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Thursday 18 July 2019

Pumpsie Green, 1st black player on Boston Red Sox, dies

BOSTON (AP) — Former said this year in an interview with a total of 13 homers
Boston Red Sox infielder with NESN, the Red Sox TV and 74 RBIs.
Elijah "Pumpsie" Green, the network, that he remem- But his first appearance in
first black player on the last bered receiving a standing a Boston uniform ended
major league team to field ovation when he came to baseball's ugliest chapter,
one, has died. He was 85. the plate, batting leadoff. and the fact that it took the
A Red Sox spokesman con- "It was heart-warming and Red Sox so long left a stain
firmed the death Wednes- nerve-wracking," he told on the franchise it is still try-
day night, and the team reporters in 1997, when he ing to erase.
observed a moment of returned to Boston to take A few days after Green
silence before its game part in ceremonies mark- was called up, the Red Sox
against the Toronto Blue ing the 50th anniversary of added Earl Wilson, a black
Jays. Green, who was in- Robinson's debut. "But I got pitcher. Green said there
ducted into the Red Sox lucky: I hit a triple off the was an informal quota sys-
Hall of Fame in 2018, had left-center fence." tem that required teams to In this April 19, 2009, file photo, Boston Red Sox great Elijah
"Pumpsie" Green throws out a ceremonial first pitch for the Red
been living in California. Green didn't have Hall have an even number of Sox's baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in Boston.
A speedy but light-hitting of Fame talent like Rob- black players so they would Associated Press
utilityman, Green brought inson, or Larry Doby, an have someone to room
baseball's segregation era All-Star who was the first with on the road. "But you can get those at Fame.
to an end of sorts when black player in the Ameri- There were few blacks in any ballpark at any time," Upon his return to Fenway,
he took the field against can League. The Red Sox the clubhouse, the offices he said. "I learned to tune he noticed that things had
the Chicago White Sox on infielder reached the ma- or the Boston stands, Green things out." improved, but he still saw
July 21, 1959 — more than jors as a role player, just said in '97. Green returned to northern work to be done.
a dozen years after Jackie once playing more than "Most of the time it was just California and worked as a "Baseball still has its prob-
Robinson broke baseball's 88 games, and never hit- me," he said. "It was almost counselor at Berkeley High lems, and so does society,"
color barrier with the Brook- ting more than six homers an oddity when you saw School before retiring in the Green said. "I don't believe
lyn Dodgers. or batting better than .278. a black person walking 1990s. The Red Sox honored things are that much bet-
Green joined the team on Green played parts of four around the stands." him again before a game ter in baseball or society.
a lengthy road trip and had seasons with the Red Sox But unlike Robinson, Green in 2009, but he was unable Hopefully, it will be shortly."
played nine games before before finishing his five-year said, he received no death to attend the ceremony in A brother, Cornell Green,
taking the field at Fenway career with the New York threats. "It was mostly in- 2018 when he was induct- was a star safety for the
Park for the first time. Green Mets, batting .246 overall sults," he said. ed into the Red Sox Hall of Dallas Cowboys.q