Pumpsie Green
Pumpsie Green | ||
---|---|---|
Runs batted in | 74 | |
Teams | ||
|
Elijah Jerry "Pumpsie" Green (October 27, 1933[
Green had the distinction of being the first
Early life
Green was born in Boley, Oklahoma, the eldest of five children. One brother, Cornell Green, was a long-time safety for the Dallas Cowboys. Another brother, Credell Green, played football at the University of Washington and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers.[1][2]
Green was named Elijah, after his father, but his mother called him "Pumpsie" from an early age, although Green related that he did not know the origin of the name.[2] Green grew up in Richmond, California, and was a three-sport athlete at El Cerrito High School.
Since major-league baseball had not yet expanded to the West Coast, Green grew up a fan of the
Minor league career
In 1954, Green batted .297 in his second season with the
In 1959, Green was invited to the Red Sox's major league spring training camp. Despite playing well and receiving much media attention, Green was sent back to Minneapolis. However, after hitting .320 through 98 games, he was promoted to the major league Red Sox.[3][4]
Major league career
Green made his MLB debut on July 21, 1959, against the
Green enjoyed a much more full-time role in 1960, playing 133 games, 69 at second base, and 41 at shortstop; he batted for a .242 average.[4]
Green may have had his best season in 1961, posting career highs in home runs (6), RBI (27), doubles (12), and stolen bases (4); however, he also had the most errors of his career in 1961, with 16. Despite a hot start to the season, Green developed appendicitis in Washington, D.C. in May, which put him out of the lineup for about four weeks and kept him from playing at full strength for even longer.[2]
In 1962, after a weekend of humiliating losses to the New York Yankees, Green along with Gene Conley got off the bus in the middle of a traffic jam in The Bronx to find a restroom, with the bus driver subsequently driving away without the players on board. Conley was not spotted until three days later by a New York Post sports reporter at the Idlewild International Airport trying to board a plane for Israel, with no passports or luggage.[9]
After the 1962 season, Green was traded to the New York Mets along with
After baseball
Following his retirement from playing baseball, Green worked at
On April 17, 2009, Green was honored by the Red Sox in a first-pitch ceremony, in recognition of 50 years since his breaking of the Red Sox color barrier.[12] In February 2012, Green was honored by the city of El Cerrito, and presented with a proclamation honoring his "distinguished stature in baseball history."[11] In April 2012, he threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Jackie Robinson day at Fenway Park, and also attended Fenway's 100th anniversary celebrations later that month.[13][14]
On July 17, 2019, Green died at the age of 85. No cause was given.[15]
See also
References
- ^ Raley, Dan (October 8, 2003). "Where Are They Now: Credell Green". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 157940118X.
- ^ a b "Pumpsie Green Minor League Statistics & History". baseball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Pumpsie Green Statistics and History". baseball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
- ^ "Chicago White Sox 2, Boston Red Sox 1". Retrosheet. July 21, 1959. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ^ "Chicago White Sox 5, Boston Red Sox 4". Retrosheet. July 22, 1959. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ^ "Boston Red Sox 8, Cleveland Indians 4 (2)". Retrosheet. July 28, 1959. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ^ "Boston Red Sox 4, Kansas City Athletics 1 (1)". Retrosheet. August 4, 1959. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ISBN 0-395-58776-X.
- ^ Selvin, Joel, "Altamont", P. 157
- ^ a b Burress, Charles (February 22, 2012). "History-Making Pumpsie Green Thanks City". elcerrito.patch.com. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
- ^ Edwards, Lauren (August 4, 2009). "Pumpsie Green Changed the Face of the Red Sox for the Better". NESN. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
- ^ Florence, Bob. "Rockets once ruled Indian Head". The Star Phoenix. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
- ^ Kepner, Tyler (April 20, 2012). "Stirring Memories of Better Times". The New York Times. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
- ^ "Pumpsie Green, First Black Player In Red Sox History, Dies At 85". NESN.com. July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
Further reading
- Archived content
- Pumpsie Green - Baseballbiography.com
- Diamond Fans
- The New York Mets Hall of Records
- Pumpsie Green & Gene Conley try to fly to Israel
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Pumpsie Green at Baseball Almanac