Pumpsie Green

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Topps baseball card - 1960 Series, #317
Topps baseball card - 1960 Series, #317

Elijah Jerry "Pumpsie" Green (born October 27, 1933 in Oakland, California) is a former Major League Baseball backup infielder who played with the Boston Red Sox (1959-62) and New York Mets (1963). He was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed.

Through his career, Green was a modest infielder who had the distinction of being the first black player to play for the Red Sox, the last major-league club to integrate. In his Boston tenure, he was used mostly as a pinch runner or day-off replacement for infielders Pete Runnels and Frank Malzone. He made his debut on July 21, 1959, pinch-running in a 2-1 loss against the White Sox.

Green enjoyed his best season in 1961, posting career highs in batting average (.260), home runs (6), RBI (27), doubles (12), stolen bases (4), at-bats (260) and games played (133). He played his final game with the Mets on September 26, 1963.

In a five-season career, Green was a .246 hitter with 13 home runs and 74 RBI in 344 games. Green now lives in San Francisco.

He is the brother of Cornell Green, long-time safety for the Dallas Cowboys.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links