Willis "Red" Applegate (November 4, 1921 – August 1, 1965) was a United States boxer and Negro league baseball player.
| Red Applegate | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: November 4, 1922 Newark, New Jersey | |
| Died: August 8, 1965 (aged 42) | |
Batted: Unknown Threw: Unknown | |
| Negro league baseball debut | |
| 1947, for the Newark Eagles | |
| Last appearance | |
| 1947, for the Newark Eagles | |
| Teams | |
|
Early life
editIn 1942 at the age of 20, Applegate served in the 92nd Infantry Division in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations during World War II. He was discharged in 1945.[1]
Boxing
editHis professional boxing career began in 1946 with 4 consecutive wins, 2 by knockout (both in the first round), but he was stopped by Austin Johnson. He won his next fight, and lost the next three. He fought several more fights afterwards. In April 1951, he fought legendary boxer Rocky Marciano for 10 rounds, only to lose by decision. Overall, he compiled a record of 11-16-2 (4 KO). His boxing career ended in 1951 after suffering a detached retina.
Negro league baseball
editIn 1947, he briefly pitched for the Newark Eagles of the Negro National League.[2]
References
edit- ^ Bedingfield, Gary. "Negro Leaguers Who Served With The Armed Forces in WWII". Baseball in Wartime. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ "Red Applegate". seamheads.com. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
External links
edit- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference and Baseball-Reference Black Baseball Stats and Seamheads
- Boxing record for Red Applegate from BoxRec (registration required)