Robert Ramsay | |
---|---|
Pitcher | |
Born: Vancouver, Washington, U.S. | December 3, 1973|
Died: August 4, 2016 Moscow, Idaho, U.S. | (aged 42)|
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
MLB debut | |
August 27, 1999, for the Seattle Mariners | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 30, 2000, for the Seattle Mariners | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 1–3 |
Earned run average | 4.19 |
Strikeouts | 43 |
Teams | |
Robert Arthur Ramsay (December 3, 1973 – August 4, 2016) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched parts of two seasons, 1999 and 2000, for the Seattle Mariners, then battled brain cancer for nearly fifteen years.[1][2]
Early years[edit]
Born and raised in Vancouver, Washington, Ramsay graduated from its Mountain View High School in 1992. He then attended Washington State University in Pullman,[3] where he played college baseball for the Cougars for four seasons, through 1996.[4]
During his junior year in 1995, WSU won the Pac-10 northern division,[5][6] and Ramsay was the starter in the first game of the championship series against southern division winner USC at Los Angeles.[3][7]
Pro career[edit]
Following his senior season at Washington State, Ramsay was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the seventh round of the 1996 draft.[8][9] The Red Sox traded him to the Mariners for Butch Huskey on July 26, 1999.[9][10] After the 2000 season with Seattle, Ramsay spent 2001 at Triple-A Tacoma, then was diagnosed with brain cancer (glioblastoma multiforme) in early 2002.[11] After surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment, he attempted a comeback in 2003 with the San Diego Padres organization,[12][13][14][15] but it ended his baseball career.[16]
After baseball[edit]
Ramsay lived in Pullman in the off-season during his pro career,[13] and spent some of his retirement coaching and teaching in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho,[16] his wife Samantha's hometown.[17][18]
The family moved back down to the Palouse at Moscow, where Samantha, a former Penn State and WSU volleyball player (setter),[17][18] became an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Idaho in 2010.[19] While she completed her doctorate in education at UI, Ramsay earned a master's.[2]
Death[edit]
Ramsay died at age 42 in Moscow in 2016 after suffering a seizure, a complication related to previously diagnosed brain cancer.[16][20][21] He had survived over 14½ years since the initial diagnosis.[2] His widow died in a storm after being struck by lightning on the Matterhorn in 2017.[22]
References[edit]
- ^ Castrovince, Anthony (August 8, 2016). "Ramsay's life not measured by stats". Major League Baseball. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Robert A. Ramsay". Short's Funeral Chapel. (Moscow, Idaho). (obituary). August 2016. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
- ^ a b Miedema, Laurence (May 16, 1995). "Ramsay draws opening assignment at USC". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). p. 1C.
- ^ "Washington State University Baseball Players Who Made It to the Major Leagues". Baseball-Almanac.com. Archived from the original on August 12, 2004. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
- ^ Miedema, Laurence (May 15, 1995). "Cougars headed to playoffs". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). p. 1C.
- ^ "Pac-10 North standings". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). May 11, 1995. p. 3D.
- ^ "Cougars squander lead, fall to USC". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). May 19, 1995. p. 1B.
- ^ Miedema, Laurence (June 6, 1996). "Arizona picks WSU's Ryan in 26th round". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). p. 1D.
- ^ a b Robert Ramsay page at Baseball Almanac
- ^ "Huskey to Boston for ex-WSU pitcher". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. July 27, 1999. p. C1.
- ^ Newhan, Ross (February 23, 2003). "Ramsay is taking it one pitch at a time". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ Berkow, Ira (March 17, 2003). "Baseball: For pitcher, a spring to appreciate". New York Times. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ a b Andriesen, David (March 3, 2003). "Rob Ramsay's game of his life". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "Ramsay navigates long road back". Kitsap Sun. (Bremerton, Washington). Associated Press. March 2, 2003. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ Kelley, Steve (January 28, 2004). "Ramsay again talks baseball, not cancer". Seattle Times. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
- ^ a b c "M's remember former reliever Rob Ramsay, who also pitched at WSU". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). August 8, 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ a b "Cd'A's Spink will transfer to Cougars". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). January 5, 1997. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ a b "U of I professor killed in Alps had Cd'A connection". Coeur d'Alene Press. (Idaho). August 1, 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "Samantha A Ramsay". University of Idaho. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "Robert Arthur Ramsay, 42, of Moscow". dnews.com. Moscow-Pullman Daily News. August 4, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
- ^ Boren, Cindy (August 7, 2017). "She found peace in climbing after husband's death; year later, she died on the Matterhorn, after being struck by lightning". Washington Post. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "Samantha Ramsay, 41, of Moscow".
External links[edit]
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet