Artie Wilson

Arthur Lee Wilson (October 28, 1920 – October 31, 2010) was an American professional baseball player. 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. He was born in Springville, Alabama. Wilson is recognized as the last player in a recognized Major League to hit .400 in a season, having batted .435 (some records say .437, some .433) in 1948.

Negro leagues and Puerto Rico League 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 seven times from 1944 to 1948 (missing out only in 1945, when he was beaten out by Jackie Robinson, shortly before the latter broke the baseball color line in 1947). During Wilson's time with the Black Barons, the team won the league championship in 1943, 1944 and 1948, advancing to, but never winning, the Negro League World Series.

In the 1948 regular season, Wilson, who was known as an opposite field hitter, batted .437, which resulted in his winning the NAL batting title. Not only was it the last NAL season with a recognized batting title, it also meant that Wilson was the ninth and final player in the Negro league baseball era to win multiple league batting titles. In 1948, Wilson mentored a young Willie Mays, who was just breaking into baseball. With Oakland, Wilson won the PCL batting title with a .348 average and also led in stolen bases with 47. In 1950, he led the PCL in runs with 168 and hits with 264, helping the Oaks to the 1950 PCL championship. 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.

Personal life Wilson settled in Portland, Oregon, in 1955, and with his wife, Dorothy, raised two children. Following his retirement from baseball, he worked at Gary Worth Lincoln Mercury in Portland for more than 30 years, and stayed on there until the fall of 2008 at the age of 88 still greeting customers. and the PCL Hall of Fame in 2003.