Billy Queen

William Eddleman Queen
(Doc)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 185 lb.

• Debut April 13, 1954
• Final Game April 25, 1954
• Born November 28, 1928 in Gastonia, NC USA
• Died April 23, 2006 in Gastonia, NC USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Billy Queen was signed as an amateur free agent by the Boston Braves in 1947, shortly before the season started, and was optioned out to the Illinois State League Mt. Vernon Braves where he started his long trek through professional baseball's minor league system. Queen played professional baseball for fourteen years but only appeared in three big league games, those with the Milwaukee Braves in 1954, one as an outfielder and two as a pinch-hitter.

Billy, who was sometimes known as "Doc", played from 1947 through 1960. He appeared in eleven minor leagues with fifteen different teams. He was used at third base and shortstop in his earlier years and became an outfielder and catcher as his career moved on.

Billy's first good year came early on with the 1948 Mt. Vernon Braves, where he played in 118 games, had 439 at-bats with 137 hits for a .312 BA and a .408 slugging percentage.

He had probably his career year with the class D 1950 Bluefield Blue-Grays of the Appalachian League, playing 118 games. He had 447 at-bats with 159 hits (21 of those where four-baggers); his BA was .356 and he recorded a very good .606 slugging percentage.

He fit in well with the Class B 1952 Wichita Falls Spudders Big State League team where he hit for the circuit 36 times, had 192 hits and a .332 BA while slugging at a .589 clip.

After his brief stop with the Milwaukee Braves in 1954, Queen's career took a downhill run and he didn't have another respectable season until his 1959 Memphis Chickasaws Southern Association League play, where he hit for a .312 BA. It was with the 1960 Gastonia Rippers Western Carolina League team that he decided to hang it up. He was managing the team in the last half of the season and on August 3rd, Billy was suspended for 90 days for attacking an umpire. This is where his record stopped.

In Billy's 14-year ride around the Minor Leagues, he played in 1,373 games, went to the plate 4,610 times, beat out 1,275 hits (among them 159 home runs), had 227 doubles and 25 triples. All this gave him a lifetime batting average of .262 and a .408 slugging percentage.

Sources

SABR Minor League Data Base
baseball-reference.com
The Baseball Index
Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, third edition