Background
He was born in Springville, Alabama.
He was born in Springville, Alabama.
He was an all-star for the Birmingham Black Barons of Negro league baseball before playing part of one season in Major League Baseball for the New York Giants in 1951. Wilson played for the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League from 1942 to 1948, where he was considered the league"s best shortstop, and was named the starting shortstop of the league All-Star team four times from 1944 to 1948 (missing out only in 1945, when he was beaten out by Jackie Robinson, shortly before he broke the baseball color line in 1947). In the 1948 regular season, Wilson, who was known as an opposite field hitter, batted.402, and is sometimes credited as the last player in a top-level league to bat over.400 (Ted Williams hit 406 in 1941).
In 1948, Wilson mentored a young Willie Mays, who was just breaking into baseball.
Following the 1948 Negro World Series, Wilson played for the Mayagüez Indians of the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League, leading them to their first championship title in 1949. Wilson is credited for giving future Puerto Rican comedic actor Shorty Castro his nickname while playing in Mayagüez.
In 1948, the New York Yankees purchased Wilson"s contract, and he was assigned to their Newark Bears minor league team But since his salary would have been less than he was making with Birmingham, he negotiated another contract with the San Diego Padres of the The Yankees protested to baseball commissioner Happy Chandler, who voided Wilson"s Padres contract.
The Yankees then sold Wilson to the Oakland Oaks of the, where he was the team"s first black player and the roommate of Billy Martin.
In 1950, he led the PCL in runs with 168 and hits with 264, helping the Oaks to the 1950 PCL championship. But Wilson struggled in the big leagues, hitting only.182 in 22 at bats. When the Giants called up Wilson"s former protégé Willie Mays, they sent Wilson back to Oakland, ending his major league career.
Back in the PCL, Wilson finished the 1951 season with the Oaks and was sold to the Seattle Rainiers in 1952.
Wilson also played with the Portland Beavers and Sacramento Solons of the PCL, winning three more PCL batting titles before leaving baseball in 1957. His career ultimately ended with a short comeback for the Beavers in 1962.