Albie Pearson was born on Wednesday, September 12, 1934, in Alhambra, California. Pearson was 23 years old when he broke into the big leagues on April 14, 1958, with the Washington Senators. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Albie Pearson baseball stats page.
"I was popular mainly because of my lack of size. I never heard a 'Boo' in my life. I was the hero for the guy who never made it. They always saw me as the underdog because I was competing at the highest level against guys a foot taller." - Pearson, Albie. 100 Things Angels Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die. Haakenson, Joe. Author. Triumph Books. 66. Little Man - Albie Pearson. 1 April 2013. Page 108.
Albie Pearson![]() Albie Pearson Autograph on a 1963 Topps Baseball Card (#182 | Checklist) |
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Albie PearsonAlbie Pearson Pitching Stats |
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| Year | Age | Team | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
| - | - | Did Not Pitch | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Career | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD | ||
Albie PearsonAlbie Pearson Hitting Stats |
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| Year | Age | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 1958 | 24 | Senators | 146 | 530 | 63 | 146 | 25 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 33 | 64 | 1 | 31 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 11 | .275 | .354 | .358 |
| 1959 | 25 | Senators | 25 | 80 | 9 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .188 | .309 | .200 |
| 1959 | 25 | Orioles | 80 | 138 | 22 | 32 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | .232 | .296 | .290 |
| 1960 | 26 | Orioles | 48 | 82 | 17 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | .244 | .370 | .305 |
| 1961 | 27 | Angels | 144 | 427 | 92 | 123 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 41 | 96 | 1 | 40 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 3 | .288 | .420 | .400 |
| 1962 | 28 | Angels | 160 | 614 | 115 | 160 | 29 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 42 | 95 | 3 | 36 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 7 | .261 | .360 | .352 |
| 1963 | 29 | Angels | 154 | 578 | 92 | 176 | 26 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 47 | 92 | 5 | 37 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 5 | .304 | .402 | .398 |
| 1964 | 30 | Angels | 107 | 265 | 34 | 59 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 35 | 2 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .223 | .316 | .272 |
| 1965 | 31 | Angels | 122 | 360 | 41 | 100 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 21 | 51 | 0 | 17 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | .278 | .370 | .369 |
| 1966 | 32 | Angels | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Career | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG | ||
| 9 Years | 988 | 3,077 | 485 | 831 | 130 | 24 | 28 | 1 | 214 | 477 | 12 | 195 | 51 | 9 | 12 | 43 | .270 | .369 | .355 | ||
Albie PearsonAlbie Pearson Fielding Stats |
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| Team | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
| 1958 Senators | CF | 136 | 132 | 3,487 | 339 | 2.5 | 332 | 327 | 5 | 7 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .979 | 2.57 |
| 1958 Senators | RF | 6 | 5 | 123 | 8 | 1.3 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.76 |
| 1959 Senators | CF | 12 | 11 | 292 | 21 | 1.8 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .952 | 1.85 |
| 1959 Senators | RF | 10 | 10 | 270 | 17 | 1.7 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.70 |
| 1959 Orioles | CF | 17 | 12 | 350 | 37 | 2.2 | 36 | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .973 | 2.78 |
| 1959 Orioles | LF | 22 | 2 | 157 | 10 | 0.5 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.72 |
| 1959 Orioles | RF | 15 | 9 | 312 | 31 | 2.1 | 31 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 2.68 |
| 1960 Orioles | CF | 6 | 4 | 116 | 12 | 2.0 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 2.79 |
| 1960 Orioles | LF | 11 | 1 | 102 | 4 | 0.4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.06 |
