Artie Wilson (October 28, 1920 – October 31, 2010) was an All-Star in baseball’s Negro League before settling in Portland and finishing his career in the Pacific Coast League. Born in Springville, Alabama. Wilson achieved sporting fame as one of the top hitters in the Negro Leagues in the 1940s.
Wilson played for the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League from 1942 to 1948, where he was considered the league's best shortstop. He was named the starting shortstop of the league All-Star team seven times from 1944 to 1948 (missing out only in 1945, when he was beaten out by Jackie Robinson, shortly before the latter broke the baseball color line in 1947). During Wilson's time with the Black Barons, the team won three league championships. In 1948, Wilson hit .402 for the Barons, the last time a Negro Leaguer batted above .400. In 1948, Wilson mentored a young Willie Mays, who was just breaking into baseball.
Following the 1948 Negro World Series, Wilson played for the Mayagüez Indians of the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League, leading them to their first championship title in 1949.
In 1948, the New York Yankees purchased Wilson's contract, and he was assigned to their Newark Bears minor league team. But since his salary would have been less than he was making with Birmingham, he negotiated another contract with the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League. The Yankees protested to baseball commissioner Happy Chandler, who voided Wilson's Padres contract. The Yankees then sold Wilson to the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League, where he was the team's first black player and the roommate of Billy Martin. With Oakland, Wilson won the PCL batting title with a .348 average and also led in stolen bases. In 1950, he led the PCL in runs and hits, helping the Oaks to the 1950 PCL championship.
Wilson's accomplishments were noticed by the New York Giants, and he was called up for the 1951 season, where he was used as a utility infielder and as a pinch runner and pinch hitter. But Wilson struggled in the big leagues and when the Giants called up Wilson's former protégé Willie Mays, they sent Wilson back to Oakland, ending his major league career.
Back in the PCL, Wilson finished the 1951 season with the Oaks and was sold to the Seattle Rainiers in 1952. Wilson also played with the Portland Beavers and Sacramento Solons of the PCL, winning three more PCL batting titles before leaving baseball in 1957. His career ultimately ended with a short comeback for the Beavers in 1962. In his 10 seasons in the minor leagues, Wilson played in 1,331 games, had 1,609 hits, and finished with a .312 average.
Wilson had settled in Portland in 1955, and with his wife, Dorothy, raised two children. Following his retirement from baseball, he worked at Gary Worth Lincoln Mercury in Portland for more than 30 years until the fall of 2008 at the age of 88, still greeting customers.
He was inducted into the PCL Hall of Fame in 2003.