Alabama Pitts

Alabama Pitts
Alabama Pitts
	Pitts in 1935
Born	Edwin Collins Pitts, Jr.; November 22, 1909; Opelika, Alabama, US
Died	June 7, 1941 (aged 31); Valdese, North Carolina, US
Conviction(s)	Armed robbery
Criminal penalty	Eight to sixteen years (over five years served)
	Baseball career
	Outfielder
Minor League debut
	June 23, 1935, for the Albany Senators
Last Minor League appearance
	1940, for the Hickory Rebels
Minor Leagues statistics
At bats	589
Hits	156
Batting average	.265
Defensive chances	320
Putouts	294
Fielding percentage	.941
Teams
	International League Albany Senators (1935–1936); New York–Pennsylvania League York White Roses (1936); Trenton Senators (1936); Carolina League Charlotte Hornets (1936); Gastonia Spinners (1937); Valdese Textiles (1937–1938); Lenoir Finishers (1938); Piedmont League Winston-Salem Twins (1937); Tar Heel League Hickory Rebels (1940);
Position:
	American football career
No. 50
Position:	Halfback
Personal information
Height:	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:	185 lb (84 kg)
Career history
	Philadelphia Eagles (1935); New Rochelle Bulldogs (1935–1936); Stapleton Buffaloes (1936);
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:
Receptions:	2
Receiving yards:	21
Touchdowns:	0
	Player stats at PFR

Edwin Collins "Alabama" Pitts Jr. (November 22, 1909 – June 7, 1941) was an American convicted felon who garnered media attention in his attempt to play professional baseball after his release from Sing Sing prison. While serving five years for robbing a grocery store at gunpoint, he played for the prison baseball and American football squads. After being denied the ability to play for the Albany Senators of the International League in 1935 by the president of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, he appealed to Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who granted his request.

Pitts went on to play for five years as a baseball player for the Albany Senators; York White Roses and Trenton Senators of the New York–Pennsylvania League; Charlotte Hornets, Gastonia Spinners, Valdese Textiles, and Lenoir Finishers of the Carolina League; Winston-Salem Twins of the Piedmont League; and Hickory Rebels of the Tar Heel League. He played football for two years, including one as a member of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. Two films (The Billion Dollar Scandal and Over the Wall) produced in the 1930s were inspired by his life story, and he was fatally stabbed at a tavern in June 1941.