Matt Carlisle

Matthew Carlisle
(Lick)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 6", Weight 145 lb.

• Debut 1932
• Final Game 1948
• Born February 5, 1910 in Wenonah, AL USA
• Died November 18, 1972 in Pittsburgh, PA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Matt Carlisle was a Negro League infielder for over a decade.

Carlisle began his life as a coal miner. He made it to the Birmingham Black Barons as their starting shortstop in 1931 and hit .268. He batted .297 as the shortstop for the 1932 Montgomery Grey Sox. After a year in Memphis and another in New Orleans, he joined the Homestead Grays in 1935 and hit .379 as their main second baseman. While with Homestead, he often hit second in front of Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard. He held that role in 1936 (.200) and 1937 (.229). The latter year, he hit 4 triples, one behind Negro National League co-leaders Gibson and Wild Bill Wright. He was 2 for 10 in the '37 postseason. He fell to .139 in 1938 and lost his starting role to Sammy Bankhead in 1939.

Back as a starter, Carlisle hit .278 in 1940 and .179 in 1941 before becoming a bench player for the remainder of his career. He went 0 for 9 for Homestead in the 1942 Colored World Series. In a reserve role in '43, he batted .349.

Carlisle spent 1945 in the US Navy then returned for one last year with the Grays.

Notable Achievements

• NNL Triples Leader (1935)
• 2-time NNL Stolen bases Leader (1941 & 1942)
• Won one Negro World Series with the Homestead Grays in 1943

Sources

• The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues by James Riley
• The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues by John Holway