Carlos Bernier: Hollywood Bought and Sold

There are a lot of things we can write about Carlos Bernier, the speedy outfielder that spent most of his career at the AAA level with just one season up with the Pirates.

I'd like to concentrate on how he got there.

He had played a couple of games at AAA in 1949...great articles on the J.G. Preston Experience blog  and The Hardball Times  have covered that, though with differing opinions.

Bernier was also named as a player in dispute between Puerto Rican Leagues, Negro Leagues, and the majors in this 1949 New York Age article.

But how did he get to the Pirates in 1953? Bernier's Baseball-Reference major league page  has the following:

 December 3, 1951: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates from Tampa (Florida International) in the 1951 minor league draft.

Technically, it was the PCL Hollywood Stars that drafted Bernier, per page 101 of Richard Beverage's book "The Hollywood Stars".

The Spokane Daily Chronicle of October 2, 1952  has the following:

"Pitcher Johnny Lindell and outfielder Carlos Bernier of the Pacific Coast League champion Hollywood Stars were sold today to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
  The sale was made under a working agreement between the two clubs..."

Lindell's Baseball Reference major league page   has the following:

Before 1951 Season: Obtained by the Pittsburgh Pirates from Hollywood (PCL) as part of a minor league working agreement.

Obviously, that date is off...but Bernier should have the same designation, no?

Especially when you consider this article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette of April 7, 1954...

"The Pirates made another reduction in their traveling squad today (April 6) when they sold four players on a 30-day conditional basis and optioned two others to Hollywood of the Pacific Coast League.
Sent to the Stars, with whom the Pirates have a working agreement, on a recall basis, were Pitcher Bob Hall and First Baseman Dale Long. Sold were Pitchers Andy Hansen and Paul Pettit, Outfielder Carlos Bernier and Infielder Jack Lohrke."

Bernier would never get back to the majors, staying with Hollywood thru their move to Salt Lake City until moving around again starting in 1960. I will be looking into those transactions later.

Bernier stayed in AAA until 1964.

Bernier pic as a Hawaii Islander from the J.G. Preston Experience