Bill Greason
William Henry Greason is an American former professional baseball player who later became a Baptist minister. He was born in Atlanta. Greason served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, in the 66th Supply Platoon, an all-black unit, in the Pacific Theater of Operations and took part in the Battle of Iwo Jima.
Greason was a, right-handed pitcher. After the war, he played professional baseball in the Negro Leagues for the Nashville Black Vols, Asheville Blues and Birmingham Black Barons, where he was a teammate of Willie Mays. In 1952, Greason joined minor league baseball as a member of the Oklahoma City Indians of the Double-A Texas League, where he won nine of his ten decisions and posted a 2.14 earned run average. Another successful year at Oklahoma City in 1953 led to his acquisition by the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball, where he would become the team's second African-American player, after Tom Alston.
Greason appeared in three games for the 1954 Cardinals, two as a starting pitcher. In his May 31 debut, he took the loss after allowing five earned runs and five hits over three innings in a rain-shortened game against the Chicago Cubs. In Greason's next start, he failed to record an out against the Philadelphia Phillies and allowed one earned run. In his final MLB game, he pitched a scoreless inning of relief against the New York Giants. Altogether, Greason allowed eight hits and six earned runs in four MLB innings pitched, with four bases on balls and two strikeouts. He spent the remainder of his professional baseball career in the upper levels of the minor leagues in the Cardinal farm system, retiring after the 1959 campaign.
After his playing days, Greason studied for the ministry at Birmingham Baptist Bible College and Samford University. He became a member of the 16th Street Baptist Church and a pastor of Bethel Baptist Church of Birmingham, Alabama. In 2011 Greason was presented with a lifetime achievement award at the annual Alabama Black Achievement Awards Gala.
