George Francis "Squanto" Wilson (March 29, 1889 – March 26, 1967) was an American
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. He played six games in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
, primarily as a
catcher
Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...
. He batted .188 in five games for the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
in 1911, and appeared in one game for the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
in 1914 as a
pinch runner
In baseball, a pinch runner is a player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing another player on base. The pinch runner may be faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been sub ...
. In 1923, he served as
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
of the Hanover Rebels in the
Blue Ridge League
The Blue Ridge League was the name of two minor league baseball organizations that operated in the first half of the twentieth century in the United States.
History
The first league operated for the better part of sixteen years, from 1915 throu ...
.
The reason for Wilson's nickname is unknown, but he was raised in New England, and "
Squanto
Tisquantum (; 1585 (±10 years?) – late November 1622 O.S.), more commonly known as Squanto Sam (), was a member of the Patuxet tribe best known for being an early liaison between the Native American population in Southern New England and t ...
" was a Native American who helped the English colonists in Massachusetts develop agricultural techniques and served as an interpreter between the colonists and the
Wampanoag
The Wampanoag , also rendered Wôpanâak, are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands based in southeastern Massachusetts and historically parts of eastern Rhode Island,Salwen, "Indians of Southern New England and Long Island," p. 17 ...
.
Wilson graduated from
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. When Bowdoin was chartered in 1794, Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college offers 34 majors and 36 minors, as well as several joint eng ...
of
Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 21,756 at the 2020 United States Census. Part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area, Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin Intern ...
, in 1912,
[ and went on to become one of only seven Bowdoin alumni who played in the major leagues during the 20th century.] After his baseball career, Wilson was a high school principal in Winthrop, Maine
Winthrop is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 6,121 at the 2020 census. Winthrop's population, however, approximately doubles during the summer months as part-year residents return to seasonal camps located on ...
, and later started a variety store
A variety store (also five and dime (historic), pound shop, or dollar store) is a retail store that sells general merchandise, such as apparel, automotive parts, dry goods, toys, hardware, home furnishings, and a selection of groceries. It u ...
chain.[ He died in Maine in March 1967; he was survived by his wife and a daughter.]
References
Further reading
*
External links
1889 births
1967 deaths
Major League Baseball catchers
Detroit Tigers players
Boston Red Sox players
Lynn Leonardites players
Lynn Shoemakers players
Lynn Fighters players
Memphis Chickasaws players
Minor league baseball managers
Bowdoin Polar Bears baseball players
Baseball players from Penobscot County, Maine
People from Old Town, Maine
People from Winthrop, Maine
Baseball players from Kennebec County, Maine
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