William Henry Greason was born on September 3, 1924, in Atlanta, Georgia, where he spent his childhood playing sandlot baseball despite lacking formal coaching and coming from a poor family. He honed his pitching skills by playing with semi-pro players in the area.
With the outbreak of World War II, Greason put baseball aside and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1943. He became one of the Montford Point Marines, a group of Black Marines who underwent segregated training at Montford Point, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Following his training, he was assigned to the 66th Supply Platoon and took part in the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945.
“Two of my best friends were killed on that island. I prayed and said, ‘Lord, if you get me off this island, whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it,’” Greason recalled in an interview with MLB.com last November. After Iwo Jima, he spent the remainder of his service in Japan as part of the American occupation force, stationed in Sasebo and Nagasaki for 13 months.
Upon returning to civilian life, Greason resumed his baseball career, pitching for the Nashville Black Vols in 1947 before joining the Birmingham Black Barons from 1948 to 1951. In 1953, he was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals and made his Major League debut the following season, appearing in three games. He continued playing in the minor leagues and Puerto Rico, where he played alongside legends like Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente, before retiring from professional baseball in 1959.
During a break from baseball in 1951, Greason was recalled to active duty for the Korean War. However, his camp commander decided to keep him stateside and assigned him to the Camp Lejeune baseball team, where he once led his team to victory against Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe.
On September 15, 1963, Greason felt called to the ministry. He pursued theological studies at Birmingham Baptist Bible College and Samford University, eventually becoming the pastor of Birmingham’s Bethel Baptist Church Southside in 1971, a role he continues to hold.
Reverend Bill Greason celebrated his 100th birthday last September and was honored at MLB’s Tribute to the Negro Leagues game in June, where he threw out the first pitch at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama.
“I’m just grateful that God has allowed me to live this long,” he shared with MLB.com. “I’m thankful for life. God has been good to me, allowing me to reach this age, stay active, and experience so much. After surviving two wars, a baseball career, and all my travels, I never imagined I’d live this long. It’s truly a blessing.”
