Felix McLaurin

Felix Vernon McLaurin
(Speedy)

• Bats Both, Throws Right
• Height 5' 7", Weight 163 lb.

• Debut 1942
• Final Game 1946
• Born September 6, 1921 in Jacksonville, FL USA
• Died May 19, 1972 in Chicago, IL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Felix McLaurin was a Negro League outfielder from 1942-1952, missing parts of three years to play in the Mexican League. He was noted for his excellent range in the outfield.

McLaurin debuted in 1942; the 20-year-old spent time with the Jacksonville Red Caps (.278) and Birmingham Black Barons (.433). He hit .383 in 1943 to finish third in the Negro American League in average behind Lester Lockett and Piper Davis. In the 1943 Negro World Series, he went 6 for 24 with a crucial game 3 error as Birmingham lost out to the Homestead Grays.

The little outfielder from Florida went 3 for 20 in the 1944 Negro World Series, as Homestead again topped the Black Barons. He split 1945 between Birmingham and the New York Black Yankees (.125). In 1946, he hit .425 for the Black Yankees and would have been second in the Negro National League behind Frank Austin had he qualified. He jumped to Mexico that year, hitting .262/.324/.398 in 26 games between the Tuneros de San Luis Potosi and the Diablos Rojos del Mexico.

In 1947, McLaurin put up a .316/.387/.386 line with 12 steals in 95 games for Mexico City. He split 1948 between Mexico City (5 for 17, 2B, 3B) and New York. He hit .301 for the 1949 Chicago American Giants, for whom he would wind down his career. He made his only East-West Game appearance in the 1952 East-West Game. Hitting third for the West, he went 1 for 1 with a double and two RBI before being replaced by Joe Durham, a future major leaguer.

Notable Achievements

• NAL On-Base Percentage Leader (1943)
• NAL Bases on Balls Leader (1943)

Sources

• The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues by James Riley
• The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues by John Holway
• Black Baseball's National Showcase by Larry Lester
• The Mexican League: Comprehensive Player Statistics by Pedro Treto Cisneros