Elmer Cable Durrett, nicknamed "Red",  was born 3 February 1921 in Sherman, Grayson Co., Texas, the son of Elmer Cable Durrett, Sr. (1888 - 1975) & Vinny G. Reid (1893 - 1942).

By 1930 the Durrett family had moved to Dallas, Dallas Co., Texas.  Five years later the 1940 census shows Elmer C. Durrett, Jr. had completed four years of high school and was a lodger in Elk, Beckham Co., Oklahoma in the boarding house of Inez S. Tisdal; his occupation was ball player.  While playing semi-professional baseball in Oklahoma, scout Ted McGrew for the Brooklyn Dodgers spotted him.  In 1941 Red signed with the Johnstown Johnnies of the Penn State League.   His career was interuppted during World War II when he joined the Marines in January 1942.  His boot training was in San Diego and he fought in the Pacific, engaging in combat in Guadacanal.  He suffered physically with malaria, shell-shock, dysentary and a foot infection.  He was brought back to the United States on a hospiital ship, spending five months in a California hospital.  He received a medical discharge 9 April 1943, after serving thirteen months.  

Reporting to the Brooklyn Dodgers spring training camp at Bear Mountain, New York in 1944 although he was still recovering from his illnesses.  Although assigned to the Montreal Royals of the International League, he was called up by the Dodgers in September of that same year, for whom he play eleven games.  His position on the team was outfielder during the 1944 - 1945 season.  The next season he started playing with the Dodgers and played eight games, but was, once again, sent back to Montreal.  The big story in 1945 was the signing of Jackie Robinson with the Dodgers.  He played his first season of professional baseball the Dodgers top minor league affliate, the Montreal Royals.   It is possible that Red Durrett played with Jackie Robinson during the 1946 season.

The Montreal Gazette
September 15, 1944

Red Durrett Stars
Homers in Eighth as Dodgers win 5-4 over Braves
Brooklyn, Sept. 14 - (AP) - A home run by Red Durrett, who fought with the marines on Guadacanal, in the eighth tied the score and a single with the bases loaded in the ninth by Augie Galan gave the Brooklyn Dodgers a 5-4 victory over the Boston Braves in the opener of a curtailed double-header today.  The second game was postponed by rain after an inning and a half had been completed.
Fred Wells, right-handed pitcher obtained from New Orleans several days ago, pitched the best seven innings for the Dodgers, and gave up all the Braves runs in his last inning.  A two-run homer by Stu Hofferth and Tommy Holmes' double accounted for the runs.  
Les Webber was the winnter and Ira Hutchinson third of four Braves' pitchers, was the loser.
Boston - - - - - 000 000 400 - 4 10 2
Brooklyn - - - - 003 000 011 - 5 11 0
Batteries : Javery Hutchings (6), Hutchinson (7), Barrett (9), and Hoffert, Wells, Webber (8) and Owen.


He continued to play in the minor leagues with the Cincinnati Reds until 1950; after the end of his 9-season career, Red worked for the United States Postal Service, from which he retired in 1982.  

Height : 5'10"
Weight : 170 lbs.
Bats : Left handed
Throws : Left handed

Red & Nelle Evans married 14 January 1942 in Dallas, Texas, before he went to boot camp in California; their marriage ended in divorced 25 October 1971 in Dallas Co., Texas; however, they remarried about two and half months later on 14 January 1972.  

Red died at his home on 17 January 1992 in Waxahachie, Ellis Co., Texas at the age of 71 and is buried in Laurel Land Memorial Park, Dallas, Dallas Co., Texas.

Sources : 
Gary Bedingfield (Baseball in Wartime), c2008

Baseball Almanac.  Red Durrett

"Red Durrett", Baseball-Reference.com

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