Born in Greenwood, Mississippi, he moved to Flint, Michigan, shortly after graduating from high school in Highlandale in 1935.

[1] Hoskins batted left-handed; he stood 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and weighed 180 pounds (82 kg).

Hoskins was the first African-American to play in the Double-A Texas League, pitching for the Dallas Eagles in 1952.

He faced much the same kind of hostility that Jackie Robinson did when he first broke into the majors five years earlier.

Defensively, he handled 40 total chances (9 putouts, 31 assists) without an error for a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.