Frank Samuel "Pee Wee" Austin (May 22, 1917 – January 15, 1960) was a

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

nian

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

player Player may refer to: Role or adjective * Player (game), a participant in a game or sport ** Gamer, a player in video and tabletop games ** Athlete, a player in sports ** Player character, a character in a video game or role playing game who is ...

. He was a

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

in the

Negro leagues The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latin Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be ...

and

minor leagues Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...

. He played professionally from 1944 to 1956, playing with the Philadelphia Stars of the Negro National League from 1944 to 1948. He played in the 1945

East-West All-Star Game East West (or East and West) may refer to: *East–West dichotomy, the contrast between Eastern and Western society or culture Arts and entertainment Books, journals and magazines *'' East, West'', an anthology of short stories written by Salm ...

. Austin played in the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

in 1949, and the

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

from 1949 to 1956. Although he never played in the Major Leagues, Austin was one of the first two black players to play for the New York Yankees organization in 1949 along with Luis Marquez.Marty Appel, "Pinstripe Empire: the New York Yankees from Before the Babe to After the Boss," (New York: Bloomsbury, 2012) p. 277.

References

External links

an
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1917 births 1960 deaths Newark Bears (IL) players Panamanian expatriate baseball players in Canada Philadelphia Stars players Portland Beavers players Sabios de Vargas players Vancouver Mounties players 20th-century African-American sportspeople Baseball infielders {{Negro-league-baseball-infielder-stub