| 1960 Orioles | RF | 16 | 12 | 297 | 26 | 1.6 | 25 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .962 | 2.27 |
| 1961 Angels | CF | 46 | 42 | 1,126 | 109 | 2.4 | 105 | 103 | 2 | 4 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .963 | 2.52 |
| 1961 Angels | LF | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .000 | 0.00 |
| 1961 Angels | RF | 76 | 65 | 1,767 | 135 | 1.8 | 128 | 123 | 5 | 7 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .948 | 1.96 |
| 1962 Angels | CF | 145 | 138 | 3,729 | 340 | 2.3 | 336 | 330 | 6 | 4 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .988 | 2.43 |
| 1962 Angels | RF | 15 | 15 | 404 | 32 | 2.1 | 32 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 2.14 |
| 1963 Angels | CF | 132 | 129 | 3,456 | 311 | 2.4 | 305 | 298 | 7 | 6 | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .981 | 2.38 |
| 1963 Angels | LF | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .000 | 0.00 |
| 1963 Angels | RF | 18 | 17 | 480 | 34 | 1.9 | 34 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.91 |
| 1964 Angels | CF | 51 | 43 | 1,192 | 96 | 1.9 | 93 | 92 | 1 | 3 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .969 | 2.11 |
| 1964 Angels | LF | 12 | 9 | 222 | 25 | 2.1 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 3.04 |
| 1964 Angels | RF | 8 | 5 | 139 | 10 | 1.3 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.94 |
| 1965 Angels | CF | 12 | 9 | 249 | 34 | 2.8 | 34 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 3.69 |
| 1965 Angels | LF | 7 | 4 | 117 | 5 | 0.7 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.15 |
| 1965 Angels | RF | 88 | 76 | 2,026 | 125 | 1.4 | 123 | 118 | 5 | 2 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .984 | 1.64 |
| 1966 Angels | LF | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .000 | 0.00 |
| Career | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
| CF Totals | 557 | 520 | 13,997 | 1,299 | 2.3 | 1,273 | 1,251 | 22 | 26 | 8 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .980 | 2.46 | |
| RF Totals | 252 | 214 | 5,818 | 418 | 1.7 | 408 | 393 | 15 | 10 | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .976 | 1.89 | |
| LF Totals | 56 | 16 | 622 | 44 | 0.8 | 44 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.91 | |
| 9 Years | 865 | 750 | 20,437 | 1,761 | 2.0 | 1,725 | 1,688 | 37 | 36 | 10 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .980 | 2.28 | |
Albie PearsonAlbie Pearson Miscellaneous Stats |
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| Baserunning Statistics | Other Positions | Common Hitting Ratios | Common Pitching Ratios | |||||||||
| Team | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
| 1958 Senators | 7 | 8 | .467 | 6 | 0 | n/a | 176.7 | 17.1 | 16.1 | - | - | - |
| 1959 Senators | 1 | 1 | .500 | 4 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 26.7 | 40.0 | - | - | - |
| 1959 Orioles | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | 28 | 10 | n/a | 0.0 | 27.6 | 23.0 | - | - | - |
| 1960 Orioles | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | 17 | 7 | n/a | 82.0 | 27.3 | 13.7 | - | - | - |
| 1961 Angels | 11 | 3 | .786 | 30 | 6 | n/a | 61.0 | 10.7 | 10.4 | - | - | - |
| 1962 Angels | 15 | 6 | .714 | 0 | 4 | n/a | 122.8 | 17.1 | 14.6 | - | - | - |
| 1963 Angels | 17 | 10 | .630 | 7 | 0 | n/a | 96.3 | 15.6 | 12.3 | - | - | - |
| 1964 Angels | 6 | 4 | .600 | 37 | 11 | n/a | 132.5 | 12.0 | 16.6 | - | - | - |
| 1965 Angels | 12 | 1 | .923 | 28 | 2 | n/a | 90.0 | 21.2 | 17.1 | - | - | - |
| 1966 Angels | 0 | 0 | .000 | 2 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | - | - | - |
| Career | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
| 9 Years | 77 | 33 | .700 | 159 | 40 | n/a | 109.9 | 15.8 | 14.4 | - | - | - |
Albie PearsonAlbie Pearson Miscellaneous Items of Interest |
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| Team | Roster | Uniform Numbers | Salary | All-Star | World Series |
| 1958 Washington Senators | 6 | $4,200.00 | - | - |
| 1959 Washington Senators | 6 | $6,500.00 | - | - |
| 1959 Baltimore Orioles | 21 | " " | - | - |
| 1960 Baltimore Orioles | 21 | $11,000.00 | - | - |
