Bill Cash (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bill Cash |
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| Catcher | |||
| Born: February 21, 1919 Round Oak, Georgia |
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| Died: September 12, 2011 (aged 92) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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| debut | |||
| 1943, for the Philadelphia Stars | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| 1949, for the Philadelphia Stars | |||
| Career statistics | |||
| Batting average | .274 | ||
| Home runs | 8 | ||
| Runs batted in | 131 | ||
| Teams | |||
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William Walker Cash (February 21, 1919 – September 12, 2011) was a fantastic baseball player. People called him "Ready" because he always wanted to play. He was a catcher and became an all-star in the Negro leagues. Bill Cash played for the Philadelphia Stars for his whole Negro league career. He also played for other teams in Mexico, Canada, and Venezuela. After he stopped playing baseball, he helped his community in Philadelphia a lot.
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Bill Cash's Early Life
Bill Cash was born in 1919 in Round Oak, Georgia. His family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1924. They lived near the Philadelphia International Airport. Bill went to Overbrook High School. He graduated in 1939.
At high school, Bill was the only Black player on the baseball team. He decided to leave the school team. Instead, he played for semi-pro teams. These were teams that played for money, but not at the highest professional level.
Starting His Baseball Journey
Bill played for semi-pro teams in Philadelphia for four years. Some of these teams were the Camden Giants and the Philadelphia Daisies. The manager of the Daisies, Webster McDonald, saw Bill's talent. He introduced Bill to Goose Curry. Curry was the manager of the Philadelphia Stars. Bill Cash was then signed to play for the Stars.
Playing in the Negro Leagues
Bill Cash started playing for the Philadelphia Stars in 1943. He had a good batting average of .321 in semi-pro games. But in his first year in the Negro league, his average was .258.
All-Star Games
Bill Cash was a talented player. He was chosen to play in the East-West All-Star games. These were big games where the best players from the East and West teams of the Negro leagues competed. He played in these games in 1948 and 1949. In the 1949 game, he played as the catcher for the whole game. He helped the East team win with a great pitching performance.
Playing in Minor Leagues
Bill Cash's time in the Negro league ended in 1950. He left the Stars to join the Mexico City Red Devils. In Mexico, he played very well. He hit for a .311 batting average. This was higher than any year he played with the Stars. He also hit 15 home runs. After Mexico, Bill played for a team in Canada. He continued to play well there.
Playing for the White Sox Farm Teams
In 1952, Bill Cash signed with the Chicago White Sox. He hoped to play for their main team. But he ended up playing for their farm teams instead. Farm teams are where younger or developing players play. He played for teams in Wisconsin and Iowa. During this year, he had some injuries. He hurt his shoulder and broke his leg.
Bill had his best batting average in 1953, hitting .347. He then played in the Dominican Republic for three years. Bill Cash finished his baseball career in Bismarck, North Dakota. He played alongside other famous Negro league players. In his last season, he had his highest batting average ever, hitting .369.
Bill Cash's Life After Baseball
After Bill Cash stopped playing baseball in 1955, he started a new job. He worked at Westinghouse Electric as a machinist. A machinist is someone who operates machines to make things. He worked there for 30 years. He enjoyed this job because he had trained to be a machinist before playing baseball. He retired from Westinghouse in 1985.
Helping His Community
Bill Cash was very active in his community in Philadelphia. He loved helping young people. He started the Cobbs Creek Little League Association. This league helped kids play baseball. He also helped start the Parkway Little League. He was on the board of directors for the Negro League Baseball Players Association.
Bill often visited schools and churches. He would talk about his life as a baseball player. He shared stories about the challenges African Americans faced in America. He also helped create a group called Concerned Black Men. This group worked to help children in need in Philadelphia.
His Faith and Family
Bill Cash was also a religious leader. He was a deacon at Calvary Baptist Church. Later, he became a senior deacon at the First African Baptist Church. He served there for 30 years.
Bill Cash married Sadie Bell Brooks in 1940. They had three children: William Jr., Janet, and Michael. They were married for 63 years. His family was very important to him.
Awards and Special Recognition
Bill Cash received many honors for his baseball career and community work.
- In 1981, he was inducted into the National Negro League Baseball Museum of History.
- In 1994, President Bill Clinton honored him and other Negro league players at the White House.
- He was also honored by the City of Philadelphia and the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- In 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies honored Bill Cash and his teammate Stanley Glenn. They were given Phillies jerseys at Citizens Bank Park.
- Bill Cash is also in several Halls of Fame, including the Douglas and Delaware County Halls of Fame.
Bill Cash passed away on September 12, 2011, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was 92 years old.
Images for kids
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Bill Cash in his baseball uniform.
