John "Mule" Miles

A native San Antonian, John Miles has a storied history. He was a college basketball athlete, a mechanic for the famed Tuskegee Airmen and a Baseball Player. As a baseball player he was an Outfielder and Third Baseman who was also a power hitter. In one game he played, his manager said to him after hitting two home runs, “You hit that ball like a mule kicks!” and the name stuck. He received notice while playing on the Air Force Baseball team, the Kelly Field Brown Bombers, he was noticed by a scout and signed to the Chicago American Giants. He was a league leader with 27 home runs in 1948. Some of the highlights of his baseball career include playing with and against Jackie Robinson and being inducted into the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.