Bill Greason W W 2 .. Negro League .. St Louis Cardinals
Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2019 5:46 pm
William Henry Greason (born September 3, 1924) is an American former professional baseball player who later became a Baptist minister. He was born in Atlanta. Greason served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, in the 66th Supply Platoon, an all-black unit, in the Pacific Theater of Operations and took part in the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was a Montford Point Marine, the first African American U.S. Marines were trained at Camp Montford Point, in Jacksonville, North Carolina, from 1942 to 1949.
Greason was a 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m), 170 lb (77 kg) right-handed pitcher. After the war, he played professional baseball in the Negro Leagues for the Nashville Black Vols, Asheville Blues and Birmingham Black Barons, where he was a teammate of Willie Mays. In 1952, Greason joined minor league baseball as a member of the Oklahoma City Indians of the Double-A Texas League, where he won nine of his ten decisions and posted a 2.14 earned run average. Another successful year at Oklahoma City in 1953 led to his acquisition by the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball, where he would become the team's second African-American player, after Tom Alston.
St. Louis Cardinals (1954)
Sent him 2 photos on 1 Oct and got them back signed on 11 Oct.
Rev William Greason
4536 Hillman Dr SW
Birmingham, AL 35221
Greason was a 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m), 170 lb (77 kg) right-handed pitcher. After the war, he played professional baseball in the Negro Leagues for the Nashville Black Vols, Asheville Blues and Birmingham Black Barons, where he was a teammate of Willie Mays. In 1952, Greason joined minor league baseball as a member of the Oklahoma City Indians of the Double-A Texas League, where he won nine of his ten decisions and posted a 2.14 earned run average. Another successful year at Oklahoma City in 1953 led to his acquisition by the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball, where he would become the team's second African-American player, after Tom Alston.
St. Louis Cardinals (1954)
Sent him 2 photos on 1 Oct and got them back signed on 11 Oct.
Rev William Greason
4536 Hillman Dr SW
Birmingham, AL 35221
