George Barley (1914 - 2011)

Photo: George Barley fires one off the pitcher's mound in spring training with the New York Yankees, 1941. 

Signed to play pro ball while still in high school in Long Island, New York, George Barely was determined to get an education first and set his sights on Duke University. He pitched for numerous minor and semi-pro teams in the summer. In 1936, Barley was approached by George Allen, an executive with Cannons Mills to pitch for the  Kannapolis Towelers with a salary of $86.00 a week. That was an astronomical amount of money at the time so Barley jumped at the chance. Barley credited his time in the ICBL for sharpening his skills for the majors. That summer he won 8 and lost 5 in 1936.

Barley graduated from Duke in 1937 and played for a number of New York Yankee farm teams before being traded to Kansas City and eventually Jersey City. Barley never recovered from his poor treatment by the Yankees in 1941, and realizing he had lost the edge to play, Barley ended his baseball career in 1946.