Pumpsie Green

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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 El Cerrito, Calif., where he grew up and went to high school.

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

ee also

*List of first black Major League Baseball players by team and date
*Boston Red Sox all-time roster
*El Cerrito High School

External links

*baseball-reference|id=g/greenpu01
* [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=greenpu01 Baseball Almanac]
* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/G/Green_Pumpsie.stm Baseball Library]
* [http://www.diamondfans.com/profile-greenp.html Diamond Fans]
* [http://www.rndng3rd.com/mets/playrsgl/pumgre.html The New York Mets Hall of Records]