Nicknamed "Mule", Peete stood 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) tall, weighed 190 pounds (86 kg), batted left-handed and threw right-handed. The native of Franklin, Virginia, began his professional career in the Negro leagues with the Indianapolis Clowns and played semi-professional baseball in Canada before signing with the unaffiliated Portsmouth, Virginia, Merrimacs of the mid-level, Class B Piedmont League in 1953; Peete was the first African-American to play in that league since the baseball color line was broken in 1946.\n', '

He batted .275 in 125 games played and the Cardinals drafted him into their organization that offseason and assigned him to their Lynchburg Cardinals farm team, also in the Piedmont League, for 1954. Peete batted .311 with 17 home runs and was named to the PL all-star team. He was promoted three levels to Triple-A for 1955 and batted .310 in a season split between the Cardinals\' two top farm teams, the Rochester Red Wings and Omaha Cardinals. In 1956, he batted a league-best .350 with 16 home runs and 63 runs batted in in 116 games for Omaha.\n', '

Called up by the Cardinals in July, Peete made his debut July 17 in a home game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pinch hitting for veteran Hank Sauer, he drew a walk and stayed in the game to play center field, and later grounded into a double play in a 4–2 Cardinal loss. Peete collected ten hits in 52 at bats with two doubles and two triples. He was sent back to Omaha after his last MLB appearance, August 16, when he went hitless in three at bats against Lew Burdette of the Milwaukee Braves.\n', '

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