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Alex Albritton

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Alex Albritton
Pitcher
Born: (1892-02-12)February 12, 1892
Live Oak, Florida
Died: February 3, 1940(1940-02-03) (aged 47)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
Negro league baseball debut
1918, for the Bacharach Giants
Last appearance
1925, for the Wilmington Potomacs
Teams

Alexander C. Albritton (February 12, 1892[note 1] – February 3, 1940) was an American baseball pitcher in the Negro leagues. He played with multiple teams from 1918 to 1925.[1]

Early life

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Albritton was born in Live Oak, Florida, on February 12 of either 1892 or 1894, the son of D. W. and Charlotte Albritton.[note 1][2][3]

At some point after 1900, his family moved to Ben Hill County, Georgia. Albritton later married a woman named Marie and they lived in both Florida and Philadelphia before he began his baseball career.[4]

Baseball career

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Albritton appeared in at least one game for the Bacharach Giants in 1918, appearing in relief and allowing eight earned runs in 2.1 innings.[5]

In 1920, Albritton played with the Pittsburgh Colored Stars of Buffalo before he was acquired by the Washington Braves in April 1921, for whom he played with through at least mid-May.[6][7][8][9] By June 1921, he had joined the Hilldale Club.[10]

Albritton pitched for the Baltimore Black Sox in 1922 and remained with the club when they joined the Eastern Colored League in 1923.[11][12] By May 1923, he was pitching for the Washington Potomacs,[13] and would remain with the club, now playing in Wilmington, Delaware, through 1925.[14] In between appearances with the Potomacs, Albritton also pitched for the Brooklyn Cuban Giants in 1924.[15][16]

By 1925, Albritton had earned the nickname "war horse" for his willingness to pitch as much as four times in a week.[17]

Death

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Albritton was beaten to death at Philadelphia State Hospital at Byberry in 1940. According to the Republican Herald, witnesses testified that Albritton attacked attendant Frank Weinand, who then subdued Albritton, ultimately resulting in his death.[18][19] Weinand was arrested and charged with homicide,[20] but was cleared of any wrongdoing.[4]

While his death certificate lists his burial location as Eden Cemetery in Collingdale, Pennsylvania, cemetery officials could find no record of anyone matching his description buried in 1940 or 1941.[4]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Albritton's birth date appears as February 1892 in the 1900 United States census, while it is listed as February 12, 1894 in his World War I draft registration card.

References

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  1. ^ Riley, James A. (1994). The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues. New York: Carroll & Graf. ISBN 0-7867-0959-6.
  2. ^ "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7HB6-CTPZ : 22 January 2022), Alex Albritton, 1917-1918.
  3. ^ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3JH-BC8 : 22 January 2022), Alexander Albritten in household of D W Albritten, Militia Districts 901, 1421 Mystic town, Irwin, Georgia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 50, sheet 18B, family 422, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,205.
  4. ^ a b c Ryan Whirty (October 29, 2014). "Mystery still surrounds ex-Negro Leaguer, beaten to death at Byberry mental hospital". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  5. ^ "1918 Atlantic City Bacharach Giants pitching statistics". seamheads.com. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  6. ^ "Bacharach Giants to Play Pittsburgh Stars Here This Afternoon". The Buffalo Enquirer. July 29, 1920. p. 10. Retrieved January 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Washington Braves Play Again Tomorrow". The Washington Times. April 27, 1921. p. 15. Retrieved January 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Braves to Battle Brooklyn Slides". The Washington Herald. April 28, 1921. p. 8. Retrieved January 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Buffalo Stars Beat Braves, 2-1". The Washington Herald. May 16, 1921. p. 6. Retrieved January 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Irvins Team Blanked". The Philadelphia Inquirer. July 6, 1921. p. 15. Retrieved January 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "1922 Baltimore Black Sox pitching statistics". seamheads.com. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  12. ^ "1923 Baltimore Black Sox pitching statistics". seamheads.com. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  13. ^ "Potomac Club After Giants". Harrisburg Telegraph. May 30, 1923. p. 13. Retrieved January 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Alex Albritton career statistics". seamheads.com. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  15. ^ "Cuban Giants Opening". Brooklyn Times-Union. April 25, 1924. p. 19. Retrieved January 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ W. Rollo Wilson (May 3, 1924). "Eastern Snapshots". Pittsburgh Courier. p. 7. Retrieved January 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Baltimore Sox Here Tonight". The Morning News. June 8, 1925. p. 8. Retrieved January 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Held Without Bail". Republican Herald. February 15, 1940. p. 1. Retrieved January 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Released on Bail". Republican Herald. February 21, 1940. p. 1. Retrieved January 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Charge Hospital Aide With Murder". York Daily Record. February 5, 1940. p. 2. Retrieved January 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
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