It’s been a long
while since I added to my original 1972 thread celebrating the greats of
the Negro Leagues, so I thought today would be a fine time to add the
great Pete Hill to the blog:
Considered the
greatest Negro League outfielder before Oscar Charleston came along,
Hill was a complete five-tool player, playing the bulk of his career in
the pre-league era in the earliest part of the 20th
century.
Credited with
multiple batting crowns, sadly statistics were not as reliably kept in
the pre-league Negro Leagues, so we rely on information handed down from
generation to generation.
However, he is
credited with hitting .452 in 1906, .349 in 1907, .457 in 1910, .406 in
1912 and .382 in 1913 in those pre-league days, while also documented as
a career .303 hitter in the Negro League days
from 1920 (at the age of 37) to 1925 (aged 42), collecting 154 hits
over 508 at-bats in 159 games.
For more information
on the Hall of Famer (elected in 2006 by Special Committee), please
click the link below to the wonderful Baseball-Reference page:
If and when I create
my Negro League Legends “Second Series” custom set, he will most
assuredly be one of the key players featured.
Stay tuned…
