Pumpsie Green, Red Sox's first African American player, dies at 85

Bob Hille

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Pumpsie Green, Red Sox's first African American player, dies at 85 image

Elijah “Pumpsie” Green, the first African American player in Red Sox history, has died. He was 85.

Green died Wednesday at Kaiser San Leandro Hospital in California, the team confirmed, but offered no other details. A moment of silence was observed before Boston's home game Wednesday against the Blue Jays. 

"Pumpsie Green occupies a special place in our history," Red Sox principal owner John Henry said in a statement Wednesday evening. "He was, by his own admission, a reluctant pioneer, but we will always remember him for his grace and perseverance in becoming our first African-American player. He paved the way for the many great Sox players of color who followed. For that, we all owe Pumpsie a debt of gratitude."

Green debuted with the Red Sox on July 21, 1959, during an extended road trip, making the team the last in MLB to integrate, a dozen years after the Brooklyn Dodgers' Jackie Robinson broke the big leagues' color barrier.

Green played his first game at Fenway Park two weeks later, on Aug. 4, 1959, in a doubleheader against the Kansas City Athletics.

He said this year in an interview with NESN (via The Associated Press) that he remembered receiving a standing ovation when he came to the plate, batting leadoff.

"It was heart-warming and nerve-wracking," he told reporters in 1997, when he returned to Boston to take part in ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of Robinson’s historic debut. "But I got lucky: I hit a triple off the left-center fence."

Green spent four of his five MLB seasons with Boston. He appeared in a career-high 133 games with the Red Sox in 1960. A light-hitting middle infielder, he had a career .246 batting average with 13 home runs, 74 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. He closed his career with a single season,1963, with the Mets.

"We salute the courage Pumpsie Green demonstrated 60 years ago when he became our first player of color," Red Sox chairman Tom Werner said in the statement. "Despite the challenges he faced, he showed great resilience and took pride in wearing our uniform. He honored us by his presence. We send our deepest condolences to Pumpsie’s family and friends."

Green, who has been living in his native California, was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2018.

Bob Hille

Bob Hille Photo

Bob Hille, a senior content consultant for The Sporting News, has been part of the TSN team for most of the past 30 years, including as managing editor and executive editor. He is a native of Texas (forever), adopted son of Colorado, where he graduated from Colorado State, and longtime fan of “Bull Durham” (h/t Annie Savoy for The Sporting News mention).