Aaron Pointer
Encyclopedia
Aaron Elton Pointer is a retired American
baseball player. He played in the major leagues for the Houston Colt .45's/Astros
in 1963 and again in 1966-7. After his baseball career, he was a National Football League
referee. He is also known for being the brother of members of the Pointer Sisters
singing group.
, Arkansas
) is the second of six children of Rev. Elton and Sarah Elizabeth Pointer. He is the younger brother of Fritz Pointer, and older brother of Ruth, Anita, Bonnie, and June Pointer of the Pointer Sisters
.
Aaron Pointer grew up in West Oakland, California
and attended McClymonds High School
, where he became student body president. At McCymonds, Pointer was active in sports and he went to the University of San Francisco
on a full basketball
scholarship. At USF, he met his wife, Leona.
) in 1961 and played for the Class A Salisbury Braves in North Carolina
in the South Atlantic League
. During the 1961 season, Pointer had a .402 batting average
. As of 2006, he is the last player to bat over .400 in a full season of professional baseball in the U.S.
Pointer's major league debut was in a 1963 Colt .45's exhibition game. He played one other game in 1963. Pointer played for the Astros in 1966 and 1967. Over three seasons, Pointer had a .208 batting average with two home run
s and 15 runs batted in.
Pointer was traded to the Chicago Cubs
in 1968 and he played for the Tacoma Cubs in 1968 and 1969. In 1969, he signed with the Nishitetsu Lions in Fukuoka
, Japan
and played three seasons there from 1970 to 1972. He also played in Venezuela
before retiring.
in 1971 and worked for Pierce County Parks and Recreation, scheduling and supervising athletic activities. He began officiating football
games at the recreational level and later at the high school and college level.
From 1978 to 1987, Pointer officiated for the Pacific-10 Conference, eventually becoming a head linesman. He is also the first African American
referee in the Pac-10. In 1987, Pointer joined the National Football League
as a head linesman in 1987. He retired from the NFL after the 2003 season, but he continues to serve as a game-day observer for the NFL.
Pointer retired from Pierce County Parks and Recreation in 2000 after 29 years. He currently serves on the Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma board of commissioners, after being appointed to fill a vacancy in 2001. He also serves on the Executive Board of the Tacoma Athletic Commission.
In June 2008, Pointer was inducted into the Tacoma Hall of Fame.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
baseball player. He played in the major leagues for the Houston Colt .45's/Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
in 1963 and again in 1966-7. After his baseball career, he was a National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
referee. He is also known for being the brother of members of the Pointer Sisters
Pointer Sisters
The Pointer Sisters are an American pop/R&B recording act from Oakland, California that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Spanning over three decades, their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, disco, jazz, bebop, blues, soul, funk, dance, country and rock.The...
singing group.
Early life
Aaron Elton Pointer (born April 19, 1942 in Little RockLittle Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
) is the second of six children of Rev. Elton and Sarah Elizabeth Pointer. He is the younger brother of Fritz Pointer, and older brother of Ruth, Anita, Bonnie, and June Pointer of the Pointer Sisters
Pointer Sisters
The Pointer Sisters are an American pop/R&B recording act from Oakland, California that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Spanning over three decades, their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, disco, jazz, bebop, blues, soul, funk, dance, country and rock.The...
.
Aaron Pointer grew up in West Oakland, California
West Oakland, Oakland, California
West Oakland is a neighborhood situated in the northwestern corner of Oakland, California along the waterfront near the Port of Oakland and San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge. It lies at an elevation of 13 feet .-History:...
and attended McClymonds High School
McClymonds High School
McClymonds High School is a public high school in the West Oakland neighborhood of Oakland, California, USA.In addition to being the third oldest high school in Oakland, it is the larger of the two high schools in West Oakland , and the only high school in West Oakland operated by the Oakland...
, where he became student body president. At McCymonds, Pointer was active in sports and he went to the University of San Francisco
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
on a full basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
scholarship. At USF, he met his wife, Leona.
Baseball career
Pointer signed with the Houston Colt .45's organization (later Houston AstrosHouston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
) in 1961 and played for the Class A Salisbury Braves in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in the South Atlantic League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
. During the 1961 season, Pointer had a .402 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
. As of 2006, he is the last player to bat over .400 in a full season of professional baseball in the U.S.
Pointer's major league debut was in a 1963 Colt .45's exhibition game. He played one other game in 1963. Pointer played for the Astros in 1966 and 1967. Over three seasons, Pointer had a .208 batting average with two home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 15 runs batted in.
Pointer was traded to the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
in 1968 and he played for the Tacoma Cubs in 1968 and 1969. In 1969, he signed with the Nishitetsu Lions in Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and played three seasons there from 1970 to 1972. He also played in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
before retiring.
After baseball
After retiring from baseball, Pointer settled in Tacoma, WashingtonTacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
in 1971 and worked for Pierce County Parks and Recreation, scheduling and supervising athletic activities. He began officiating football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
games at the recreational level and later at the high school and college level.
From 1978 to 1987, Pointer officiated for the Pacific-10 Conference, eventually becoming a head linesman. He is also the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
referee in the Pac-10. In 1987, Pointer joined the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
as a head linesman in 1987. He retired from the NFL after the 2003 season, but he continues to serve as a game-day observer for the NFL.
Pointer retired from Pierce County Parks and Recreation in 2000 after 29 years. He currently serves on the Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma board of commissioners, after being appointed to fill a vacancy in 2001. He also serves on the Executive Board of the Tacoma Athletic Commission.
In June 2008, Pointer was inducted into the Tacoma Hall of Fame.
External links
- Aaron Pointer at Baseball Almanac
- Aaron Pointer Sportsmanship Award at Pierce County Parks and Recreation