(Updated Sept. 3, 2018)
Bill Greason had a short, but important, stint with the Cardinals. He was the first African-American Cardinals pitcher.
Greason, 29, made his major-league debut with the Cardinals on May 31, 1954, as the starter in the first game of a Memorial Day doubleheader at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.
He yielded three home runs _ two to Hank Sauer and one to Ernie Banks _ and the Cubs beat the Cardinals, 14-4. Boxscore
Greason, an Atlanta native who served with the Marines in Iwo Jima in World War II, began pitching Negro League baseball in 1947. As a teammate of Willie Mays on the 1948 Birmingham Black Barons, Greason posted a 6-4 record with a 3.30 ERA for the Negro American League champions. The lanky right-hander earned Birmingham’s only win in the 1948 Negro World Series against the Homestead Grays.
After stints in the Negro League and the Mexican League, Greason became the second black to play in the Texas League. In 1953, he was 16-13 with a 3.61 ERA and 193 strikeouts for Oklahoma City, catching the attention of the Cardinals.
On Oct. 13, 1953, the Cardinals acquired Greason from Oklahoma City for three minor league players.
In an article headlined “Cards, Reshuffling Hands, Get Texas Negro Ace In Deal,” Bob Broeg wrote in The Sporting News: “Greason, frequently mentioned in the past as highly promising, is likely to become the first Negro player ever to perform for the Cardinals.”
Pitching for Santurce in the Puerto Rico Winter League, Greason further impressed. On Jan. 6, 1954, after Tommy Lasorda pitched Santurce to a 4-3 victory over Caguas in the opener of a doubleheader, Greason won the second game, 3-2, holding Caguas to three singles, one by Hank Aaron.
On Jan. 20, 1954, The Sporting News wrote of Greason: “The big Negro hurler purchased by the Cardinal organization from Oklahoma City last fall has accounted for approximately half of Santurce’s conquests and is rated a good chance to make the Cardinal staff.”
Two weeks later, the magazine reported: “With the purchase of first baseman Tom Alston from San Diego (Pacific Coast), the Cardinals now have 14 Negro players in their organization. Alston is the only member of the parent club.”
As spring training ended, the Cardinals assigned Greason and another black pitcher, Brooks Lawrence, to Class AAA Columbus (Ohio), managed by Johnny Keane.
Alston made the Cardinals’ roster, and the first baseman became the first African-American to appear in a big-league game for the Cardinals when he started in the season opener April 13, 1954, against the Cubs at St. Louis. Boxscore
At Columbus, Greason compiled a 4-5 record, winning his last three decisions. On May 28, the Cardinals sent pitcher Mel Wright to Columbus and called up Greason.
Greason’s debut as the first African-American Cardinals pitcher started well. The Cardinals scored twice in the first. In the bottom half of the inning, Greason retired the first two batters. Then, Ralph Kiner singled and Sauer homered, tying the score.
In the third, with St. Louis leading 4-2, Greason again set down the first two Cubs batters. Then, Sauer homered, Randy Jackson singled and Banks homered, giving Chicago a 5-4 lead. In the fourth, Greason was lifted for pinch-hitter Sal Yvars.
Greason’s line: 3 innings, 6 hits, 5 runs, 1 walk and 2 strikeouts.
On June 6, a Sunday afternoon in St. Louis, Greason got the start against the Phillies, but it was a disaster. The leadoff batter, Willie Jones, homered. When Greason walked the next two batters, Richie Ashburn and Earl Torgeson, Cardinals manager Eddie Stanky removed him from the game. Boxscore
Greason sat for two weeks before making his third and final appearance, pitching a scoreless inning of relief against the Giants in New York on June 20. Boxscore
Two days later, the Cardinals sent Greason and pitcher Stu Miller to Columbus.
“They’ll have a chance to come back if they do well enough at Columbus,” Stanky said, “but they weren’t helping us enough and we had to make the move.”
Greason never appeared in the major leagues again. His career stats: 4 innings, 8 runs (6 earned), 8 hits, 4 walks, 2 strikeouts, 0-1 record, 13.50 ERA.
Greason pitched in the Cardinals’ minor-league system until 1959. After his playing career, Greason returned to Birmingham, worked in a department store and became a minister. In September 2014, Greason, 90, was honored by the Cardinals at Busch Stadium for having been a pioneer in helping break the franchise’s color barrier 60 years before.
RetroSimba 
Mr. Greason remains alive and well at the age of 89. Would be nice if the Cardinals organization would recognize the 60th Anniversary of his being the first black pitcher for them back in 1954. Know anyone who could make that happen?
Thank you for your comment. You might try these Cardinals staffers: Lindsey Weber at laweber@cardinals.com and Ron Watermon at rwatermon@cardinals.com Both are responsive and are part of the Cardinals’ community relations staff. It would be wonderful for Mr. Greason to be honored.
As always, let me say I enjoy posts like this one. Not just because of their importance and significance, but also because, in being stimulated to do more research, one then learns even more. Pretty cool that one of Bill Greason’s childhood neighbors was Martin Luther King. Also, very interesting that at the end of his days in the minors, he took someone by the name Bob Gibson under his wings. One question. Is it true that the first African-American that the Cardinals signed to a minor league contract was Len Tucker? Thanks.
Thanks, Phillip. Bill Greason has had a remarkable life. Yes, according to the June 10, 1953, edition of The Sporting News, an in subsequent references after that, outfielder-first baseman Len Tucker was the first African-American player signed by the Cardinals. They signed him in May 1953 out of Fresno State. Tucker played nine seasons in the minors and in Mexico but didn’t make the majors. He played 3 seasons (1953-55) in the Cardinals’ system. He hit .285 for Fresno in 1953, .293 for Peoria in 1954 and .288 for Peoria in 1955. His manager both years at Peoria was Whitey Kurowski. In 1954, Tucker had a .420 on-base percentage, with 139 hits and 96 walks. He also had 23 home runs and 89 RBI that season.