George Edward Provens was born on June 1, 1918, in Lexington, Kentucky.[1] In late 1943, he was involved in a fight with his friend, Lee Fulp, over a woman.[2] Fulp died of a knife wound.[2] Provens said he accidentally cut Fulp while attempting to disarm him.[2] Provens was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to five years probation.[2]
In 1944, Provens was a "thriving" infielder and pitcher for the City Merchants club in Canton, Ohio's Class-A Baseball League.[2] Later that year, he tried out for both the Cleveland Buckeyes of the Negro American League (NAL) and the Homestead Grays of the Negro National League.[2][3] He had another tryout with the Buckeyes on July 16, 1945.[2] Provens made his NAL debut for the Buckeyes on July 30 against the New York Cubans, pinch hitting for a single in the ninth inning.[2] He played his second and final game for the Buckeyes on August 1 against the Baltimore Elite Giants, playing all nine innings at third base and going hitless in four plate appearances.[2][1] Shortly thereafter in August 1945, he returned to the City Merchants and helped them win the city title.[2]
In late 1945, Provens suffered a laceration after being hit in the head with a bottle by an unknown person at Beanie’s Chicken Shack in Canton.[2] Provens played for the Wyatt Apex Athletic Club in the Canton Class-A League in 1946.[2] In early 1947, Provens was shot twice during a fight at Beanie’s Chicken Shack.[2] Due to still being on probation, Provens was given an indefinite sentence at Ohio State Reformatory.[2] He played baseball for the Ohio State Reformatory All-Stars from 1947 to 1949, after which he was released from the reformatory.[2] Provens played for the Rockets of the Canton Class-A League in 1950, and for the Canton Rockets traveling team in 1951 before returning to finish his career in the Canton Class-A League in 1952.[2]
Provens became a little league baseball coach in 1951.[2] He was an acquitance of a young Thurman Munson, who played sandlot baseball in Canton.[4] Provens was a manager in the Canton Class-A League from 1962 to 1965.[2] He was also a local fisherman, and a sponsor for baseball, softball, basketball, and bowling teams.[2][5]
Provens retired from the Ford Motor Company and also owned the Provens Family Foods grocery store.[6][2] He was inducted into the Greater Canton Baseball Old-Timers Association Hall of Fame in 1969, and the Canton Negro Oldtimers Association Hall of Fame in 1976.[2][7] He died on May 7, 1982, in Canton at age 63.[1] He was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Canton.[1]
