Red Wilson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red Wilson |
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| Catcher | |||
| Born: March 7, 1929 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
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| Died: August 8, 2014 (aged 85) Fitchburg, Wisconsin, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 22, 1951, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 24, 1960, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .258 | ||
| Home runs | 24 | ||
| Runs batted in | 189 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Robert James "Red" Wilson (born March 7, 1929 – died August 8, 2014) was a talented American athlete. He played both professional baseball and college football. Red Wilson spent 10 seasons playing in Major League Baseball (MLB), mainly as a catcher. He played for the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, and Cleveland Indians.
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College Sports Star
Red Wilson was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He went to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. There, he became a star in both football and baseball.
Football Achievements
In football, he played as a center for the Badgers football team. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1947 and 1948. He was also chosen for the all-conference team in 1947.
In his final year, 1949, Wilson was the team captain. He won the Big Ten Most Valuable Player award as an end.
Baseball Success
Red Wilson was also a great baseball player for the Badgers. He led the team in hitting. He had batting averages of .342 in 1948 and .426 in 1949. As a pitcher, he had a record of 17 wins and 7 losses. He even helped his team reach the 1950 College World Series. He finished college in 1951, studying insurance.
Major League Baseball Career
After college, Red Wilson had a choice. He was picked by the Cleveland Browns in the 1950 NFL Draft for football. But he decided to play baseball instead.
Early Years and Trades
The Chicago White Sox signed him in 1950. He played 85 games for them from 1951 to 1953. In May 1954, Wilson was traded to the Detroit Tigers. He played for Detroit for seven seasons, from 1954 through 1960. He ended his career with the Cleveland Indians in 1960.
Playing for the Tigers
Wilson was the main catcher for Tigers pitcher Frank Lary. Lary was known as The Yankee Killer. This was because he had a great record of 16 wins and 3 losses against the New York Yankees. Wilson was catching in many of these games. When Wilson caught for Lary against the Yankees, he batted .354. This was much higher than his usual batting average.
Best Season in 1958
His best season was in 1958. He played in 103 games, which was a career high. He had a .299 batting average and a .373 on-base percentage. He also stole 10 bases, which was the eighth-best in the American League.
Wilson was also an excellent catcher in 1958. He had a range factor of 5.93. This was much better than the average for catchers. He also caught Jim Bunning's no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox on July 20, 1958. A no-hitter is when a pitcher completes a game without allowing any opposing player to get a base hit. The next season, his range factor improved even more to 6.23.
Career Overview
In his 602 Major League Baseball games, Red Wilson played 580 times as a catcher. He had a .258 batting average and a .338 on-base percentage.
On December 14, 1960, the Los Angeles Angels picked Wilson in the 1960 MLB expansion draft. But he decided to retire instead of continuing to play.
The Famous Baseball Card
Red Wilson's 1958 baseball card, Topps No. 213, is quite famous. The company painted out the background of the pictures that year. In Wilson's photo, which showed him swinging his bat, they accidentally painted out the bat too! This made it look like his right arm was missing.
Later Life and Legacy
After his baseball career, Red Wilson became a successful businessman. He helped start and became President of the Westgate Bank in Madison, Wisconsin. He was also the President of the Wisconsin Alumni Association from 1971 to 1972.
In 1990, Wilson was honored for his athletic achievements. He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame.
Red Wilson passed away in 2014 in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, at the age of 85. He was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Madison.
Images for kids
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Wilson's grave at Forest Hill Cemetery
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