Plaque with a portrait of Robert "Red" Wilson, surrounded by a laurel wreath, listing his achievements as a baseball player and coach, and noting his birth date and place, born March 7, 1929, Milwaukee, WI, and his election year, 1990.

Robert "Red" Wilson

Inducted in 1990

Robert "Red" Wilson will be remembered by Wisconsin Badgers' fans as a football standout, but he made a bigger name for himself as a backup catcher in major league baseball.


Wilson played from 1951-60 for the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians. He hit .254 with 23 homers and 189 RBI.


He primarily became known as part of the "Yankee Killer" battery with Tigers' pitcher Frank Lary. Wilson caught 21 games that Lary pitched against the powerful Yankees and went 16-3. Wilson hit .354 in those 21 games against the Yanks.