Knoxville News-Sentinel - December 22, 1974 |
... and later played semi-pro baseball for Frank Moffett's independent ball club, where he played second baseman and shortstop.Frank Moffett was involved in quite a few baseball enterprises, as a player, manager, promoter, league organizer, and scout, among other things. When could Ray have played for Frank? According to his obituary, Ray was 88 when he died in 1974. That would put his birth around 1886. I found his World War I draft registration card on FamilySearch.org.
"United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-25096-64212-38?cc=1968530 : 14 May 2014), Tennessee >Knoxville City no 1; B-Millett, Pat J. > image 2121 of 5964; citing NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). |
There is just one DePue listed at Baseball-Reference.com. He played in 1907 for the Darlington/Florence Fiddlers of the South Carolina League. Maybe he's our man?
Oh, look. Frank Moffett is one of the managers. I'm feeling better about this.
Here's a newspaper article from that season:
The State (Columbia, SC) - June 27, 1907 image from GenealogyBank.com |
And here's the end of season average for DuPue.
The State - September 29, 1907 |
From the info I've gathered we can add a few more details to the BBref listing for DuPue.
He had 11 Runs, 1 Sac. Hit, and 2 Stolen Bases.
But how is it that Moffett and DuPue came to Darlington? It looks like Frank Moffett had a good team that played in Chattanooga but Darlington purchased them.
The State - June 22, 1907 |
As mentioned in his obituary, Dr. Ray V. DePue was buried at Knoxville's Greenwood Cemetery. Here's a link to his FindAGrave memorial.
If this DePue is Ray V. DePue, then we can add a birthdate: Oct 21, 1886, birthplace: Stillwater, NJ, death date: Dec 20, 1974, death location: Knoxville, TN.
I don't have 100% proof that the DePue with no first name is Ray V. DePue, but I'd bet my paycheck on it.