Pete Hill - The "black" Ty Cobb

 
Today is the birth date of Negro League baseball player John Preston “Pete” Hill; born on October 12, around 1882 or 1884 in Virginia (Culpeper County).

 

The following is an excerpt from my book, Last Train to Cooperstown:  The 2006 Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees from the Negro League Baseball Era, which profiles the Hall of Fame outfielder: 

”The statistical and historical portrait of Pete Hill is one of being a hitting machine throughout his entire baseball career.  Hill ended a season hitting over .300 eight times, over .400 twice.  He had hitting streaks of 27 games in 1910 and l4 games in 1912.  Twenty-nine times he got 4 or more hits in a game.  In 1904, Hill had one 6 hit game and three 5 hit games. The next year he had twenty 3 hit games.  He also hit with power: six times clubbing two or more home runs in a game.

     But Pete Hill could do more than hit.   A superb defensive centerfielder with a strong accurate throwing arm, he also had speed running the bases that caused havoc for opponents.”

To learn more about Pete Hill who was one of best hitters in baseball history, read Last Train to Cooperstown:The 2006 Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees from the Negro League Baseball Era”.   For more information, go to www.klmitchell.com  or http://booklaunch.io/kevinlmitchell/last-train-to-cooperstown.