Les Wilson

Edward Leslie "Les" Wilson, born August 15th, 19111 in St. Louis, MO,2 was a professional baseball player from 1929-1936, a professional baseball umpire from 1937-1941, and a professional baseball scout in 1946.

Biography

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Wilson was the son of Edward Allen Wilson and Agnes Wilson. He was born in St. Louis, but moved to Fayetteville, AR when he was about 8.3 He debuted in minor league baseball with Joplin of the Western Association in 1929. In 1934, he played with Fayetteville of the Arkansas State League early in the season before joining Charleroi of the Pennsylvania State Association. Between 1935-1936, Wilson returned to his hometown and played with Fayetteville. The next season, he briefly played with with Neosho and Monett in the Arkansas-Missouri League. He also began umpiring in the league, and continued to do so through 1939 before moving to the Western League from 1940-1941.

Wilson died on August 17th, 1946 during a night of alcohol-fueled hallucinations in a hotel room in Dallas, TX. Because Wilson had no immediate family, St. Louis Cardinals' president Sam Breadon authorized a funeral service to be conducted for Wilson in Dallas.4 Wilson was He was buried in Calvary Hill Cemetery in Dallas.5

Excerpts

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"Les Wilson, young University of Arkansas athlete, will be at shortstop [for Joplin] . . ."6

"Seven years ago Les Wilson played second base for the Boston Braves in a spring training game against the Washington Senators. Scene of the game was the baseball diamond in Biloxi’s Naval Reserve Park. Recently, he returned to Biloxi this time as a “ten-day-old” recruit in the Air Corps. Veteran baseball players, manager and umpire, Pvt. Les Wilson of the 397th School Squadron has made a career of sports. At the University of Arkansas, his alma mater, he served as assistant basketball coach in 1936 and 1937 –even did some football scouting there for Coach Fred Thompson. He played pro basketball for a short time. He had his moment of glory when he was given a major league tryout with the Boston Braves in the spring of 1934. In training at Clearwater, Fla., the Braves played exhibition contests all throughout this section of the Gulf Coast, including a game at what is now the Keesler Field baseball diamond. Manager Bill McKechnie was about to send Les to Harrisburg, Pa., for more seasoning when veteran Rabbit Maranville was injured. Rabbit’s injury turned out to be a break for Les. He was kept in the Braves’ roster all through spring training and for 21 days of the regular season. He even got into four major league games, three times as a pinch hitter. Shortly after reporting back to Harrisburg, Wilson’s baseball career was cut short by an auto accident. He hand was badly mangled. Also in the accident was Dom Dallessandro, now with the Chicago Cubs, then a player on the Williamsport, Pa., team. Wilson started managing St. Louis Cardinal farm teams in 1935 when he took over a club in his home city, Fayetteville, Ark., in the Arkansas-Missouri League. He handled Fayetteville in 1935 and 1936 and Monette, Mo., the following year. Les helped to develop Ted Dusak while managing Monette. Dusak is now a member of the Cardinal’s National League squad. From 1938 until 1941, Wilson umpired in the Arkansas-Missouri League, Western Association and the Three-I League and also called ‘em at St. Louis Cardinals spring training camps for the past three years. Two days after war was declared on Japan, player-manager-umpire Wilson enlisted in the Air Corps at Joplin, Mo., for a few days, and then was transferred to Keesler Field –his second visit here, but this time in a new role –Private Wilson."7

