Charlie Peete

Charles Peete
(Mule)

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9½", Weight 190 lb.
• High School High Street School
• Debut July 17, 1956
• Final Game August 16, 1956
• Born February 22, 1929 in Franklin, VA USA
• Died November 27, 1956 in Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela

BR page

Biographical Information

Outfielder Charlie Peete played one season in the major leagues for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1956. He was the same age as fellow outfielder and teammate Rip Repulski. He was expected to compete for a regular outfield job for the Cardinals in 1957, which would have made him the team's first-ever black regular.

Peete entered pro ball with the Portsmouth Merrimacs in 1953 after returning from Korea [1], reportedly walikng in to Portsmouth owner Frank Lawrence's office and asking for the job. Early in the season, manager Bob Ankrum tried Ken Hatcher and then Herb Benson in right field and neither was the answer [2]. Peete made his debut in early May and was an instant success. Hatcher and Benson were released in mid-May. After the 1954 season, the Rochester Red Wings took Peete in the AAA phase of the 1954 Rule V Draft.

Peete had an impressive season with the Omaha Cardinals in 1956, posting a batting line of .350/.444/.561 and winning the American Association batting title.

En route to play winter ball, he was killed in a plane crash at age 27 along with his wife, Nettie, and their three small children. There is a little league baseball field named in his honor in Portsmouth, VA, the city where he grew up.

Further Reading

• Danny Spewak: Cardinal Dreams: The Legacy of Charlie Peete and a Life Cut Short, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, MD, 2024. ISBN 978-1-5381-7992-5

Related Sites

• Charlie Peete at the SABR Bio Project