Tom Alston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tom Alston |
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: January 31, 1926 Greensboro, North Carolina |
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| Died: December 30, 1993 (aged 67) Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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| debut | |||
| April 13, 1954, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 29, 1957, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .244 | ||
| Home runs | 4 | ||
| Runs batted in | 36 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Thomas Edison Alston (born January 31, 1926 – died December 30, 1993) was a talented American baseball player. He played as a first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1954 to 1957. Tom Alston made history as the very first African-American player for the Cardinals team. He was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. Alston was a tall player, standing 6 feet 5 inches (196 cm) and weighing 210 pounds (95 kg).
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Joining the Cardinals
Tom Alston joined the St. Louis Cardinals in 1954. He was traded from the San Diego Padres, a team in the Pacific Coast League. The Cardinals' president, Gussie Busch, wanted to find a Black player for the team. He believed it was wrong to keep Black players out of baseball. He also knew it was important for the team to be fair to all fans.
Making History
On April 13, 1954, Tom Alston played his first game in Major League Baseball. This was a very special day. He became the first Black player ever to play for the St. Louis Cardinals. His first game was at Sportsman's Park.
Alston's Rookie Season
During his first year, called his rookie season, Alston played in 66 games. He had a batting average of .246. This means he got a hit almost 25% of the times he tried. He also hit 4 home runs and had 34 runs batted in (RBI). An RBI means he helped a teammate score a run.
Later Career and Stats
After his rookie year, Tom Alston played in 25 more games over the next three seasons. He often played for the Omaha Cardinals, a minor league team. In 1956, he had a great year in Omaha. He hit .306 and had 21 home runs.
Overall, in his Major League Baseball career, Alston played 91 games. His total batting average was .244. He hit 4 home runs and had 36 RBIs. He also scored 30 runs. When playing first base, he was very good. He successfully handled 680 out of 689 chances. This gave him a fielding percentage of .987. This was a very good score for a first baseman.
See also
