Leaving a career in medicine to pursue baseball back in 1906, he would go on to play approximately 20 years for legendary teams such as the Leland Giants and Cuban X-Giants between 1906 and 1925.
A fantastic defensive backstop, he is reported to be one of the first catchers to throw out potential base-stealers at second base from a squatting position.
In 1910, he threw out Ty Cobb three times out of three attempts while in Cuba for an exhibition event, a season that also saw him bat .397 which showed that he was a threat at the plate as well.
In 1912 he also led the Cuban League in stolen bases with 20, something you do NOT see everyday throughout baseball history, regardless of which league we’re talking about.
Having the great Rube Foster as a mentor early in his career, Petway went on to also serve as a player-manager for the Detroit Stars in the 1920’s, while also contributing on the field, especially at the plate when he posted batting averages of .313, .268, .337 and .341 between 1921 and 1924.
A great player that should not be forgotten with time, and a great addition to my running “Legends of NBL Baseball”.
