Pumpsie Green and the Boston Red Sox, 1959

[Auggie]

S.F. Chronicle, 7-20-09

Pumpsie Green spent six seasons in the minor leagues, ignoring the racism and the everyday insensitivity that was part of baseball in the integration era of 1947-59. Now Green was getting his shot at the big leagues, but suddenly the rules had changed.

It was July 22, 1959. The Boston Red Sox called up the Oakland native from the minors two days earlier. He was getting his first start (he pinch-ran the day before), against the White Sox at Comiskey Park. Green was the first black man to play for the Red Sox, the last of the 16 major-league teams to integrate. Pitching for Chicago was Early Wynn, a fastballing headhunter who would win the Cy Young Award that season.

"That was the worst at-bat in major-league history, and I can attest to that," says Green, now 75 and living in El Cerrito (S.F. Bay Area). "They put me in the lineup and I was scared to death, because the guy pitching was Early Wynn, and I'd heard of him before. Big Early Wynn. The only thing I didn't want to do was strike out."

The first pitch was a mile outside. "Stee-rike!" called umpire Bob Stewart, himself a rookie, promoted to the American League earlier that month.

READ MORE: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/21/SPFP18RJNG.DTL

[Forkboy]

1. Awesome article.

Thanks a lot for posting that. I really enjoyed reading it.

[Auggie]

2. Isn't it?

I can't imagine going through what Robinson, Doby, Green and the others did.

Good for Ted Williams.