Position: Second base
Birthplace: Jamestown
First, Middle Names: Lemuel Floyd Nicknames: Pep, Whitey
Date of Birth: Aug. 29, 1907 Date and Place of Death: Jan. 14, 1962, Jamestown
Burial: Guilford Memorial Park, Greensboro, NC
High School: Jamestown High School, Jamestown
College: Did not attend
Bats: R Throws: R Height and Weight: 5-9, 162
Debut Year: 1933 Final Year: 1945 Years Played: 10
Teams and Years: Pittsburgh Pirates, 1933-40; Cincinnati Reds, 1941; St. Louis Browns, 1945
Career Summary
G AB H R RBI HR BA. OBP. SLG. WAR
730 2466 645 274 347 32 .262 .308 .380 6.0
Awards/Honors: NC Sports Hall of Fame, 2000; Boys of Summer Top 100
For most of baseball’s history, players like Pep Young were the epitome of middle infielders. No one expected them to hit balls out of the park or drive in many runs. They had to field their positions with aplomb, expertly turn the double play and hit just well enough and at the right times. During his four years as a Pittsburgh Pirates’ starter, Young was considered the best defensive second baseman in the National League, while hitting a respectable .260. He teamed with Hall-of-Fame shortstop Arky Vaughan to give the Pirates the best double-play combination in the league.