Duane Wilson

Born in Wichita in 1934, Duane Wilson caught the eye of a Boston Red Sox scout in 1952.  Wilson was signed and graduated through the Red Sox’ minor league system.

A right-handed pitcher, Wilson won nine games at Class D High Point-Thomasville (NC) in 1952, 13 games at Class B Greensboro (NC) in 1953, 12 in 1954 at Class A Albany and six as a reliever in AA Louisville in 1955 .

Wilson went back to being a starter at AA Oklahoma City in 1956, going 12-11 and making the Texas League All-Star team.  He spent most of the 1957 season back in Albany, winning 13 games.

In 1958, Wilson won nine games for Memphis and was promoted to Boston in June.  He started against Baltimore on July 3 and was allowed one run in six innings.  He did not factor in the decision, as the game was won by Baltimore in the 15th inning.

Nine days later, Wilson started the second game of a doubleheader against the White Sox and did not make it out of the first inning, allowing four earned runs in a third of an inning.  Wilson was sent to AAA Minneapolis.  He was recalled to Boston in September but did not see any action.

He gave baseball one more year, pitching in Minneapolis in 1959. He started eight games, relieved in another 18, and was 3-3 with an even 3.00 as his earned run average.  He won 85 games in eight minor league seasons.

Wilson returned to Wichita, entered the banking business and played semi-pro ball. Then he launched a softball career and was named to the Kansas Softball Hall of Fame in 1991.

Wilson died in 2021 at the age of 87.

For more, read Duane Wilson’s Society for American Baseball Research bio.