He grew determined to be a baseball player. A natural right-hander, he became a left-handed batter and removed almost all the padding from his glove to provide greater feel for catches and to help him draw the ball clear to throw after placing the glove under the stump of his right shoulder.

Gray made his minor league debut in 1942 with Three Rivers of the Canadian-American League, batting .381. In 1944, his second year with the Memphis Chicks, he was named the most valuable player in the Southern Association. He batted .333 with 5 home runs, stole 68 bases and led the league's outfielders in fielding percentage. He was purchased by the Browns for $20,000.

Gray had 51 hits in 234 at-bats for the Browns, including six doubles and two triples. He drove in 13 runs, scored 26 runs and stole 5 bases. A high point came at Yankee Stadium, when he was cheered by a crowd of 36,000 as he took his spot in the outfield.

Pitchers had difficulty throwing fastballs by him; he struck out only 11 times. But infielders played in to take away Gray's skillful bunting and he could be fooled on changeups, using a 35-ounce bat that he put in motion early to compensate for his disability.

Defensively, he allowed runners an edge in that brief extra moment it took him to transfer the ball from his glove to his hand for a throw from the outfield. He threw out three runners but committed seven errors, playing 61 games in center or left field.

After the 1945 season, in which the Browns finished third, dozens of major leaguers returned from military service and he was sent back to the minor leagues. He played in the minors through the 1949 season, then returned to Nanticoke.

Gray's career was dramatized in the 1986 television movie ''A Winner Never Quits,'' in which he was portrayed by Keith Carradine, and his glove was obtained by the Baseball Hall of Fame.