Red Sox History: Pumpsie Green Becomes Team’s First Black Player

The Boston Red Sox were the final team to integrate, refusing to do so until this day in 1959, when Pumpsie Green made his debut with the franchise.

Looking through the history of integration in baseball, the Boston Red Sox do not exactly have an enviable place when it comes to equality. While the Red Sox did have Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays in for tryouts, they refused to sign them despite their excellent performances. Owner Tom Yawkey was a known racist, refusing to sign black players despite their obvious success. In turn, Boston went from being a perennial playoff contender to a team relegated to the basement.

Eventually, every other team in baseball integrated, except the Red Sox. The Massachusetts Committee Against Discrimination began an investigation into the team and its roster decisions. Public pressure on the team began to mount, especially as it became obvious that there was no logical reason not to integrate.

Finally, on this day in 1959, the first black player made an appearance for the Red Sox. Pumpsie Green, an infielder, made his debut with Boston. He was inserted as a pinch runner, and would remain in the game at short. The next day, Green would make his first start, going 0-3 with a walk.

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Yes, the Red Sox had finally integrated, but the fact that it took this long is actually quite pathetic. Robinson had made his debut more than a dozen years before, and had already been retired for two and a half years. It is then not much of a surprise that Robinson referred to Yawkey as “one of the most bigoted guys in baseball.”

As for Green himself, although he was a solid player, he was not nearly at the level of Robinson or Mays. He spent five years in the majors, producing a .246/.357/.364 batting line. In fact, aside from being the player to integrate the Red Sox, Green may be best known for disappearing with Gene Conley after a disastrous game against the Yankees.

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On this day in 1959, the Boston Red Sox finally integrated when Pumpsie Green took the field. It only took them over a dozen years to get with the times.