Bill Greason is the oldest living former MLB player. The former St. Louis Cardinal just turned 101 years old in September and is still kicking it. Bill was born in Atlanta, and as he told MILB, he "grew up across the street from Martin Luther King Jr." As a young man, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps during World War II and was one of the first Black Marines. After returning home from the war, he played professional baseball in the Negro leagues before joining the MLB in 1952.
Bill started playing for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1953. He was a pitcher known for his curveball. After just a year in the major leagues, he continued playing in the minors and retired after the 1959 season. Bill went on to dedicate his life to his religion and continued to preach well into his 100 years of life. As the MLB wrapped up its 149th season, let's get to know its oldest living player.
When Bill joined the Marine Corps during World War II, he took part in the Battle of Iwo Jima in which American soldiers captured the Japanese Island of Iwo Jima in the last year of the war. 6,000 Marines and sailors were killed while another 20,000 were wounded.
After the war, Bill started playing professional baseball in the Negro leagues. While playing for the Birmingham Black Barons, he was teammates with Willie Mays – who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Willie, who died last year at 93, played in the MLB for the San Francisco Giants and the New York Mets. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979. "We were just like brothers, and he got out of here before I did," Bill told MILB.
He was the first Black pitcher to play with the Cardinals
The MLB integrated in 1947 when Jackie Robinson debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Cardinals didn't integrate until the 1950s when they drafted first baseman Tom Alston. Bill became the team's second Black player, but its first Black pitcher. He paved the way for one of the Cardinal's most revered pitchers, Bob Gibson, a Black pitcher who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.
Bill was a pastor at the 16th Street Baptist Church
After retiring from professional baseball, Bill became a member of the 16th Street Baptist Church. The church, located in Birmingham, Alabama, is well known for the 1963 bombings by the Klu Klux Klan members which killed four young girls. The bombings inspired Bill to study for the ministry at the Birmingham Baptist Bible College and Samford University.
After becoming a minister, Bill became a pastor at Birmingham's Bethel Baptist Church Southside where he continued to preach into 2024. "It helps to know who you are," he told MILB. "I realized I am God's child, and I'm representing a whole people. I just wanted to be an example for others to follow."
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