George Wilson

Note: This page links to 1950s major leaguer George Wilson. For the former Negro League player, click here.

George Washington Wilson (Teddy)

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1½", Weight 185 lb.
• High School Cherryville High School
• Debut April 15, 1952
• Final Game September 30, 1956
• Born August 30, 1925 in Cherryville, NC USA
• Died October 29, 1974 in Gastonia, NC USA

BR page

[edit] Biographical Information

George Wilson was sixteen years old when he was signed by Herb Pennock of the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent before the 1942 season. The Red Sox assigned the left-handed hitting outfielder to the Owensboro Oilers of the Kitty League, where he hit for a .316 average in 48 games and then with the Statesville Owls of the North Carolina State League, he appeared in 63 games, hitting .335; he topped the 1942 season off with the class C Canton Terriers of the Middle Atlantic League, hitting .333 in five outings.

All of this hard work and the good numbers had to be put on hold for a few seaons as Wilson was inducted into the Military Service in April of 1943 and served with the United States Army in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. George was back in time for spring training in 1946 and landed with the Durham Bulls of the Carolina League, where he hit .327 with 16 home runs in 123 games.

By this time, George Washington Wilson was such an ardent admirer of Ted Williams that he came to be called "Ted" or "Teddy" by his teammates. George even adapted Williams' batting stance and the two became friendly. In the spring training camp of 1947, George boasted he would out-hit him when they became teammates in Boston. In the next five seasons (1947-51), George had what would be career years for most players in three out of the five seasons and it looked as if he might finally get to be the "Thumper"'s teammate soon.

There seemed to be no room on the 1951 Red Sox for George; despite his good year with the Birmingham Barons in 1951, in which he hit at a .325 pace with 29 home runs and 112 RBIs, the Red Sox let him get away to the Chicago White Sox in the November 19, 1951 Rule V Draft.

Wilson made his major league debut on opening day in 1952 for the White Sox. He appeared in just eight games total, and was sold to the New York Giants in early May, for $25,000. George did finish with a league-leading 48 pinch-hitting appearances in '52, but hit just .231 with 2 home runs in 126 AB in 70 games overall.

George returned to the minor leagues the following season after appearing just briefly with the Giants and was a .300 plus hitter for three straight years from 1953-55 with the Minneapolis Millers. The American Association leader in homers with 34 in 1953, he hit three in one game in consecutive innings. George was back with the 1956 Giants as exclusively a left-handed bat off the bench before concluding with the Yankees that year. His last appearance as a major leaguer came in game one of the 1956 World Series when he pinch-hit for Whitey Ford and was struck out by Sal Maglie of the Dodgers. This ended Wilson's major league three year run, with a career .191 average, .246 OBP and .273 slugging percentage in 145 games, all far below his minor league level of performance.

George would spend 1957-58 with the Denver Bears and 1959 with the Rochester Red Wings. He he chose to spend 1960-61 managing the Shelby Colonels and the Statesville Owls of the class D Western Carolina League. He returned to Denver in 1962 as a pinch-hitter and coach.

In 1963-64, he journeyed to Japan for a two-year run with the Nishitetsu Lions. He hit .255/.340/.450 with 20 home runs in 1963 and .263/.355/.388 with 7 homers in 1964.

After his active years were finished, George spent several years scouting for the New York Yankees organization.

During his 16-year minor league career, George put up some good numbers. He finished with a .311 hitting average and busted 275 home runs in 6,105 at-bats while appearing in 1,784 games. After baseball, George moved back to his native Cherryville, NC. He worked for the Klutz Machine and Foundry company until his death on October 29, 1974 at the age of 49 in Gastonia, NC.

[edit] Notable Achievement

• Won a World Series with the New York Yankees in 1956

[edit] Year-by-Year Managerial Record

See also: Baseball Players of the 1950s