MOC Hall of Fame: Scarborough one of 5 inductees

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on November 16, 2006 1:47 PM

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This year's Mount Olive Alumni Weekend and Pickle Classic festivities will include a new addition as the inaugural Mount Olive College Athletics Hall of Fame Class will be inducted. The induction ceremony will take place Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Hennessee Room in the Lois K. Murphy Regional Center on the school campus.

The inaugural class is comprised of Kenney Moore, Larry Nance, Clarence Rose, Ray Scarborough and Russell Stephens. As part of the Pickle Classic Countdown, an inductee will be profiled.

Today's profile: Ray Scarborough.

Ray Wilson Scarborough wasn't a coach or student-athlete at Mount Olive College. But much of the success the Trojan baseball program has enjoyed for nearly three decades can be traced back to the contributions of Scarborough.

Scarborough (1917-1982) was a native of Mount Olive. He graduated from Wake Forest, where he enjoyed success as a pitcher on the Demon Deacons' baseball team. Scarborough was inducted into the Wake Forest Athletics Hall of Fame in 1976.

He signed an amateur free agent contract with the Washington Senators in 1940 and made his Major League Debut in 1942. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1943, but returned to the Senators after World War II. In 1948, he posted a 15-8 record with a 2.82 earned run average.

He was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1950, the same year he was selected to the American League All-Star Game.

Scarborough also played for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers during his career. He earned a World Series ring in 1952 with the Yankees.

He retired in 1953, but after a five-year absence, he returned to Major League Baseball as an assistant coach and a scout. His final stint was with the Milwaukee Brewers from 1977 until he passed away on July 1, 1982, at his home in Mount Olive after a sudden illness, three weeks shy of his 65th birthday.

The Brewers went on to win their first-ever American League pennant that season and make their only World Series appearance, falling to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. Scarborough will be among those recognized next year when the Milwaukee Brewers celebrate the 25th anniversary of their pennant.

While serving as a scout for the Brewers, Scarborough made the time and effort to bring baseball back to Mount Olive College. Mount Olive began a baseball program in the mid-60s, but it was discontinued.

Scarborough was involved with the design and construction of a new baseball field on the Mount Olive College campus, as well as the recruitment and development of the baseball team. He also created an endowment for an academic scholarship and for the maintenance of the field.

In 1980, Scarborough Field was dedicated in his name. Scarborough Field remains the home of Trojan baseball.

Ray Scarborough's daughter, Beverly Blackwelder, will accept the award at Saturday's induction ceremony.