Baseball Book Review: Artie Wilson

Singles and Smiles: How Artie Wilson broke baseball’s color barrier

Book’s Author: Gaylon H. White

Having recently read Singles and Smiles, it’s a book you’ll enjoy especially if you like the Pacific Coast League (PCL) of the late 1940’s and into the 1950’s and beyond.

Artie Wilson was a terrific ballplayer. He was the consummate singles-hitter; a hit-it-where-they-ain’t type of player with a high batting average, speed and stolen bases. He seldom walked considering it his job to hit the ball if it were thrown anywhere close to the plate.

He was the last player to hit .400, black or white. He did so in the Negro Leagues in 1948 for the Birmingham Black Barons with a .433 average and carried a whopping .500 OBP. He led the PCL in batting in 1950 (.348 average) and also led the league in stolen bases (with 47) and runs scored (at 168) and hits (an unbelievable 264), leading the Oakland Oaks to the PCL championship. And, he was runner up in batting twice more during his time in the PCL. 

Artie Wilson generally hit to the opposite field, uniquely—as a lefty, poking the ball between third and short or just over the heads of the infielders or on a line to left field. When teams reverse shifted him, he learned to pull the ball beyond first base or pop it into right field. And, like Ted Williams, he could also hit into the shift and still get hits. He was an expert batsman fouling off pitches, sometimes a dozen or more until the pitcher finally tossed him what he was looking for and he’d whack if for a base hit. He was known to swing at anything within two inches of the plate, again part of seldom taking a base on balls. But, he was a free swinger not going for the fences, it was always his intent to get on base and quite often that was indeed the case.

Artie Wilson was also terrific on defense at a very demanding position, mostly shortstop, but also second and occasionally (in the majors, briefly) third base.

He was the first black player to play for several PCL teams, breaking their color barrier, and when some of the Oakland Oaks left due to his presence, it was Billy Martin (later of the Yankees and managerial fame) who became his roommate and partner at the keystone combo, with Billy Martin at second and Artie Wilson at short.

There are two unique things about Artie Wilson that are important to note: 

• One is an injury that occurs while working for and playing for the company team in Birmingham, Alabama, before joining the Black Barons of the Negro Leagues. In an industrial accident he loses the end of his thumb which results in having to grip the ball differently causing a bit of a sinker ball on throws, while he still manages to be a terrific, all-star caliber player.
• The second is his sense of self and knowing his worth. He refuses contracts that are not right for him, such as not taking a pay cut to play in the majors (less than he made at the time), and later, towards the end of his playing career to go to double-A (AA), a step down from the PCL, which has no value to him especially since he’s always enjoyed playing in the Pacific Coast League.

And, Artie Wilson was a fan favorite, always smiling, always dressed immaculately and always willing to sign autographs and actually talk to kids as people, not the way some adults and professional athletes respond.

Artie Wilson is also the answer to a trivia question: What player was sent to the minors so the New York Giants could make room for Willie Mays? And, it’s not because he couldn’t play. It’s because the Giants already had four black players and that was the unofficial quota of the time. As Artie himself would say, “it wasn’t the right time”.

Book Summary

Overall, I very much enjoyed the book, especially later on when Artie retires to sell cars in a town/suburb near Portland, Oregon and eats breakfast at a restaurant to which I personally have been. In fact, he gets called in to play for the Portland Beavers on a short term contract to fill in for a series of injured players. This is when Artie Wilson is more than 40 years old (in 1962) and although past his playing prime still holds his own.

I will caution you as a reader though that the story sometimes rambles, seems to be out of sequence, and occasionally veers off topic. So although I very much enjoyed it, in my opinion it’s not one of the best baseball books I’ve ever read. Still, if you like Artie Wilson (and what is not to like) or are a fan of the PCL, this is a must read for you.

Again, the book is Singles and Smiles: How Artie Wilson broke baseball’s color barrier by Gaylon H. White.

See also: Video Podcast featuring Artie Wilson.