brooklyndodgermemories

Elijah "Pumpsie " Green had the distinction of being the last player to integrate a team, when he appeared as a pinh runner on July 21, 1959, with the Boston Red Sox.It still amazes me that it took 12 years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, for the Red Sox to use their first black player. Ironically the Red Sox were perhaps the first major league team to give a tryout to black players in 1945. Included in that tryout were Jackie Robinson and Sam Jethroe. Most teams first black players were star quality players, not so in the case of the Red Sox and thjeir choice of Pumpsie Green.

Oneof my favorite Pumpsie Green stories. In 1960 The Boston Red Sox were on their way to Yankee Stadium for a day game. The bus got stuck in traffic. Gene Conley was on the team, he announce that he was leaving and did anyone want to go with him.Green got off the bus with Conley and they headed to Laguardia Airport where Conley decided to buy a ticket to Isreal.Green thought better of it and took a taxi to the ballpark.

I remember that story about Pumpsie and Gene, but I can't remember how long Conley was gone did he report to the Stadium that night.