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| Elijah Jerry 'Pumpsie' Green |
On February 8, 1956, the Red Sox purchased the contract of
Elijah Jerry Green. He would be the first African-American player to don
Carmine Hose—nearly ten years after the Dodgers made a similar transaction for
Jackie Robinson. The Red Sox were the
last MLB team to integrate their roster. As you may recall, Robinson famously tried out for the Red Sox at Fenway on April 16, 1944. The manager didn't show up to watch him. The switch-hitting Green—knick-named
'Pumpsie'—turns 83 years-old today. Green's first at-bat at Fenway Park was a triple off the Monster, but he never really made a big impact in Boston. In four seasons with the Red Sox, he played in 327 games—hitting .244. He was traded to the Mets—along with pitcher
Tracy Stallard—in 1962 for
Felix Mantilla.
Happy birthday, Pumpsie!
