Jimmy Wilkes | |
---|---|
Outfielder | |
Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | October 1, 1925|
Died: August 11, 2008 Brantford, Ontario, Canada | (aged 82)|
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
Negro leagues debut | |
1945, for the Newark Eagles | |
Last appearance | |
1948, for the Newark Eagles | |
Negro National League statistics | |
Batting average | .239 |
Home runs | 4 |
Runs scored | 59 |
Teams | |
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Career highlights and awards | |
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James Eugene Wilkes (October 1, 1925 – August 11, 2008), nicknamed "Seabiscuit", was a professional baseball outfielder. He played in Negro league baseball for the Newark Eagles from 1945 to 1948.[1] He was a member of the 1946 Negro World Series championship team,[2] and was an All-Star in 1948.[3]
In 1949 and 1950, Wilkes played for the Houston Eagles of the Negro American League.[4] He then played in Minor League Baseball from 1950 through 1952 in the Brooklyn Dodgers organization.[5] After only appearing in nine minor-league games in 1952,[5] he returned to the Negro American League with the Indianapolis Clowns that season.[4]
Wilkes subsequently played with the Brantford Red Sox of Southern Ontario from 1953 through 1963.[6] In five of those seasons, the Red Sox were champions of the Intercounty Baseball League.[4] He is considered one of the top 100 players in league history.[6] After retiring as a player, Wilkes served as an umpire in the league for 23 years.[7][4]