Ray Poat

{{Short description|American baseball player (1917–1990)}}

{{use mdy dates|date=July 2017}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Ray Poat

|position=Pitcher

|image=RayPoat1948Bowman.jpg

|caption=1948 Bowman baseball card

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1917|12|19}}

|birth_place=Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

|death_date={{death date and age|1990|4|29|1917|12|19}}

|death_place=Oak Lawn, Illinois, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=April 15

|debutyear=1942

|debutteam=Cleveland Indians

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=September 21

|finalyear=1949

|finalteam=Pittsburgh Pirates

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=22–30

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=4.55

|stat3label=Innings pitched

|stat3value=400

|teams=

• Cleveland Indians ({{baseball year|1942}}–{{baseball year|1944}})
• New York Giants ({{baseball year|1947}}–{{baseball year|1949}})
• Pittsburgh Pirates ({{baseball year|1949}})

}}

Raymond Willis Poat (December 19, 1917 – April 29, 1990) was an American professional baseball player native to Chicago. A right-handed pitcher, he played six Major League seasons, for the Cleveland Indians from 1942 to 1944, the New York Giants from 1947 to 1949, and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1949. He stood {{convert|6|ft|2|in}} tall and weighed {{convert|200|lb}}.

He was traded along with Bobby Rhawn from the Giants to the Pirates for Kirby Higbe on June 6, 1949.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1917&dat=19490607&id=dnYuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=loEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=812,896039 "Pirates Trade Kirby Higbe To Giants," The Associated Press (AP), Monday, June 6, 1949.] Retrieved February 21, 2023.

Poat appeared in 116 MLB games (47 as a starting pitcher) and an even 400 innings. He allowed 425 hits and 162 bases on balls, recording 178 strikeouts. He was a very successful hurler in minor league baseball, winning 91 of 135 decisions (.674).