Bill Greason– 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 and first black pitcher for them.
No Success in Major Leagues
He appeared in three games played 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 his 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.