The reverend said “dignity†with reverence and emphasis — “Dig. Ni. Ty.†— with each syllable pointed, as if to poke you and remind you of the word’s seriousness.
In the Negro Leagues, “We played to entertain people and to hold onto the dignity of our profession,†Rev. Bill Greason said via Zoom.
In the Major Leagues, “Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, all of those guys did a tremendous job at keeping alive our dignity,†Greason continued.
And now like before, as he approaches his 100th birthday on Tuesday, Greason defines dignity.
A former Negro Leagues standout, he was the first Black pitcher for the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals. Yet that’s just a part of his story. He fought at Iwo Jima and he fought for civil rights in the South. In 1963, he was a member of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., where .
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And then, 53 years ago, he followed his calling and became a minister — and he’s still inspiring congregants at the Bethel Baptist Church in Birmingham’s Berney Points.
Along the way, Greason met many famous people in history. He grew up on the same street — and attended the same church — as a young Martin Luther King Jr. He played on a winter baseball league team with Roberto Clemente. He mentored Bob Gibson in the minors. And he was a lifelong close friend of Willie Mays.
And Greason, too, is history.
“He epitomizes what it means to be an American in principle — everything that this country is built on, he represents it,†said Bob Kendrick, the president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City. “I’m so proud that he’s getting his flowers, that people are getting to learn who he was and about everything that he has stood for and represented so beautifully during his lifetime. …
“He is one of the most important figures, I think, in Negro Leagues history, because he embodies the kind of athlete and man that was so commonplace in the Negro Leagues. … (The late Baseball Hall of Fame member) Buck O’Neil had a special affinity for him. … you could tell that (O’Neil felt) there was something a little special about a man of the magnitude of Rev. Greason.â€
On Tuesday in Birmingham, the Heart and Armor Foundation for Veterans Health will host a 100th birthday celebration for Greason, the oldest living Negro Leagues player. Veterans and active-duty military will be in attendance, along with members of Birmingham’s spiritual community and sports community. There will be speeches, history lessons and historical artifacts, including dirt retrieved from Iwo Jima. And the event will take place at … Rickwood Field.
That’s, of course, where the Cardinals faced the Giants this summer in the game called “MLB at Rickwood Field: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues.†That evening, many Americans were introduced to Greason for the first time. The reverend threw out the first pitch and later was interviewed live by FOX during the broadcast.
“To be here and to see this team play, it’s good, because it was not like that when I went to the Cardinals,†Greason said on FOX. “Eddie Stanky was the manager. And it hadn’t developed yet — playing together, being together.â€
That’s the curveball of history. Some might see Greason’s pitching for ºüÀêÊÓƵ like it was a beacon of hope. But it was a brutal experience for him. Due to an unfair clause in his contract, he actually had to take a pay cut to go from Class AAA to the Cardinals.
And the ºüÀêÊÓƵ players and fans were not all friendly.
“I think people don’t really grasp this,†Kendrick said. “For the longest time, St Louis was as far West as baseball went — and South. And it had that very Southern kind of background. I oftentimes tell people that Branch Rickey could have never made the move to get Jackie Robinson while he was with the Cardinals. It just was not going to happen. So it kind of gives you an understanding of what the tenor was like in St Louis. …
“And the pressure that came with those players — and the short leash that they had? And this is even more so for a pitcher. It was difficult for those early Black pitchers. … And depending on what organization you were with, you were never going to get a fair shake. You just weren’t.â€
First baseman Tom Alston debuted for the Cardinals on April 13, 1954, becoming the first Black player in franchise history.
On May 31, 1954, Greason debuted for the Cardinals in a start against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. But the first appearance by a Black Cardinals pitcher lasted three innings — he allowed five runs on six hits, including a trio of homers (one to Ernie Banks).
On June 6, 1954, Greason made his second outing — and his lone appearance on a ºüÀêÊÓƵ mound. In the first inning, he allowed a homer, followed by two walks. Stanky pulled him right then.
And on June 20, 1954, Greason allowed a hit and a walk in a scoreless relief inning.
And that was it. Greason never pitched in the big leagues again.
Being a Black pitcher “was, in essence, the Black quarterback,†Kendrick said. “It was treated almost in the same manner.â€
During the Zoom with Greason, the former ºüÀêÊÓƵ pitcher wore a red hat, but it wasn’t a Cardinal cap — it read “U.S. MARINE CORPS VETERAN.â€
He shared a story that he’s often told over the decades.
After two close friends died during World War II at Iwo Jima, “I said, ‘God, if you get me out (alive), I’ll do what you want me to do,’†recalled Greason. “God called me (to ministry in the 1970s) … I was ready to give him everything that I had.â€
Greason has touched so many lives in Birmingham. And now, as he approaches 100, he’s touching lives across the country, specifically in ºüÀêÊÓƵ.
From the battleground to the mound to the pulpit, he’s a pillar of dignity.
“I’m just thankful to God that he allowed me to be here this long,†Greason said. “It’s surprising to me — I never thought I’d live this far. … I just want to be an example for others to follow.â€