Bill Greason facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bill Greason |
|||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg)
Greason on his 100th birthday in 2024
|
|||||||||||||||||
| Pitcher | |||||||||||||||||
| Born: September 3, 1924 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
| Professional debut | |||||||||||||||||
| NgL: 1948, for the Birmingham Black Barons | |||||||||||||||||
| MLB: May 31, 1954, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | |||||||||||||||||
| June 20, 1954, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||||
| Win–loss record | 3–3 | ||||||||||||||||
| Earned run average | 4.62 | ||||||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 36 | ||||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
William Henry Greason (born September 3, 1924) is an American former baseball player. He was a pitcher who later became a Baptist minister in Birmingham, Alabama. Greason played for the Birmingham Black Barons in the Negro leagues from 1948 to 1951. He also played for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB) in 1954.
Contents
Early Life and Military Service
Greason was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He grew up near the famous civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr..
During World War II, Greason joined the United States Marine Corps. He was one of the first African-American Marines. He completed his basic training at Montford Point. Greason served in the Pacific Theater of Operations. He took part in the difficult Battle of Iwo Jima. He also served during the Korean War.
Playing in the Negro Leagues
After World War II, Greason became a professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher. He played in the Negro leagues, which were baseball leagues for African-American players. He played for teams like the Nashville Black Vols and Asheville Blues.
His main team was the Birmingham Black Barons. There, he was teammates with the legendary Willie Mays. In 1948, Greason had a good season. He won 3 games and lost 2. He pitched 4 complete games and had one shutout. That year, he helped the Black Barons. They played in the last-ever Negro League World Series. Greason won a game against the Homestead Grays.
In 1950 and 1951, Greason also played in the Mexican League. This league was independent and allowed players of all races.
Playing in Major League Baseball
In 1952, Greason joined minor league baseball. He played for the Oklahoma City Indians. He won 9 out of 10 games. His earned run average (ERA) was very low at 2.14. That same year, another African-American pitcher, Dave Hoskins, joined the Texas League.
On August 3, 1952, Greason and Hoskins pitched against each other. This game in Dallas drew 11,000 fans. Many of them were from the black community. Greason's team won the game 3-2.
Because of his success, the St. Louis Cardinals signed Greason in 1953. He became the second African-American player for the Cardinals. The first was Tom Alston.
Greason played in three games for the Cardinals in 1954. Two of these games he started as the main pitcher. In his first game on May 31, he lost to the Chicago Cubs. He allowed five runs in three innings. In his next start, he struggled and didn't get any outs. In his final MLB game, he pitched one inning without allowing any runs.
Overall, Greason pitched four innings in MLB. He allowed six runs and had two strikeouts. After his time in MLB, he continued to play in the minor leagues. He retired from baseball after the 1959 season.
Life as a Minister
After his baseball career, Bill Greason became a member of the 16th Street Baptist Church. This church faced a very sad event in 1963. After this, Greason decided to study to become a minister. He attended Birmingham Baptist Bible College and Samford University.
In 1971, he became the pastor of the Bethel Baptist Church in Birmingham. He continued to preach there for many years, even into 2023.
Greason has received special honors for his life and service.
- In 2011, he received a lifetime achievement award.
- In 2012, the Montford Point Marines, including Greason, were awarded a group Congressional Gold Medal. This is a very high honor from the United States Congress.
See also
