Pee Wee Butts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pee Wee Butts |
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| Shortstop | |||
| Born: August 27, 1919 Sparta, Georgia |
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| Died: December 30, 1972 (aged 53) Atlanta, Georgia |
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| debut | |||
| 1938, for the Atlanta Black Crackers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| 1954, for the Memphis Red Sox | |||
| Teams | |||
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Thomas Lee "Pee Wee" Butts was an amazing American baseball player. He was born on August 27, 1919, and passed away on December 30, 1972. Pee Wee played in the Negro leagues, which were professional baseball leagues for African American players. These leagues were very important before players of all races could join Major League Baseball.
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Early Life and Nickname
Thomas Lee Butts was born in Sparta, Georgia, on August 27, 1919. He grew up there and went to Washington High School. Pee Wee was a talented athlete, playing both football and baseball for his school team. Many people thought he was one of the best quarterbacks around.
He got the nickname "Pee Wee" because of his size. At only 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing about 140 pounds, he was one of the smallest baseball players ever.
Starting His Baseball Journey
When Pee Wee was 17, he left high school to play professional baseball. In 1936, he joined the Atlanta Black Crackers in the Negro American League. Because he was so young, opposing players sometimes tried to make him nervous by sliding hard into him. But Pee Wee learned to throw the ball sidearm, which helped him get batters out at first base.
After his first two seasons, his team moved to Indianapolis and became the ABCs. In 1940, another team, the Baltimore Elite Giants, came to play the ABCs. They were from the Negro National League. After the game, they offered Pee Wee a chance to try out for their team. He decided to go, as his old team seemed to be changing.
Playing for the Baltimore Elite Giants
Pee Wee played for the Baltimore Elite Giants for nine seasons. He became known as a great fielder, one of the best in the game. He usually hit around .280, which is a good batting average. Even though he only hit three home runs in nine seasons, his strong hitting average and amazing fielding skills made up for it.
He often worked with Junior Gilliam to make double plays. People even said that Pee Wee helped Gilliam become the excellent fielder he was. At first, Pee Wee was very nervous in his games. In his very first game in Baltimore, he threw three balls into the stands! His manager, Felton Snow, gave him the nickname "Cool Breeze" to help him relax. In 1949, Baltimore won the league championship. After that, the team faced financial problems. Gilliam left to try out for the Minor Leagues, and Pee Wee knew he would also need to find a new team.
Playing in Puerto Rico
For several years, Pee Wee also played baseball in Puerto Rico during the off-season. This was in the late 1940s and early 1950s, after the Negro League season ended. In 1948, he played for the Santurce Crabbers and had a great batting average of .324.
The End of His Career
When Junior Gilliam left for the Dodgers, Pee Wee decided to move on too. He went to Canada to play for the Winnipeg Buffaloes. There, he batted .286 and his team won the championship. His manager, Willie Wells, helped Pee Wee improve his throwing by teaching him to stay low after fielding the ball.
After one season, Pee Wee felt it was too cold in Winnipeg. He then played for a team in Lincoln, Nebraska. He only batted .170 there for one season. The team wanted him to play for a lower-level team, but Pee Wee didn't want to take a spot from a younger player who had a better chance to move up. He returned to the Negro Leagues for two more seasons. He played his final season in 1955 with the Texas City Texans.
Almost Reaching the Major Leagues
Two of Pee Wee's teammates, Jim Gilliam and Roy Campanella, went on to play in Major League Baseball. Gilliam was younger than Pee Wee, which helped him get to the big leagues. Many of Pee Wee's coaches thought he would make it to the major leagues too. Some even compared him to famous shortstop Phil Rizzuto. A Cuban pitcher named Dolf Luque, who played against Pee Wee in Puerto Rico, even said that Pee Wee could hit better than Rizzuto.
Retirement
After his last baseball season in Texas, Pee Wee felt a bit lost for a year. He then returned home to Atlanta. In 1969, he played in an old-timer's game. He also visited his friend Roy Campanella after Campanella's career-ending car accident.
