born in los angeles, bates batted and threw right-handed. he stood tall and weighed . his long minor league career was interrupted by united states navy service during world war ii. after the war, bates became a player-manager and logged 11 seasons as a skipper, including 2 years with the double-a atlanta crackers; his 1957 crackers won the southern association championship. he last managed in the baltimore orioles' organization in 1961.