Pel Austin

Pelham Austin, Jr. (August 25, 1925 in Peach Orchard, Arkansas - April 24, 1976) was a college football player, minor league baseball player, coach, manager and big league scout, who served in the military during World War II.
In 1947 and 1949, Austin played football for the Arkansas State Indians.
He played baseball professionally from 1948 to 1954. In his first season, with the Wisconsin Rapids White Sox, he hit .297 with seven home runs in 126 games. He played for the Hot Springs Bathers in 1949, hitting .297 with six home runs in 133 games, and in 1950 he played for the Superior Blues, hitting .278 with six home runs in 101 games. With Hot Springs again in 1951, he hit .337 with nine home runs in 108 games.
From 1952 to 1954, he played with the El Dorado Oilers. In 1952, he batted a career low .269, however he hit a (to that point) career high 12 home runs in 104 games. He brought his average up to .313 in 1953, hitting a new career high 19 home runs. In 1954 - his final season - he hit .330 with 28 home runs. Overall, he hit .303 with 87 home runs in 783 career minor league games.
He managed in the Chicago White Sox organization for only one season, even though he led his team to a league championship. In 1969, he led the Duluth-Superior Dukes to a 46-23 record, and an eventual league championship. He also scouted for the White Sox, prior to being a minor league manager.
He died in 1976 and was buried in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

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