Ratliff, an outfielder, was drafted out of high school in the 19th round of the 1966 June draft by the Cardinals, but chose instead to go to Bacone Junior College, which was originally an "Indian School" founded by John D. Rockefeller in 1880. (Ratliff is of Cherokee descent.)
Despite having an almost infinitismally-small budget and no facilities to speak of, Bacone won the 1967 Junior College NCAA championship, and seven players on the team were taken in the secondary phase of the 1967 June draft, including Ratliff, who went 7th overall to the Senators. (One of the seven draftees did reach the majors: pitcher Jim Dunegan.)
Ratliff struggled right away as a pro, because he simply could not hit a curve ball. Yet, despite managing only a wretched .194 average at AA Pittsfield in 1970, he somehow snagged an invite to the Last Senators Camp Ever in '71, and got his picture taken a couple of times:
Ratliff was, to no surprise, returned to Pittsfield, where he continued to struggle.
This story, of a game where Ratliff homered to beat Reading in the 8th inniing after having struck out in his first three ABs, castigates R-Phils pitcher Mike Wallace for his pitch selection, thusly:
Quote:
Gary Ratliff loves those fastballs, high, low, inside, outside. What Gary Ratliff doesn't like is the breaking stuff, and the whole Eastern League knows it.
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It's reasonable to assume that Wallace was getting the breaking stuff past Ratliff [in the 3 Ks]. But something went wrong in the eighth inning. The breaking stuff did not get past Ratliff. Or maybe Wallace tried to throw the fastball past him.
Whatever, the ball did not go past Ratliff this time. He hit it over the centerfield fence and the smash gave the Senators a 4-2 win.
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Despite Ratliff's continued struggles, the Senators moved him up to AAA Denver midway through 1971. Perhaps they thought that breaking pitches don't break so well at high altitude, and success might build confidence.
It didn't work, and after another year and a half of struggle, the Rangers let Ratliff go after 1972. He then signed with the Indians organization and *finally* came through with two good years (.819, .820 OPS) for San Antonio of the Texas League. But Ratliff was 26 by then, and the Indians also released him after 1974. And that was that.