RIP Pumpsie Green, 1933-2019

[G-Fafif]

1963 Met Pumpsie Green (17 games) died today at 85. Best known as the first black player on the last team — the Red Sox — to integrate.

[Edgy MD]

Sheesh, they're going fast.

[MFS62]

RIP

Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

He had been the 13th-oldest living Met. His death moves Al Jackson into the Top 20, and Al Weis into the top 40.



http://leaptoad.com/mets/oldestliving.phpOldest Living Mets

[RealityChuck]

Green played a few years before I started following the Mets, but I know from his mention in Jimmy Breslin's Can't Anybody Here Play this Game?.



He was traded to the Mets due to an incident the year before. After a game with the MFY, the Red Sox got on a bus to the airport for a flight to Washington. Green sat near Gene Conley, who, at 6'8"* didn't take well to bus rides. When the bus got caught in traffic, Conley got off and Green followed (for no particular reason). Eventually, Conley decided to fly to Israel. Green, seeing newspaper reports about them, decided to catch up with the team in Washington.



Conley was found trying to buy a ticket from El Al. Some reports say he was very drunk.



Green made it to Washington. When he got to his hotel room, he was asked why he didn't fly to Israel with Conley.



Green replied, "I'm not Jewish."



The next offseason, he was traded to the Mets.





*He played in the NBA and is one of two people who won a world series and and NBA championship.

[Edgy MD]

It wasn't Dave Debusschere and it wasn't Danny Ainge, so who was the other guy? Chuck Connors?

[Edgy MD]

Hey, wait, Pump was a Met and a Red Sock. When did he win a World Series?

[RealityChuck]

Edgy MD wrote: Hey, wait, Pump was a Met and a Red Sock. When did he win a World Series?

I was referring to Gene Conley, who won with the Braves in 1957 and with the Celtics three times.



Wikipedia says the other one was Otto Graham, who won AAFC, NFL, and the NBL (precursor to the NBA).

[Edgy MD]

Ah.