We’ve recently digitized and published online a terrific scrapbook from the local history collection at the Wayne County Public Library. The scrapbook documents the early career of professional baseball player and Wayne County native Johnny Peacock.
Peacock was born and grew up in Fremont, N.C., where he excelled in high school sports. He attended the University of North Carolina, playing baseball and football. After graduating from UNC in 1933, Peacock began his professional career in North Carolina with the Wilmington Pirates of the Piedmont League. He continued with minor league teams in Toronto, Nashville, and Minneapolis before making his major league debut with the Boston Red Sox in 1937.
Peacock was a backup catcher throughout his career, never appearing in more than 89 games in a season. He spent parts of eight seasons with the Red Sox and a couple of seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies before finishing his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945. He retired with a career batting average of .262.
The scrapbook includes clippings and photographs from Peacock’s baseball career from high school through 1939.