[2] Solly Drake was a switch hitter who threw right-handed, and was listed as 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, weighing 170 pounds (77 kg).

Later that year, Drake began his baseball career when he joined the Elmwood Giants of the Mandak League as a 17-year-old outfielder; he returned for two more seasons, in Manitoba.

A .300 hitter with Elmwood in 1950, Drake was signed before the 1951 season by the Chicago Cubs, as an amateur free agent.

Following his military service, he completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and physical education, at Philander Smith College, and returned to minor league baseball in time for the 1954 season, with the Class A Des Moines Bruins.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum states that the Drake brothers, Solly and Sammy, were the first African-American siblings to play in the majors in the 20th century.