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American baseball player
Baseball player
James R. "Pete" Willett
[1] was an
American athlete who played
baseball as an
infielder in the
Negro leagues and basketball. He played baseball with several teams from 1923 to 1928.
[2]
Athletic career
Willett attended
Central High School in
Cleveland, Ohio , and also played football, basketball and
ran track for
Wilberforce University in 1922 to 1924.
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
In 1923, Willett played baseball with the Buffalo Colored Giants,
[8] and also played with the
Lincoln Giants of the
Eastern Colored League .
[9] He spent time with the independent
Dayton Marcos in 1924, before playing with the
Cleveland Browns .
[2] In June 1925, he was acquired by the
Homestead Grays to fill in for injured players.
[10] In September 1925, he played with the Pullman Colored Giants of
Buffalo .
[11] In 1926, he saw time with the Brown's Stars of
Youngstown, Ohio ,
[12] and the
Cleveland Elites .
[13] Willett later played in 25 recorded games with the
Cleveland Tigers of the
Negro National League in 1928.
[14] He also appeared with the Cleveland Oaks and Cleveland Pyramids in 1928.
[15]
[16]
Outside of baseball, he captained and coached the Benjee Drugs basketball team in 1925 and 1926.
[1]
[7] Willett also played with the Cleveland Elks in 1926 and 1927,
[17]
[18] and the Loendi Big Five in 1927 and 1928.
[19]
On February 10, 1927, Willett dislocated his knee and two other Elks players were seriously injured after their car went into a ditch and overturned multiple times near
London, Ohio .
[20]
References
^
a
b C. W. Moorehead (4 February 1926).
"Sport News" . The Buffalo American . p. 3. Retrieved 18 January 2022 .
^
a
b Riley, James A. (1994).
The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues . New York: Carroll & Graf.
ISBN
0-7867-0959-6 .
^
"Wilberforce Ready for Simmons Tilt" .
Dayton Daily News . October 20, 1922. p. 44. Retrieved January 18, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^
"Three "Triple Threat" Men at Wilberforce" .
The New York Age . October 13, 1923. p. 7. Retrieved January 18, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^
"West Va. Institute Five Defeats Wilberforce Team" .
Pittsburgh Courier . March 15, 1924. p. 6. Retrieved January 18, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^
"Baseball, Track and Football Men Report" .
Pittsburgh Courier . April 5, 1924. p. 11. Retrieved January 18, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^
a
b
"Cleveland to Have Speedy Floor Team" . Pittsburgh Courier . October 17, 1925. p. 12. Retrieved January 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^
"Baseball Tonight" . The Buffalo Commercial . July 19, 1923. p. 6. Retrieved January 18, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^
"8,000 Howling Fans See Lincoln Giants Take Two Games From Hilldale Nine" .
The New York Age . August 11, 1923. p. 6. Retrieved January 18, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^
"Homestead Grays Obtain Infielder" . Pittsburgh Courier . June 27, 1925. p. 12. Retrieved January 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^
"Good Twirlers of Colored Giants to Face Bisons" .
Buffalo Courier . September 3, 1925. p. 11. Retrieved January 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^ William G. Nunn (28 August 1926).
"Diamond Dope" .
Pittsburgh Courier . p. 15. Retrieved 19 January 2022 .
^
"Cleveland Team To Play Four Games at Stadium" (PDF) .
Buffalo Evening News . Fultonhistory.com. July 2, 1926. Retrieved January 19, 2022 .
^
"Pete Willett" . seamheads.com. Retrieved January 18, 2022 .
^
"Cleveland Oaks Look Good Now" (PDF) .
Pittsburgh Courier . Fultonhistory.com. March 10, 1928. Retrieved January 19, 2022 .
^
"Cleveland Pyramids Open to Good Clubs" (PDF) .
Pittsburgh Courier . Fultonhistory.com. April 21, 1928. Retrieved January 19, 2022 .
^
"Cleveland Elks Beat Midlands" . Pittsburgh Courier . December 11, 1926. p. 14. Retrieved January 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^
"Basketball Players Injured" .
The Daily Advocate . February 10, 1927. p. 9. Retrieved January 18, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^
Cumberland Posey (11 February 1928).
"The Sportive Realm" .
Pittsburgh Courier . p. 17. Retrieved 18 January 2022 .
^
"Three Players Injured" .
The Lima News . February 11, 1927. p. 22. Retrieved January 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
External links