ Hall of Fame.