Ernie Oravetz

Ernest Eugene Oravetz (January 24, 1932 – December 3, 2006) was an American professional baseball player. A switch-hitting outfielder who threw left-handed, he played two seasons of Major League Baseball with the 1955–1956 Washington Senators. He was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Oravetz stood only 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 m) tall and weighed 145 pounds (66 kg). He never hit more than two home runs in any professional season, but he batted .311 during his minor league career and in 1951, his first year as a pro, he led the Class D Florida State League in batting (.362) and runs scored (122) and was named to the All-Star team.

After 188 games played with Washington, he was sent to the minor leagues for good after the 1956 campaign. Oravetz then played his final seven pro seasons in the high minors, mostly in the Senators/Minnesota Twins organization. Coincidentally, in 1958, the Senators would feature another diminutive outfielder, 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m), 140 lb (64 kg) Albie Pearson.

Ernie Oravetz died in Tampa, Florida, where he had settled after his baseball career was over, at the age of 74.

1. ^ Minor league statistics from Baseball Reference
2. ^ Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 2nd and 3rd editions. Durham, N.C.: Baseball America, 1997 and 2007
3. ^ Former Johnstown Junior leaguer and Trojan dies at age 74