| 1961 Los Angeles Angels | 28 | $20,000.00 | - | - |
| 1962 Los Angeles Angels | 28 | $25,000.00 | - | - |
| 1963 Los Angeles Angels | 28 | $25,000.00 | Stats | - |
| 1964 Los Angeles Angels | 28 | $30,000.00 | - | - |
| 1965 Los Angeles Angels | 28 | $30,000.00 | - | - |
| 1966 California Angels | 28 | $35,000.00 | - | - |
| Albie Pearson Stats by Baseball Almanac | ||||

Albert Gregory Pearson was a Major League Baseball player with the Washington Senators (1958-1959), Baltimore Orioles (1959-1960), Los Angeles Angels (1961-1965), and California Angels (1966). Albie, his nickname, won the 1958 American League Rookie of the Year — making him the first Washington Senators (Minnesota Twins) player to receive the honor! Baseball Almanac likes to take a look "beyond the stats" and we hope you enjoy the following article, which is essentially a superbly detailed Albie Pearson self-interview, which appeared in the October 1958 issue of Baseball Digest, Page 11:

Albie Pearson Rookie Card | 1958 Topps Baseball Card (#317 | Checklist)
Baseball Almanac Research Library
Washington's five-foot-five outfielder tells how it feels to be the smallest player in the big leagues
by ALBIE PEARSON
As told to Richard Dozer — Chicago Tribune
How does it feel to be the smallest guy in the major leagues?
If you want the truth, it feels great - it's a thrill just to be IN the big leagues with my five feet five and one-half inches and 141 pounds. That's enough for me, even if I DO have to look up to Nellie Fox of the White Sox. Come to think of it, there's nothing wrong with THAT little guy.
I never have the satisfaction of looking an umpire in the eye, I'm forever signing autographs for kids taller than I am, and human skyscrapers like Norm Zauchin and Jim Lemon (newspaper clipping below) of our club make me feel like a midget when they walk by but, hand me a bat and let me step into the box, and I'm as good as the next guy — some of 'em, at least.

Albie Pearson | The Sunday News | 23 March 1958Baseball Almanac Research Library
I guess my psychology professor in junior college at Pomona, Cal., got me started in baseball when he suggested on day that I was more interested in gazing out the window at the athletic field than I was in his lectures.
That was two months after I enrolled — and on impulse I decided the professor was right! So I excused myself from class as politely as I could and went out to sign a contract with the Boston Red Sox.
Now, six years later, here I am in the Washington Senators' outfield — the smallest man in basbeall and proud of it.
Yes, of course they told me I was too small. I came out of high school as a left-handed pitcher but I guess the Red Sox never would have given me a second look back there in the fall of 1952 if it hadn't been for the fact that Bobby Shantz had just won 24 games for the A's. Bobby's less than a full inch taller than I am, you know, and he's still a pretty good left-hander.
Even though I signed as a pitcher, I made only rare trips to the mound during my minor league career. Last year I pitched a couple of innings for San Francisco in the Pacific Coast League. But that first year, 1953, the Red Sox sent me to San Jose in the California State League, and it developed that when the season began the club had only two outfielders.
They decided I was the guy to full this emergency and I guess you might say an outfielder was born.
I got lucky and made four hits, so they put me out there the next night, too, and what happened? Four hits again. They left me there, and I hit .334 in 125 games.
I really had intended to make it to the big leagues as a pitcher. In high school I had run the 100-yard dash under ten seconds, and I played four years of football as a 125-pound halfback. But pitching was my real love — and Shantz was my idol. Now, when I analyze myself, however, I don't think I ever would have been a Major League pitcher — maybe triple A, but no better.
My best season was 1956, when I hit .371 for Oklahoma City and won the Texas League batting championship. I was .297 for San Francisco last year, and then the Red Sox traded me to Washington along with Zauchin for Pete Runnels. This was the best thing that could have happened to me.
