Current:Home > InvestNegro Leagues legend Bill Greason celebrates 100th birthday: 'Thankful to God' -Visionary Wealth Guides
Negro Leagues legend Bill Greason celebrates 100th birthday: 'Thankful to God'
View
Date:2025-04-18 13:04:24
The best sight in all of baseball this past week was Tuesday at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., where the city and the military celebrated the 100th birthday of an American hero: Rev. Bill Greason.
Greason, who grew up in Birmingham with Willie Mays, is the oldest living member of the Negro Leagues and was the St. Louis Cardinals’ first Black pitcher.
Greason, who lived across the street from Dr. Martin Luther King and went to Sunday School together, has been an ordained minister since 1971 at the Bethel Baptist Church and still preaches every Sunday.
One of the first Black Marines, Greason served in World War II and fought at Iwo Jima where two of his best friends were killed. He had the U.S. Marine Corps in full dress uniform saluting him Tuesday.
Greason was celebrated at the poignant event organized and sponsored by the Heart and Armor Foundation for Veterans Health.
Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.
Greason, speaking to USA TODAY Sports the following day, says he still can’t believe there was such a fuss just for him.
“I’m thankful God let me live this long," Greason said, “and it was a tremendous blessing for all of the people that were there. I didn’t think anything like this would ever happen. The church, the Mariners, all of those people. I can only thank God.’’
So how does it feel to be an American hero, and one of the few 100-year-olds to give a Sunday sermon at church?
“I don’t want any recognition,’’ Greason said, “but’s a blessing to be called that. The attitude I have is keep a low proifile. I learned you recognize your responsibilities and stay low. If you stay low, you don’t have to worry about falling down.
“I’m just thankful to God for letting me stay healthy."
The highlight of the event, which included dignitaries such as Major Gen. J. Michael Myatt and U.S. Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell, with letters of gratitude written by President George W. Bush and San Francisco Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, was a message written by Mays before he passed away in June.
“When I was coming up and playing baseball with the Barons, Greason could see that I would make it to the majors one day," Mays wrote in the message. “He saw something special in me – a kid with nowhere to go but all over the place, and a talent that needed guidance. He wanted to make sure I headed in the right direction. He saw things I couldn’t see.
“Greason is always elegant, careful in his choice of words, faithful to God, loyal to his friends, quiet, but strong too. Steady, sure and smart. Oh, and he could pitch, too.
“We are still friends, and he still worries about me. I like knowing he is out there saying a prayer for me. I don’t worry about Greason. He knows what he’s doing. I don’t worry, but I think about him a lot.
“And, sometimes, I ask God to watch over my friend.”
Amen.
“I did something for baseball, but God did everything for me," Greason said. “He saved me. He blessed me. He protected me. He provided for me. He kept me safe all of my days."
And now, 100 years later, Rev. William Henry Greason continues to strong, a daily blessing to everyone.
veryGood! (9)
Related
- Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
- The NBA Finals are set, with Boston set to face Dallas for the Larry O’Brien Trophy
- Man, 81, charged with terrorizing California neighborhood with slingshot dies days after arrest
- Home on the range: inside buffalo restoration on the Wind River Indian Reservation
- Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
- Vermont governor vetoes pilot safe injection site intended to prevent drug overdoses
- Indiana man pleads guilty to all charges in 2021 murders of elderly couple
- Angelina Jolie and Daughter Vivienne Make Red Carpet Appearance Alongside Kristen Bell
- Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
- Matt Rife postpones several shows after suffering 'extreme exhaustion' on tour
Ranking
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- Mayoral hopeful's murder in Mexico captured on camera — the 23rd candidate killed before the elections
- Former Mississippi teacher gets nearly 200 years for sexual abuse of former students
- A necklace may have saved a man’s life by blocking a bullet
- Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
- Jax Taylor Addresses Dating Rumors After Being Spotted With Another Woman Amid Brittany Cartwright Split
- Maui Council budgets $300,000 to study impacts of eliminating 7,000 vacation rentals
- Running for U.S. president from prison? Eugene V. Debs did it, a century ago
Recommendation
Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
Mel B's Ex-Husband Stephen Belafonte Files $5 Million Defamation Lawsuit Against Her
Horoscopes Today, May 29, 2024
Chipotle insists its portions haven't shrunk, after TikTokers claim they did
Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
Man who injured police officer during Capitol riot is sentenced to 5 years in prison
‘Ayuda por favor’: Taylor Swift tells workers multiple times to get water to fans in Spain
‘War on coal’ rhetoric heats up as Biden seeks to curb pollution with election looming