About Ray Goolsby
Lived 1919 – 1999 (aged 80). Ray Goolsby was an American baseball player.
Raymond Daniel Goolsby (September 5, 1919 – November 13, 1999) was an American professional baseball player. His career, interrupted by World War II, lasted for only four seasons, but included three games played in Major League Baseball for the Washington Senators. Nicknamed "Ox" and an outfielder by trade, he was listed as tall and ; he threw and batted right-handed.
Goolsby was born in Florala, Alabama, and his family moved to Central Florida in 1925 when he turned six. He entered pro ball in 1939 and played three seasons in the Florida State League, then a Class D circuit at the lowest level of Organized Baseball. In 1942, he joined the U.S. military; his obituary states that he served in the United States Navy, but, according to Baseball in Wartime, he served in the United States Army.
In 1946, the first postwar season, MLB rosters were temporarily expanded to accommodate returning military veterans resuming their baseball careers; teams carried 36 players until June 15. Goolsby broke spring training camp with Washington and appeared in three mid-April games: on the 18th and 19th as a pinch hitter, and on the 22nd as the Senators' starting left fielder. In those three contests, he had four at bats without a hit, with one walk and one sacrifice. He then played the rest of the year at Double-A Chattanooga, hitting .306 in 99 games.
Goolsby, then 27, left baseball after the 1946 season. He worked in the citrus industry, rising to manager. He died in Apopka, Florida, at the age of 80. His wife was Lucy R. Goolsby, whom he married in Apopka.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Ray Goolsby's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Ray Goolsby?
American baseball player (1919–1999)
When was Ray Goolsby born?
Ray Goolsby was born on 5 September 1919 in Florala.
When did Ray Goolsby die?
Ray Goolsby died on 13 November 1999 in Apopka.
What was Ray Goolsby's occupation?
Ray Goolsby was a baseball player.
What nationality was Ray Goolsby?
Ray Goolsby was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ray Goolsby. https://biography.guide/ray-goolsby/
MLA: "Ray Goolsby." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ray-goolsby/.
Chicago: "Ray Goolsby." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ray-goolsby/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:34 UTC