Paul Pettit

George William Paul Pettit
(Lefty)

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 2", Weight 195 lb.
• School California State University, Long Beach
• High School Narbonne High School
• Debut May 4, 1951
• Final Game September 19, 1953
• Born November 29, 1931 in Los Angeles, CA USA
• Died September 24, 2020 in Canyon Lake, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

According to The Baseball Book, Paul Pettit was a notable failure for a "bonus player." He was signed for $100,000, the first player to be signed for that much money, but won only one game for the Pittsburgh Pirates in a brief career. While considered a bust, Pettit had a good career in the minors, mostly as a hitter.

In 1952 Pettit hit .320 for the Hollywood Stars while going 15-8 with a 3.70 ERA; he won only 18 other games as a pitcher in his pro career. In 1954, Pettit hit .324 with 20 homers and 103 RBI for the Salinas Packers of the California League, one of the circuit's top 10 hitters. In 1955, Pettit played for the Mexico City Tigers - he hit .318 with an OBP around .487 and a slugging percentage of .618. In 78 games, Pettit scored 72 runs and drove in 80. He walked 59 times and struck out just 9 times. He again was one of the top 10 offensive players in the league and tied for second in the Mexican League in RBI. In 1957, Pettit tore up the Pacific Coast League as Hollywood's right fielder, replacing Dick Stuart early in the season. Pettit hit .284/.382/.456 - he was 5th in the PCL in OBP, 7th in slugging, tied for third with 102 RBI, tied for 10th in homers (20) and tied for 4th in walks (85). Pettit played another couple of years as a solid position player at AAA before fading away.

He drove in ten runs in one game vs. Seattle, on September 12, 1957.

Paul's son, Mark Pettit, played two seasons in the minors.

Related Sites

• Paul Pettit at the SABR Bio Project