October 04, 1999 18:38:06 CST
Willie Wells: The Devil From Texas
Beloved by Mexican fans who dubbed him “El Diablo”
NLB Dot Com
Staff
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Willie Wells, 1997 Hall of Fame inductee. |
“Intense. That’s what I was,” declared Willie Wells shortly before his death in 1989. “I just wanted to be the best. I never wanted to lose.” This determination translated into a twenty year career as black baseball’s finest shortstop.
While compiling a lifetime batting average around .300, often taking the Negro National League batting title (hitting .403 in 1930), Wells displayed fielding talents which earned him 8 nominations to the East-West all-star game. This remarkable feat was accomplished despite the fact that Wells had played nine of his finest seasons before the inaugural All-Star Game in 1933.
During the early 1940s Wells spent four seasons playing in Mexico where his legendary fielding skills prompted frustrated hitters to dub his El Diablo (The Devil).
Against white major league squads Wells hit a handy .410 in exhibition games and impressed Hall-Of-Famer Charlie Gehringer as a fierce competitor. “Wells was the kind of player you always wanted on your team,” Gehringer recalled in 1989. “He played the way all great players play – with everything he had.”
Moving from the “Million Dollar Infield” of the Newark Eagles into a post as player-manager, Wells finished his career as a respected teacher of the game, developing such young players as Monte Irvin and Don Newcombe.
Bio In Brief
Born: August 10, 1905
Birthplace: Austin, Texas
Died: January 22, 1989 (Austin, TX)
Teams: San Antonio Black Aces, Detroit Wolves, Homestead Grays, Kansas City Monarchs, Cole’s American Giants, Newark Eagles, Chicago American Giants, New York Black Yankees, Baltimore Elite Giants, Indianapolis Clowns, Memphis Red Sox, Birmingham Black Barons Wells spent several years in the Mexican League during the early 1940s and played minor league ball in Canada in 1950-51.
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