Bill Blair (Negro Leagues pitcher)

For the Bill Blair born in Pennsylvania in 1863, see Bill Blair (American Association pitcher).

William "Bill" Blair

Pitcher

Born: October 17, 1921
Dallas, Texas

Died: April 20, 2014 (aged 92)
Campbell, Texas

Batted: Right

Threw: Left

Teams

William "Bill" Blair (October 17, 1921 – April 20, 2014) was a Negro league pitcher.^[1]

Blair graduated Booker T. Washington High School in Dallas and briefly attended Prairie View A&M University. He began his baseball career at the age of 16, playing for a barnstorming team in Mineola, Texas, and went on to join the United States Army, where he became the youngest African American to serve as a first sergeant in the Army during World War II.

He pitched from 1946 to 1951, for teams including the Indianapolis Clowns, Cincinnati Crescents, and was a player-manager for the Dallas Black Giants. He played against players such as Cool Papa Bell, Satchel Paige, and Hilton Smith. After retiring from baseball, he became a fixture in the community, running a local newspaper, the Elite News, and organizing golf tournaments and parades. He died in Campbell, Texas in 2014.^[2]

References

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