Minor leagues Drake began his professional baseball career playing in the
Ohio–Pennsylvania League for the Newark (Ohio) Cotton Tops in 1906 and the Marion Moguls in 1907. Over the next three years, he also played minor league ball for the
Johnstown Johnnies (1908),
Newark Indians (1909), and
Wilkes-Barre Barons (1910–1911). He compiled
batting averages of .326 and .340 in his two seasons at Wilkes-Barre.
Detroit Tigers After his strong showing in Wilkes-Barre, Drake signed to play for the
Detroit Tigers during the 1911 season. He appeared in 95 games for the Tigers in 1911, principally in left field in a Detroit outfield that also featured future
Baseball Hall of Famers
Ty Cobb in center field and
Sam Crawford in right field. During the 1911 season, Drake compiled a .279 batting average with nine triples, 20 stolen bases and 36 RBIs.
Return to the minors Despite a strong showing in his rookie season, Drake did not make the Tigers' lineup in 1912—a lineup that was loaded with outfielders, including Cobb, Crawford, the popular veteran left fielder
Davy Jones and a new rookie left fielder
Bobby Veach. Accordingly, Drake spent the 1913 and 1914 seasons in the minor leagues playing for the
Providence Grays and
Kansas City Blues. He compiled a career high .343 batting average in 1912 for Kansas City.
St. Louis Terriers In 1914, Drake returned to a major league squad—the
St. Louis Terriers of the new
Federal League. He was a starting outfielder for the Terriers in both 1914 and 1915, playing 97 games in center field, 78 in left field, and 44 in right field. During his two seasons in the Federal League, Drake compiled a .257 batting average with 41 doubles, 12 triples, four home runs, 83 RBIs, and 23 stolen bases. ==Family and later years==