"Dallas, Aug. 17. – (AP)—The nude, bloody body of Edward Lester sic Wilson, 37-year-old scout for the St. Louis Cardinals, was found today in a wrecked hotel room, but an autopsy disclosed no wounds capable of causing death. The theory that Wilson was slain was being discounted, police reported. Justice of the Peace W. L. Sterett said Dr. Charles Ashworth who conducted the autopsy reported there were no wounds capable of causing death but that there were alcoholism evident. Officers said they could find no injury serious enough to cause death. There is one slight wound and a bruise behind one ear, they said. Wilson bled profusely, apparently from the nose and the mouth. Earlier police theorized Wilson’s hotel room had been wrecked during a terrific fight. Detective Chief Will Fritz said three persons taken into custody at the hotel would be held for further questioning, but that there was no evidence to indicate they had any knowledge of the cause of Wilson’s death. One, a porter, said he took ice to Wilson’s room at 3:10 a.m. and found him staggering with blood on his face and body, Fritz stated. The porter said Wilson told him he had fallen and cut himself. The two other persons held were a 33-year-old man, who Fritz said had been arrested many times before, and a 30-year-old woman, both guests at the hotel. Among Wilson's papers was found an honorable discharge from the army air forces, dated January 15 at Maxwell Field, Ala. He enlisted December 12, 1941, and was a private at the time of his release. Vernon O'Neal, a mortician, said he had been authorized by Sam Breadon, president of the St. Louis Cardinals, to hold funeral services and burial in Dallas at 9 a. m., Tuesday at the Holy Trinity Catholic church. Wilson is survived by a cousin, Mrs. William J. Walsh, and an aunt, Mrs. J. Hastings, both of St. Louis. On the floor of the wrecked room police found fragments of a torn photograph of a woman. Only the lower part of the picture could be found. Fritz said the man had been dead only two or three hours when found. Wilson's body, stripped of all clothing, was found in a sitting position, slumped against a wall with one arm draped over a chair. Furniture had been scattered around the room and broken, and blood was on walls, floor and bedclothing. Further adding to the mystery was a statement by Moe Mathes, director of the St. Louis Cardinal farm system, saying he was surprised to learn Wilson was in Dallas. In a telephone call from St. Louis he had last talked to the scout in Houston, Tex., last week. He said Wilson had been scheduled to be in Colorado Springs, Colo., for the American Legion tournament August 11-14. A few coins were found on the floor of Wilson's hotel room, but no other money has been discovered. Chief Fritz said earlier he believed Wilson had been knocked unconscious in a fight, later regained consciousness, and staggered about the room in a dazed condition. He said, however, that officers had been unable to find anyone who heard signs of a fight or struggle. No weapon which might have been used has been found. Hotel attendants said Wilson had checked into the hotel at 6:05 yesterday morning. An airlines ticket indicated he had flown here from Tyler, Tex., Tuesday. Mathes said Wilson was formerly of Fayetteville, Ark., and had been a scout for the Cardinals since January, shortly after his discharge from the army. A Former Player and Umpire. Wilson formerly was a ball player and an umpire. He was soldier-manager of the army teams at Keesler Field, Biloxi, Miss., from 1942 to 1943, and later with the team at Tyndall Field, Fla. Before the war he worked as an umpire with the Arkansas-Missouri League and the Western Association from 1938 to 1941, Mathis said. Wilson, before becoming an umpire, had played pro baseball first with Charleroi. Pa., of the old New York-Pennsylvania League and then with Fayetteville, Ark, and Neosho, Mo., of the Arkansas-Missouri League, and Joplin, Mo., of the Western Association. Wilson's hand was broken when Dom Dallassandro, now with the Chicago Cubs, stepped on it in a double play at first base in a New York-Pennsylvania league game. Born in St. Louis, Wilson went with his family to Fayetteville when he was 8 years old. He was an all-around athlete at University high, Fayetteville, Subiaco, Ark., academy and St. Benedict’s college, Atchison, Kan. After the injury to his hand, Wilson returned to Fayetteville and purchased a half interest in a cab company there. He returned to baseball as manager of the Fayetteville team in 1934. He played with the team in 1936 and with Neosho in 1937. With “Runt” Marr, chief Card scout, Wilson conducted tryout camps at Omaha and St. Joseph, Mo., the latter part of July. Both parents are dead and Wilson has no immediate survivors. "8

"Ed. L. (Les) Wilson, scout of the St. Louis Cardinals, former infielder-catcher and umpire, was found dead in a hotel room at Dallas, Tex., August 17, following what physicians believe was an all-night battle with hallucinations. His blood-stained, bruised body was found in a sitting position propped against the wall, by a maid who was making a routine cleaning call. An autopsy reported the cause of death as acute alcoholism, but friends attribute his mental condition to reaction from the war and the death of his father last year. Born in Fayetteville, Ark., 37 years ago, Wilson broke in as a player with Joplin in the Western Association in 1929 and also with Springfield in the same league before retiring for semi-pro ball in 1932. He returned to O.B. in 1933 with Charleroi and subsequently was with El Dorado, Harrisburg, Fayetteville and Neosho. He umpired in the Arkansas-Missouri, Western Association and Three-I from 1938 to 1941. Entering the Army Air Forces in December, 1941, Wilson was discharged from the service in January of this year. He was soldier-manager of the Army teams at Keesler Field, Biloxi, Miss., and later with the team at Tyndall Field, Fla."9

Stats

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1934 Charleroi Statistics at Baseball-Reference.com.

1934 Fayetteville Statistics at Baseball-Reference.com.

1935-1937 Statistics at Baseball-Reference.com.