Pinson was born in Memphis, Tennessee and his family moved to California when he was a child. He attended Oakland\'s McClymonds High School, a school attended by Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Frank Robinson (a Pinson teammate in the major leagues for nine years), star centerfielder Curt Flood and Basketball Hall of Fame center Bill Russell). Pinson had interest in the trumpet in the school\'s band, to the point where he considered playing trumpet as a career, but his baseball coach George Powles convinced him otherwise, developing him into a player by cultivating his athletic ability and talent. \n', '

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Right before turning 18, he was offered a $4,000 bonus by the Cincinnati Redlegs, which he signed. He played two seasons in the minor leagues, playing with the Wausau Lumberjacks in the Northern League for 1956 (hitting .278 in 75 games) and the Visalia Redlegs in the California League the following year, hitting .367 with 209 hits in 135 games.\n', '

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