George Lewis

George M. Lewis

• Bats Right, Throws Leftt
• Height 6' 0", Weight 175 lb.

• Born 1943, in St. Thomas. U.S. Virgin Islands

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Biographical Information

Pitcher George Lewis was told at age five by his Army vet father that he was going to be a ballplayer when he grew up. "Black George" played with Caguas in the Puerto Rican league in the early '60s. He then signed with the Washington Senators organization in 1962. At age 19, he had a fairly promising first year in Class D ball, going 7-3, 3.99 for Middlesboro in the Appalachian League.

In 1963, Lewis was 0-4 with a 14.06 ERA for Peninsula in the Carolina League. He went to Geneva in the NY-Penn League, where he was just 6-11, but his 3.47 ERA was eighth-best in the league. He returned to Geneva in 1964, where his catcher was once again Paul Casanova (they were among the few black players in the league). Lewis was 3-10, 6.12 in 24 games. After winning the first and saving the second game of a doubleheader that summer, the St. Thomas native's "Left Hand of God" was badly damaged in an auto accident that night, ending his career.

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