Tom Alston
| Tom Alston | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First baseman | |
| Born: January 31, 1926 Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S. | |
| Died: December 30, 1993 (aged 67) Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 13, 1954, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 29, 1957, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .244 |
| Home runs | 4 |
| Runs batted in | 36 |
| Teams | |
Thomas Edison Alston (January 31, 1926 – December 30, 1993) was a Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1954 to 1957, the first African-American to do so. A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, he stood 6'5" (200 cm) and weighed 210 pounds (95 kg).
Alston was acquired by St. Louis via a trade with the
Busch was, however, somewhat disappointed by Alston. When he reported to the Cardinals, the team learned he was two years older than the Padres had claimed. Busch demanded they return $20,000 the Cardinals had included with the trade to account for two seasons that Busch believed the team could not get from Alston.[1]
When he made his Major League debut (April 13, 1954 at
Career totals for 91 games include a .244 batting average (66-for-271), 4 home runs, 36
Alston's career was handicapped by neurasthenia and other mental disorders which forced his hospitalization after his playing career was over.[2]
See also
- List of first black Major League Baseball players by team and date
References
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Tom Alston at the SABR Baseball Biography Project
