Don Grate

Donald Grate (August 27, 1923 – November 22, 2014) was an American former professional baseball and pro basketball player. He played both Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies (seven games pitched over two seasons, 1945–1946) and NBA basketball as a small forward/shooting guard for the Sheboygan Redskins (two games played during the 1949–1950 season). Grate was listed at 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and 180 pounds (82 kg).

College career

Born in Greenfield, Ohio and nicknamed "Buckeye", Grate was a two-sport star at the Ohio State University, lettering in both baseball and basketball in the 1944 and 1945 seasons. As a pitcher, he had career totals of 95 strikeouts and only 25 walks in just 89 innings pitched. In basketball Grate was a two-time all-Big Ten selection and earned All-America honors as a senior after scoring 272 points in 21 games. He was the captain of the 1944 team, leading the Buckeyes to a conference championship. Grate was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame in 1996.