Raymond “Corky” Withrow, a Kentucky sports legend who enjoyed a brief but memorable stint in Major League Baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals and a parallel path in professional basketball, died on April 22, 2026, in Owensboro, Kentucky. He was 88.
Born Raymond Wallace Withrow on November 28, 1937, in High Coal, West Virginia, he moved with his family to Central City, Kentucky, at age four. There, in a town where basketball reigned supreme, the lanky 6-foot-3 Withrow developed into one of the state’s most celebrated two-sport athletes. As a senior at Central City High School in 1956, he earned all-state and first-team All-American honors in basketball while also starring on the baseball diamond. The Milwaukee Braves drafted him straight out of high school, launching a professional baseball journey that would span more than a decade.
Withrow’s athletic gifts extended far beyond the diamond. He accepted a basketball scholarship from the University of Kentucky under legendary coach Adolph Rupp but ultimately prioritized professional baseball. He played college basketball at Georgetown College and Kentucky Wesleyan College, where he once scored 26 points in a victory over the University of Louisville at Freedom Hall. The Philadelphia Warriors selected him in the NBA Draft, and he briefly shared a roster with Wilt Chamberlain—an unusual footnote in the career of a man better known for his baseball exploits.
In the minors, Withrow established himself as a legitimate power-hitting outfielder. Over 1,128 games from 1956 to 1966, he batted .260 with 211 home runs and 663 RBIs. Standout seasons included 34 homers and 142 RBIs for Wellsville in the Class D New York–Penn League in 1958 and another 34 long balls for Austin in the Double-A Texas League in 1962. In 1963, while playing for the Triple-A Denver Bears in the Pacific Coast League, he clubbed 29 home runs before the Cardinals acquired him in September.
Withrow made his Major League debut on September 6, 1963, at age 25, pinch-hitting for pitcher Ron Taylor against the Pittsburgh Pirates and striking out against left-hander Bob Veale. He appeared in just six games total—four as a pinch-hitter and two in the outfield—finishing with nine at-bats, no hits, one RBI (via a fielder’s choice), and a .000 batting average. Though his big-league stay was short, it capped a remarkable athletic odyssey for the Central City native. He played his final professional games in the minors in 1966.
Away from the field, Withrow cherished family life above all. A devoted husband, father, and grandfather, he loved gathering with friends for cards, watching sports on television, and attending games featuring his children and grandchildren. An avid fisherman in his youth, he remained deeply connected to his Kentucky roots. In later years, he co-authored the book Uncorked!: Kentucky Sports Legend Corky Withrow with Sherrill Williams and Charles Thurman, preserving the colorful stories of his life for future generations.
Withrow was preceded in death by his parents, Otis and Floeva Withrow; his brother, Roy “Dee Dee” Withrow; and his sister, Peggy Sue Withrow. He passed peacefully under the care of Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Kentucky, surrounded by family.
Though his Major League career lasted only a handful of games, Corky Withrow’s legacy as one of Kentucky’s most versatile and resilient athletes endures.
