| Willie Wells | |
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| Shortstop /Manager | |
| Born:(1906-08-10)August 10, 1906 Austin, Texas, U.S. | |
| Died: January 22, 1989(1989-01-22) (aged 82) Austin, Texas, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| Negro leagues debut | |
| 1924, for the St. Louis Giants | |
| Last Negro leagues appearance | |
| 1948, for the Memphis Red Sox | |
| Negro leagues statistics | |
| Batting average | .330 |
| Hits | 1,292 |
| Home runs | 140 |
| Runs batted in | 873 |
| Stolen bases | 160 |
| Managerial record | 64–79–3 |
| Winning % | .449 |
Managerial record atBaseball Reference  | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1997 |
| Election method | Veterans Committee |
Willie James Wells (August 10, 1906[1] – January 22, 1989), nicknamed "the Devil", was an American baseball player. He was ashortstop who played from 1924 to 1948 for various teams in theNegro leagues and in Latin America.
Wells was a fast base-runner who hit for both power andaverage. He was at his finest with his glove, committing almost noerrors and having the speed to run down anything that came in his direction. He is widely considered the best black shortstop of his day. He also taughtJackie Robinson how to turn adouble play.[2]
Wells was also notable as being the first player to use abatting helmet, after being hit and receiving aconcussion while playing with theNewark Eagles (his first helmet was aconstruction helmet).
Wells is a member of theNational Baseball Hall of Fame.
On February 5, 2022 the baseball field atAnderson High School inAustin, Texas was dedicated in Wells' honor. The celebration included members of the Wells family with the keynote presentation byBob Kendrick, President of theNegro Leagues Baseball Museum.
Wells was born inAustin, Texas. He attendedAnderson High School in Austin. Wells first played professional baseball in 1923, playing one season for theAustin Black Senators of theTexas Colored League, a minor league for theNegro National League.[2] He briefly attendedSamuel Huston College in Austin before he was called up to the St. Louis team in the NNL.
After a short stint with theSt. Louis Giants,[3] he entered the NNL with theSt. Louis Stars in 1924, playing for the Stars through 1931, when both the team and league folded after the 1931 season. In 1926 he hit 27home runs, a Negro leagues single-season record. In 1930, he led the Negro National League in home runs (seventeen), runs batted in (114), and batting average (.411) to win the batting Triple Crown; he was the fourth player to achieve the distinction. From 1932 to 1935 he played for theChicago American Giants and played for theNewark Eagles from 1936 to 1939. While with the Eagles, Wells was part of the "Million Dollar Infield," consisting of Wells,Ray Dandridge,Dick Seay, andMule Suttles.[4]: p.55
He played inMexico in 1940 and 1941, where he said he experienced democracy, acceptance and freedom. Wells was nicknamedEl Diablo by Mexican fans for his extraordinary intensity and the English translation ("The Devil") followed him as a nickname in the United States.[2] He returned to the Negro leagues in 1942 as a player-manager for the Eagles and then went back to Mexico for the 1943 and 1944 seasons.
Returning to the U.S. in 1945, Wells played for various Negro league teams through the 1950 season, including theMemphis Red Sox where he played alongside his sonWillie Wells Jr. in 1948.[citation needed] He then went toCanada as aplayer-manager for the Winnipeg Buffaloes of theWestern Canadian Baseball League, remaining there until his retirement from actively playing baseball in 1954. Wells returned to the U.S. and continued as the manager of theBirmingham Black Barons.
After his baseball career, Wells was employed at aNew York City deli before returning to his birthplace of Austin to look after his mother. He died ofcongestive heart failure in Austin in 1989.[2] Wells was originally buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Austin, Texas, but was re-interred in theTexas State Cemetery in Austin.
He was elected to theBaseball Hall of Fame by theVeterans Committee in 1997 for his play in the Negro leagues. He has also been inducted into theMexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame andCuban Baseball Hall of Fame.[2]
Known statistics: .319 careerbatting average, .510slugging percentage, 98home runs, 644runs scored, 399runs batted in, and 756games played.[5]
Stella Lee Wells, Willie's daughter, created a scholarship fund honoring her father, called the Stella and Willie Wells Scholarship Fund. The fund awards scholarships atHuston–Tillotson University in Austin, Texas.
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