Buddy Armour

Alfred Armour
(Buddy, Al)

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9", Weight 170 lb.

• Debut 1933
• Final Game 1947
• Born April 27, 1915 in Jackson, MS USA
• Died April 15, 1974 in Carbondale, IL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Buddy Armour was a three-time All-Star in the Negro Leagues.

Armour got his start with the 1936 St. Louis Stars. After a couple years on their bench, he was the starting shortstop for the 1938 Indianapolis ABCs, hitting just .125. Returning to St. Louis in 1939, he batted .293 as a starter at short. His last season as a shortstop was in 1940 - he hit .286 for the New Orleans-St. Louis Stars. His three doubles tied him for 4th in the Negro American League and he led the league with two steals. He moved to the outfield in 1941 and fell to .222.

Armour played for the West in the 1941 East-West Game, which they lost, 8-3. Replacing Neil Robinson in center field, he went 1 for 2 with a run. He singled off Henry McHenry his first trip to the plate. The next time up, he struck out, but East catcher Roy Campanella dropped the third strike and Armour reached; he later came around t score. Armour remained with the Stars for 1943.

Moving to the Cleveland Buckeyes in 1944, Buddy batted .299 with 8 triples, tying him with Ed Steele for second in the NAL. In the 1944 East-West Game, he started in left field for the West and hit cleanup. He went 2 for 4 with a steal and a run in a 7-4 victory. The Jackson native hit .325 in 1945 and then went 4 for 13 in the 1945 Negro World Series, in which Cleveland swept the Homestead Grays.

The veteran hit .263 for Cleveland in 1946 then was a starting flyhawk for the Chicago American Giants in 1947. In the first 1947 East-West Game, Armour hit 8th and played right field for the West. He went 2 for 4 with two doubles in a 5-2 victory. In the second game, he started in right and hit 7th, going 0 for 1 before James Abernathy replaced him early.

After another year with Chicago, Armour moved to the Farnham Pirates in 1949 and hit .342 to lead the Provincial League. He moved to the Granby Red Sox in 1950 and batted .290/.391/.410. He fell to .262/?/.390 with 28 doubles as a 36-year-old for the Granby club in 1951, then retired.

Notable Achievements

• 3-time NAL All-Star (1941, 1944 & 1947)
• Won one Negro World Series with the Cleveland Buckeyes in 1945

Sources

• Black Baseball's National Showcase by Larry Lester
• The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues by James Riley
• The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues by John Holway
• 1951 Baseball Guide

Related Sites

• BR Minors page