Bob Davids SABR Chapter Meeting
January 24, 2009
Albie Pearson
• Originally signed by the
Boston Red Sox as an
amateur free agent in 1953.
• Traded after the 1957
season with Norm Zauchin
to the Washington Senators
for Pete Runnels.
• Voted MLB Rookie of the
Year in 1958 and The
Sporting News Rookie of
the Year.
• At 23, Pearson played in 146 games,
collected 146 hits, including 25
doubles and batted .275.
• MVP voting: Pearson 14, Ryne
Duren of the Yankees, 7, and Gary
Bell of the Indians, 3.
• Sophomore slump: Batted .188 in
25 games; traded to the Orioles for
Lenny Green on May 29, 1959.
• Batted .244 in 48 games for
the Orioles in 1960; spent most
of the season in Rochester.
• Drafted by the Los Angeles
Angels in the expansion draft at
age 26.
• Played regularly for the Angels
for five years.
• Led AL in runs (115) in 1962; batted
.305 in 1963, fourth in the league
behind Yaz (.321), Kaline (.312) and
Rollins (.307). Named to the 1963
AL All-Star team.
• Back problems resurfaced in 1964.
Two years later, he was out of
baseball at age 31.
• Lifetime: Pearson played in 988
games in nine seasons and batted
.270.
• Debuted with the Orioles at age 25
on Sept. 18, 1958, after eight years
in the minors.
• In 1959, played in 142 games, hit
13 homers and batted .275. Named
one of The Sporting News Rookie
Stars of ‘59 and voted to the Topps
All-Star Rookie Team.
• Once played in the Orioles
outfield with no shoes during a
storm; he was afraid the spikes
would attract lightning.
• In 1960, Orioles were pennant
contenders; traded Tasby to the
Red Sox for outfielder Gene
Stephens on June 29.
• Drafted by the Senators in the
expansion draft in Dec. 1960.
• Was Senators’ Opening Day
centerfielder in 1961. Played
141 games and had a careerhigh 17 homers and 63 RBI.
• Just 11 games into the 1962
season, he was traded to
Cleveland for pitchers Steve
Hamilton and Don Rudolph.
• Played 127 games over two
seasons for the Indians and
retired after the ‘63 season at
age 30.
• Played in the Negro Leagues for the
Nashville Elite Giants from 1957-58;
played for Rochester in 1962-63.
• As a 25-year-old rookie in 1964, he
slugged 22 homers, drove in 71 runs
and batted .263. Tied Orioles’ rookie
home run record.
• Never came close to matching his
rookie numbers; hit just 22 more
homers in five seasons.
• Beaned by Earl Wilson of the
Red Sox on Aug. 19, 1964, in
the second inning. Batted .215
the remainder of the season.
• “It affected my hitting. I’d
pull my head out up there at the
plate. I wouldn’t stay with the
inside pitches. I would bail out
and drop my hands.”
• Played 89 games for the O’s in
1966 and hit just .210. Didn’t
play in the World Series.
• After batting .183 in 62 games,
his contract was sold to the
Senators in November 1967.
• Batted .191 in 57 games in 1968
and .193 in 33 games in 1969.
• Played final game on July 26,
1969 at age 30.