Another thing that really helped me to succeed was the confidence gained by winning the ball players' golf championship before Florida spring training started this year. Instead of being just another half-pint trying to make the big leagues, I was Gregory Albert Pearson — competitor!
I've got a lot to learn about baseball. I don't think I play the outfield as well yet as I will. Yes, I'm plenty confident — you have to be. But I'm careful not to think for a minute that I know it all. When you do, you're ready for a fall.
I've been making a habit this year of studying the other small men in our league. There is a lot I can learn from Fox. He is a self-made ball player and has learned to compensate for lack of size by developing hitting into a science. I'm trying to do the same. He plays hard and slides hard. So do I.
You could call me a third generation athlete of the Pearson family. I'm no relation to that jockey who knows all about paintings, but my dad was a five-five halfback and spring champion at Pasadena City College, and grandpa, who was only five-two, had 113 professional fights as a pretty good bantamweight.
They accuse me of being a singer, too, and I guess I don't do too badly. I sang two baritone solos at my own wedding five years ago. Since that time, my wife and I have been blessed with two fine daughters, and any day now we expect to be parents again.
And maybe this child will be a fourth generation athlete for the California Pearsons.
On April 11, 1961, the Angels first game in franchise history took place and in the bottom of the first inning, with two outs, Albie Pearson was walked - the first player in franchise history to be walked. While on first, Ted Kluszewski came to bat, hit a home run to right field (also the first), and Pearson scored the first run in Angels history.

Los Angeles Angels First Game | The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY) | April 12, 1961Baseball Almanac Research Library
Albie Pearson wrote a letter to General Manager Fred Haney of the newly created expansion team, Los Angeles Angels, and said, "Mr. Haney: I'm Albie Pearson. I was Rookie of the Year in the American League. I've been sent down to Rochester, but I want you to know my back is well and I can play. I want to come home and play in Los Angeles where I was born and raised. Please consider this letter as you make your draft. Sincerely, Albie Pearson." Let's take a look at the (Angels Only) 1960 Major League Baseball Expansion Draft:
Los Angeles Angels Expansion Draft |
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| Order | Name | Team (Position) |
| 1. | Eli Grba | New York Yankees (P) |
| 2. | Duke Maas | New York Yankees (P) |
| 3. | Jerry Casale | Boston Red Sox (P) |
| 4. | Tex Clevenger | Minnesota Twins (P) |
| 5. | Bob Sprout | Detroit Tigers (P) |
| 6. | Aubrey Gatewood | Detroit Tigers (P) |
| 7. | Ken McBride | Chicago White Sox (P) |
| 8. | Ned Garver | Kansas City Athletics (P) |
| 9. | Ron Moeller | Baltimore Orioles (P) |
| 10. | Bob Davis | Kansas City Athletics (P) |
| 11. | Ed Sadowski | Boston Red Sox (C) |
| 12. | Buck Rodgers | Detroit Tigers (C) |
| 13. | Eddie Yost | Detroit Tigers (3B) |
| 14. | Ken Aspromonte | Cleveland Indians (2B) |
| 15. | Ken Hamlin | Kansas City Athletics (SS) |
| 16. | Gene Leek | Cleveland Indians (3B) |
| 17. | Jim Fregosi | Boston Red Sox (SS) |
| 18. | Bob Cerv | New York Yankees (OF) |
| 19. | Ken Hunt | New York Yankees (OF) |
| 20. | Jim McAnany | Chicago White Sox (OF) |
| 21. | Earl Averill | Chicago White Sox (OF) |
| 22. | Faye Throneberry | Minnesota Twins (OF) |
| 23. | Ted Kluszewski | Chicago White Sox (1B) |
| 24. | Don Ross | Baltimore Orioles (IF) |
| 25. | Julio Becquer | Minnesota Twins (1B) |
| 26. | Dean Chance | Baltimore Orioles (P) |
| 27. | Fred Newman | Boston Red Sox (P) |
| 28. | Red Wilson | Cleveland Indians (C) |
| 29. | Steve Bilko | Detroit Tigers (1B) |
| 30. | Albie Pearson | Baltimore Orioles (OF) |