Edward Joseph Dwight
Nicknames: Eddie, Pee Wee, Flash
Career: 1925-1937
Position: cf, if, 2b
Teams: Kansas City Monarchs (1925-1929, 1933-1937); Indianapolis ABCs (1932)
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5' 8'' Weight: 165
Born: February 25, 1905, Dalton, Georgia
Died: November 27, 1975, Kansas City, Kansas
An exceptionally speedy outfielder, his speed and base-stealing ability were comparable to that of "Cool Papa" Bell. A contact hitter without power, he was an excellent bunter with good hit-and-run ability, and usually batted in the second slot in the order when in the lineup. He managed to maintain a modicum of batting consistency, with partial statistics showing an average of .308 in 1929. An outstanding fielder with great range but an average arm, the center fielder spent his entire thirteen-year career (1925-1937) in the Midwest, mostly with the Kansas City Monarchs. He won a starting assignment in the Monarchs' outfield in 1933 and held the regular spot until he left the Monarchs after the 1937 season. During this time the veteran player appeared in the 1936 All Star game.
Dwight was reported to have died of tuberculosis. In 1962 his son became the first black American selected for training as an astronaut by NASA, and later gained further recognition as the sculptor of the Hank Aaron statue at Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium.
Source: James A. Riley, The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues, New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc., 1994.